Doncaster Knights aim to send legendary Richard List out on a high

BOWING OUT: Doncaster Knights' Richard List. Picture: Marie Caley

LEGENDARY Doncaster Knights prop Richard List will make his final appearance in the professional game when they host Cornish Pirates today.

It is the last day of the Championship season and List – who has played more than 200 matches for the club during two spells – announced this week he will be calling it a day.

The 37-year-old, such an integral part of the Knights side that reached Championship and British & Irish Cup finals, will become player-coach of Doncaster Phoenix.

Loose-head List has been struggling with injuries and says it is the “right time” to finish.

After last week’s disappointing home loss to Coventry, Doncaster will aim to finish a poor season by sending the former Narbonne prop off on a high along with a raft of other departing players.

Elsewhere, Yorkshire Carnegie director of rugby Chris Stirling says their final Championship game against Hartpury will be “bitter-sweet” for him and all their squad and staff.

They round off at Emerald Headingley today before the squad splinters after the decision to go part-time in 2019-20.

The budget cuts do not just affect players, many of whom have already seen moves elsewhere announced, but also the staff with Stirling taking up a three-year contract at Cornish.

Carnegie were bottom at Christmas but, with an influx of new signings, have been on a terrific run since late November.

It is hard for Stirling to see everyone’s hard work undone and he conceded: “It will be pretty sad on Saturday.

“It will be bitter-sweet. Everyone’s excited to play one more game. It has been one of the most frustrating seasons ever and there is a lot of sadness and anger about what has happened.

“But at the same time it’s also been one of the most satisfying in the sense we’ve had this bunch of players and staff who have dug so deep for one another and achieved so much.

“We want to finish on a high now and go out with a win and finish as high as we can.”

Meanwhile, in light of recent events, Carnegie chairman David Dockray and chief executive Gary Hetherington, together with other board members, will be available to speak to all fans during a meeting at Headingley at 12.30pm today prior to kick-off against Hartpury.