Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
James Pritchard will make his final appearance for Bedford Blues on a Saturday of goodbyes for many as the Greene King IPA Championship reaches the end of the regular season. The Blues have qualified for the playoffs but Pritchard is not expected to play a role and will make his final appearance at Goldington Road against Bristol before moving to Coventry in a player-coach capacity next season. Bristol will have Argentine prop Gastón Cortes in their starting front row.
London Welsh will bid farewell to Richard Thorpe as they host Doncaster at Rosslyn Park. Thorpe will bring a close to his professional rugby career as he switches his focus to property development. Tyler Hotson starts in the second row for the visitors, with Jon Phelan on the bench. Trinidad & Tobago’s Bevon Armitage lines up in the midfield for the Knights.
Another making his Championship bow, albeit on the opposite end of the longevity spectrum, is Evan Olmstead. The big Canadian forward will end his time at London Scottish as a replacement before he moves on to a yet-to-be-named club in another division ahead of next season. World Cup teammate Matt Evans starts on the wing for Cornish Pirates at Nottingham, while Argentina’s Martín Garcia Veiga is reserve hooker for Jersey against Yorkshire Carnegie.
