Excitement rising at new-look All Blacks

The All Blacks host Sheffield tomorrow with a new coach and new skipper – and plans are in place to improve facilities after the club purchased land on Bandon Lane from the council and will be submitting plans for for a new club facility.

The club, who finished fifth last season, will be submitting a request for planning permission for a new club facility.

Rod Petty is the club’s new player-coach after joining from Stourbridge following the departure of Gareth Harris, who has joined Premiership side Wasps as academy manager.

Calum Madden has taken over as captain from Danny Griffiths, who has led the side for six years in which they won promotion twice to play at the highest level in their history and made a national cup final appearance at Twickenham.

Calum’s brother Connor is the development team captain and their father John Madden is manager of the development team.

Chairman Karen Sawbridge said: “The excitement is rising as the first home match of the season is all but upon us.

“The squad has been strengthened with several new signings of new players in key positions by ex-club captain, now chairman of the playing committee, Simon Pennington.

“New skipper Calum Madden has got his keen eye firmly on the target of finishing the league in the top three and we have seen unprecedented high numbers at training over the summer.

“The excellent coaching skills being delivered by coaches Rod Petty and Sam Brown should ensure we are treated to a superb display of game skills by the team and hopefully we can get off to a positive start.”