22/04/2015

Four more new signings for next season have been unveiled by
Jersey RFC.

Wing Tom Howe, back-row player James Freeman, utility back
Brendan Cope and centre Mark Cooke will all be arriving on the
Island this summer as Jersey build towards 2015/16.

The latest wave of signings mean that so far nine new arrivals
have been confirmed by the Island side as Head Coach Harvey Biljon
prepares for the club's fourth season in the Greene King IPA
Championship.

• Howe, 19, has been an Academy player with Wasps for the last
  two seasons and has agreed a contract extension with the Aviva
  Premiership side, who will be loaning him to Jersey in 2015/16. The
  Milton Keynes-born winger made his England Under 20 debut in this
  season's 6 Nations; in addition to Premiership and LV Cup
  experience with Wasps, he has also played as a dual-registered
  player with Rosslyn Park in National League One.
  
• Freeman, 24, was born in Solihull and having played for England
  under 18s was signed as a professional by Worcester early in his
  career before moving to Loughborough University three years ago. He
  has captained Loughborough Students for the past two seasons and
  played in the pre-season match against Jersey in 2012. He is due to
  graduate with a degree in Sports Science and Management this
  summer.
  
• Cope, 21, who can play at fly-half, centre or full-back, will
  move to Europe from South Africa, where he has played for the
  Sharks in Natal province for the past three seasons at under 19 and
  under 21 levels. He has been playing for Durban Collegians in the
  Cell C Community Cup, South Africa's premier club rugby
  competition.
  
• Cooke, 22, was born in Huntingdon and brought up in Cheltenham.
  He attended Cardiff Metropolitan University and joined Bristol in
  summer 2013. He played British & Irish Cup rugby for Bristol
  over the past two seasons, but after limited 1st team opportunities
  he joined Rotherham on a dual-registration deal in February this
  year, making his debut for the Titans in the home fixture against
  Jersey. He has helped the Yorkshire side to the cusp of
  qualification for the end-of-season play-offs.
  

"I'm very pleased to have secured the services of James, Brendan
and Mark for our squad next season," said Biljon. "They are players
with impressive rugby pedigrees who have the potential to become
established as part of Jersey's Championship ambitions as we move
into 2015/16.

"Tom is a young player of immense promise and it's great we've
been able to finalise an arrangement with Wasps to bring him to
Jersey - I'm optimistic this will be of benefit to all
parties."

Jersey have one game left in the current Greene King IPA
Championship campaign: the home match against Moseley this
Saturday; and the season concludes with the Siam Cup against
Guernsey at St Peter on Saturday May 2nd.