Featherstone Rovers have signed former Great Britain, England and Wales international Garreth Carvell on a two-year contract.
Carvell made his Super League debut at the age of 16 for Leeds Rhinos in 1997 and represented Wales in the 2000 World Cup before moving to Hull in 2001, where he made 164 appearances, including a trip to the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff for the 2005 Challenge Cup final victory. Carvell was unveiled to Featherstone supporters as coach Andy Hay announced his 2015 squad numbers, handing Carvell, who will also take up the position as assistant coach of the reserve side, jersey number 30. “I’m delighted to secure the signature of Garreth who will really bolster our already strong pack,” said Hay.
“He’s a great player to have on board and his style of play really suits the brand of rugby we want to play at Featherstone. As well as bringing plenty of size to our pack he also has a good skill set including a very good offload.” On signing for the club, Carvell said: “I’m really excited to be joining Featherstone who are heading in the right direction. The facilities are excellent and I’m looking forward to making my debut in a Rovers shirt. The Kingstone Press Championship promises to be highly competitive and after reaching the Grand Final last season, we’ll be looking to really push on this year.
“I’ve watched plenty of Championship rugby and I’m really looking forward to the physical nature of the competition. We are putting together a great squad and I’m looking forward to linking up with my mate Woody (Paul Wood) again. The new structures in place such as the Super 8s and the million pound game towards the end of the season are a really exciting prospect and something I want to be involved in. We’ve got some younger lads in the squad who I hope I can help in the early stages of their career and I’m looking forward to assisting the coaching staff here too.”
Meanwhile Hay has named Tim Spears and Paul Sykes as co-captains for the 2015 season. “Both have been picked due to their leadership credentials both on and off the pitch,” said Hay.
“Tim is vocal on the field and a very good communicator in relaying important messages during a game. He’s respected by everyone at Featherstone and is one of the club’s longest serving players. “Paul is also a very good communicator and motivator who will inspire the lads. His playing record speaks for itself and people look up to him for what he has achieved so far in his career. Both players are very dedicated to the game and lead by example.”
Featherstone Rovers 2015 Squad: 1 Ian Hardman 2 Will Sharp 3 Nathan Chappell 4 Thomas Minns 5 Ben Blackmore 6 Paul Sykes 7 Gareth Moore 8 Jordan Baldwinson 9 Andy Ellis 10 Paul Wood 11 James Lockwood 12 Reni Maitua 13 Tim Spears 14 Sam Irwin 15 Jack Bussey 16 Andrew Bostock 17 Matt James 18 Jamie Cording 19 Alex Foster 20 Ryan Verlinden 21 Jy Hitchcox 22 James Mendeika 23 Luke Teasdale 24 Mason Tonks 25 Liam Walmsley 26 Kyran Johnson 27 Jack Ormondroyd 28 Will Milner 29 Matt Nicholson 30 Garreth Carvell.
