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Promotion hopefuls Doncaster miss out on Premiership target
By Jon Newcombe
Ambitious RFU Championship outfit Doncaster Knights have pulled off some impressive signings this summer but they have missed out on Tonga full-back Telusa Veainu.
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Veainu is looking for a club after his one-year deal with Sale Sharks came to an end and was made a decent offer by the Knights to join their new-look squad.
However, the 33-year-old, New Zealand-born Tonga international, who has nine tries from 15 caps, the most recent against Spain last month, is believed to be only interested in a player-coach role.
Doncaster were hoping Veainu would add some more star dust to a backline that now includes Bath legend and former England winger Semesa Rokoduguni.
The hot-stepping Veainu spent five seasons at Leicester Tigers, scoring 32 tries in 79 appearances, before joining Sale via a spell in France with Stade Francais, and would have added considerable experience to a team hellbent on making it into the Premiership under Sir Ian McGeechan and Joe Ford.
To date, Doncaster have made more signings than Veainu has younger siblings – he has five brothers and five sisters – with 17 new faces having arrived in the close season to complement the 13 existing players that have remained on the club’s books.
But their search for an additional full-back/wing will continue now that the former Baby All Blacks player has turned them down.
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