RUGBY UNION: BIRMINGHAM Bees have confirmed a number of departures and releases following the club’s decision to appoint Jack Jolly as new team skipper.
Ahead of pre-season, the club has confirmed players moving or already moved to other clubs include Louis Addleton (Rugby Lions), Freddie Clark (Coventry), Chris Goddard (Stourbridge), Ross James (Loughborough University).
Elsewhere Callum MacBurnie has joined Moseley, Mitch McGahan (Bournville), Isaac McNulty (Coventry), Tom Price (Coventry), Dan Toth (Moseley Oak) and Mikey Whettell (Dubai).
Players released include George Adams, Dan Barratt, Darren Forder, Rob Gregg, George Nash, George Roberts, Luke Penn, Will Britten, Ollie Russell and Finley Sinclair – all of whom have retired.
Bees head of rugby Pete Glackin said: “It is part of the on-going process and transition that we have to say goodbye – for various reason – to a number of squad members at the end of each season.
“I would like to thank each and every player for their contribution and wish them well in next stage of their rugby journey.
“As an ex-Bee, each and every former player will always be welcome in the clubhouse at Portway.”
Elsewhere the core part of last year’s squad has been retained for the upcoming season.
With the fixture list already published for the 2017/18 Midlands Premier League already published, the Bees confirmed front row members Joe Foreman, Pete Koizot, Kurtis Payne, and Zane Raimondi have all put pen to paper.
Second rowers Reece Donaldson, Matt Spink, Andrew Weaver and Danny Wright will be joined by back rowers Michael Stephens and last season’s Players’ & Supporters’ Player of the Year Ashley Scriven has also signed on.
In the backs, newly appointed club captain Jack Jolly will be joined once again by Tawanda Chipadza, Matt Dight, Jevon Hinds, Steve Johns, Alex O’Malley, Jimmy Oliver, Ben Phillips, Max Rodman and Mohammed Hamza Suleiman.
