Congratulations to the six Leek players and coaches involved in today’s County Championship opening round fixture between Staffordshire and Hertfordshire.

Coaches Andy Appleyard and Joel Booth have assembled a strong looking squad featuring four Leek players with Oli Powell at tighthead prop, Tom Hayes at lock, Joe Byrne on the wing and Will Midwinter to come on as a finisher.

The county side will be looking to go one better than last season when they narrowly missed out on a trip to Twickenham. They welcome Hertfordshire to Stafford’s Blackberry Lane for the opening game of the championship. Kick off is at 3pm.

Elsewhere, our own Scott Rawlings will be flying the Leek flag in the Battle of the Roses as he lines up for Lancashire in their Bill Beaumont County Championship fixture against big rivals Yorkshire.

Scott will be running out in the familiar surrounds of Fylde’s Woodlands ground where he spent many years as a player before moving back to Leek.

Congratulations on your involvement and best of luck gentlemen from all at Leek rugby club.

The full Staffs squad is:
1 - Aki Seiuli (Burton)
2 - James Davies (Burton)
3 - Oli Powell (Leek)
4 - Jack Neal (Stoke)
5 - Tom Hayes (Leek)
6 - Adam Ellis (Bridgnorth)
7 - Macauley Green (Burton)
8 - Sam Tebbs (Derby)
9 - Chas Buntin (C - Burton)
10 - Benny Elliott (Newport Salop)
11 - Joe Byrne (Leek)
12 - Adam Nunney (Walsall)
13 - Jos McConkey (Burton)
14 - Dom Phillips (Burton)
15 - Ben Pitt (Walsall)

16 - Jack Dace (Lichfield) 17 - Callum Martin (Walsall) 18 - Lewis Sturgess (Burton) 19 - Ben Almond (Trentham) 20 - Lucas Cotterell (Walsall) 21 - Josh Humphreys (Burton) 22 - Dylan Shrehorn (Burton) 23 - Will Midwinter (Leek)