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#Post#: 14440--------------------------------------------------
Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: Watto
Date: September 18, 2026, 6:22 am
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Titans Ready for Coventry Challenge as Champ Rugby Returns to
Clifton Lane
Rotherham Titans will make their long-awaited return to Champ
Rugby at Clifton Lane on Saturday afternoon when they welcome
Coventry for what promises to be a stern opening test to life
back at level two.
Kick-off is at 3pm, with Titans embarking on their first Champ
campaign for eight years following an extraordinary rise through
the leagues that has seen the South Yorkshire club secure two
promotions in the last three seasons.
After claiming the National 2 North title in 2023/24, Titans
followed that success by winning National 1 last season,
securing their return to the second tier of English rugby and
completing a remarkable journey back to the level they occupied
for 22 years, including two seasons in the Premiership, before
relegation in 2018.
And there is a nice piece of symmetry to Saturday’s fixture,
with Coventry being the side that replaced Rotherham in the
Champ eight years ago.
The Midlands outfit have used their time at level two to
establish themselves as one of the division’s leading sides,
steadily building a reputation for competitive, ambitious rugby
and consistently challenging towards the top end of the table.
That was demonstrated again last season when Coventry finished
third in the Champ before their promotion aspirations ultimately
came to an end at the semi-final stage, where they were beaten
by Bedford Blues.
For Titans, Saturday represents both a new beginning and a
significant challenge.
The excitement around Clifton Lane is sure to be palpable as
supporters get their first opportunity to see their side
competing in the Champ once again. But while there will be
plenty of anticipation surrounding the occasion, Titans know
they will need to be at their best against a Coventry side with
considerably more experience of Cham rugby.
Rotherham’s impressive pre-season campaign has provided plenty
of encouragement, with the newly promoted side showing their
attacking capabilities and building valuable preparation ahead
of their return to competitive action.
However, Coventry will provide a very different proposition.
The visitors have developed a reputation for being particularly
ruthless when they enter the opposition’s 22. Their ability to
turn pressure and field position into points means Titans will
need to be disciplined defensively and make the most of their
own opportunities when they arrive.
Set-piece efficiency, discipline and accuracy will therefore be
crucial, while Titans will also need to cope with the physical
demands that come at level 2.
For Head Coach Harvey Biljon and his squad, though, this is
precisely the kind of fixture they will have been looking
forward to.
After the hard work required to earn promotion, Titans can
finally test themselves against some of the established names in
the Champ, and Saturday’s encounter provides an immediate
indication of the standards required at their new level.
There is no shortage of respect for Coventry, but neither will
there be any lack of ambition from the home side.
Eight years after leaving the Championship, Rotherham Titans are
back where they believe they belong — and Saturday’s clash with
Coventry provides the perfect opportunity to announce their
return.
Speaking ahead of the match Harvey Biljon said:
“We are very much looking forward to competing in Champ Rugby
this season; the Sale FC game seems a long time ago now. I think
it was great to wrap up promotion early and not to have to play
in the play-offs, but that extra time has been taken up with
facility development, infrastructure, recruitment and planning
around this campaign in The Champ.
“Regarding recruitment we identified that we needed to bring in
a few players in the forward pack, and I think we’ve found the
right balance there, but also, we’ve maintained some continuity.
With the backs we wanted to step things up another level and
it’s a space I’m encouraged by with the recruitment and with
some of the players that have earnt the right to step-up from
National 1 to get an opportunity at this level.
“It’s crazy to think Rotherham haven’t been in The Champ for 8
years! It’s a team that I would have always felt was part and
parcel of the competition. However, I’m not naive enough to
think that the game doesn’t keep moving forward and I’m pretty
sure that although I know the competition, it’s going to have
taken a step forward.
“We look forward to hosting Coventry, and I look forward to
welcoming both Alex Rae and Steve Boden to Clifton Lane. Both of
those individuals have coached with me in the past; but they
will have brought their own flavour into what they’re doing at
Coventry.
“I think that was identified last season when teams talk about
the attacking intent, flair and excitement in the way they
express themselves as an attacking side. The speed and skill
Coventry possess is there for all to see and there’s a reason
why they were semi-finalist last season and we’re going to know
all about that and feel that on Saturday.
“It’s exciting, we’re in a new era, but we are still Rotherham
Titans, and we are very proud of that. We’ve seen how we’ve
accelerated as a group, as a squad and as a club over the last
two and a half years and we know we have a little way to go in
this space still. It’s going to be a rollercoaster of a ride,
but one in which we are all committed to making sure works.”
Titans: 15 Isaac Shaw, 14 Jackson Barling, 13 Lloyd Hayes, 12
Ali Mgijima, 11 Ben Cambriani, 10 Russell Bennett (c/c), 9 JB
Bruzulier, 1 Alastair Donkor, 2 Morgan Veness, 3 Corrie Barrett,
4 Louis Guthrie, 5 John Okafor, 6 Travis Gordon (c/c), 7 Harry
Stone, 8 Callum Bustin.
Replacements: 16 Louis Inman, 17 Zach Toerien, 18 Andrew Foster,
19 Curran Maguire, 20 Jack Baldry, 21 Lekima Ravuvu, 22 Cameron
Nordli-Kelemeti, 23 Mitchell Lacey-Babalola.
#Post#: 14441--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: Rucko
Date: September 18, 2026, 6:35 am
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COVENTRY RUGBY TEAM
1. Aristot Benz-Salomon
2. Jordon Poole (C)
3. Jonny Benz-Salomon
4. Senitiki Nayalo
5. Rhys Fulford
6. Tom Ball
7. Morgan Strong
8. Rhys Tait
9. Sam Maunder
10. Bruce Houston
11. Jack Reeves
12. Api Bavadra
13. Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti
14. Alex Garrett
15. Tom Bacon
Finishers: Ethan Hunt, Tumy Onasanya, Coby Stanton-Ford, Dan
Green, Marcus Rhodes, Josh Barton, Tommy Mathews, Peter
Sullivan.
#Post#: 14442--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: TreetonTitan
Date: September 18, 2026, 8:05 am
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Thanks Watto, wasnt sure what to expect team wise given the
number of signings, plenty of last years squad involved in the
first game then.
#Post#: 14443--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: Chris.Garbutt
Date: September 18, 2026, 8:21 am
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Fantastic looking squad, can’t really argue at all with those
selections and a very strong bench.
Pace, power and try scoring ability across the park.
Come on ROTH!
#Post#: 14444--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: Rothoik
Date: September 18, 2026, 8:50 am
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Watching the clips, I think Magijima is a strong, powerful
centre and can jackal. I think I am a little nervous of his
uncompromising tackling as I think against Newcastle there were
a few high hits, so needs to watch that. What we have to get
used to is getting punished for mistakes. This level is brutal
if you offer a chance and so we have to be tactically right at
the top of our game. We also need to convert any tries and not
leave any points out there. Such exciting times, massive
challenge, just hope we can be competitive and adjust quickly
to the high tempo of this league. We are a squad with plenty of
pace and power and a raft of attacking threats, however, it will
be our defence that really has to step up as Newcastle showed.
#Post#: 14445--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: Rothman2
Date: September 18, 2026, 10:43 am
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Will be an exciting edge of the seat battle, I feel, with Roth
edging it by 2-3 points.
Whatever the result good luck to the lads & it’s great to be
back in the Champ.
#Post#: 14446--------------------------------------------------
Re: Roth v Coventry Team News
DIR By: Mwhite83
Date: September 18, 2026, 1:04 pm
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Think were going to suprise a few this season very tough start
to the season but more yhan capable of picking up some points
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