Today’s trio of re-signings include the most experienced member of the squad, one of the youngest and a crowd favourite we’ve missed last season and are delighted to welcome back after long term injury. Great news guys!
SCOTT RAWLINGS
Scott will start the 19th season of his distinguished semi-professional career after signing on for another campaign with Fylde.
His two periods at the Woodlands (2014-16 and 2019 to date) constitute no more than a quarter of his extraordinary career. In all, he’s made over 400 senior appearances at five English clubs, with representative honours for England Counties and Lancashire on top of this. His durability and love of playing rugby is exceptional – and his many hundreds of journeys along the M6 to the Fylde Coast from his home in the Potteries is a testimony to this.
Scott began his senior career at his local club Longton in Stoke-on-Trent in 2003, moved to join Manchester RUFC in 2006 and also had a season in New Zealand that year. His talent was noted nationally and earned him two England Counties tours, 2007 to Russia & 2008 to USA/Canada. He returned to Longton as player-coach.
The National Leagues beckoned him again and he joined Fylde in National One for the 2014-15 season, once again playing alongside brother Gareth and forming a fine partnership with fellow centre Chris Briers. He made 65 1st XV appearances before leaving early in the 2016-17 season to link up with Sale FC.
He returned to the Woodlands for the 2019-20 season and has made another 50 appearances in this second spell at the Club. His bone shaking tackling, powerful ball carrying, clever distribution and timely off-loading continues to set up chances for team mates all around him.
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SAM PARKER
Dynamic young hooker Sam has followed a familiar pathway to other Fylde players such as Tom Carleton and Matt Ashcroft. He was a student at Standish High School, played at Wigan RUFC and then joined Kirkham Grammar School in their 6th Form. He was a direct contemporary of other Fylde 1st XV squad members, Marcus Blake and Tane Bentley.
Sam (5’9″ & 90kg) gained representative honours for Lancashire at U’16s, U’18s & last season for the County’s U’20s which made U’20s County Championship semi-final. In that squad he formed an all-Fylde front row in between props Ethan Hulme and Joe Higgins. He has also spent time in the Sale Sharks Academy.
He joined Fylde for the 2021-22 season and soon impressed regularly in the Fylde Hawks line-up. This earned him a call up to the 1st XV’s National League squad and he made six appearances coming on from the replacements’ bench including his debut at Sheffield Tigers’ Dore Moor Ground in November.
Sam Parker said: “It was a great experience to train and play amongst the first team, and a brilliant opportunity to develop as a player.”
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CONNOR WILKINSON
We’re delighted to welcome Connor back to 1st XV action after injury cruelly ruled him out for the whole of the 2021-22 campaign.
Connor’s rugby education came through Preston Grasshoppers Mini-Juniors and at Kirkham Grammar School where he became a first choice player through the various age levels, skippering the teams including the 1st XV. He also represented Lancashire at U’14s-U’16s levels before moving on to the Sale Sharks development system. He comes from a sporting family, including three talented sons – rugby is deep in his DNA.
Connor (25) earned a rugby scholarship at Manchester Metropolitan University, was a regular in the University’s successful BUCS squad (including skippering the MMU 7s team) and achieved representative honours for England Students and for the touring England Counties U’20s squad. He made a number of appearances for Sharks Jets, the Sharks 7s squads and in 2020 for the senior Lancashire team in the County Championship.
He made his Fylde National League debut in Feb 2016 whilst still at KGS and he became a 1st choice centre in 2017-18, making 108 appearances to date and scoring 47 tries. Losing the 2020-21 season through covid, Connor played in two preseason games in the summer of 2021 on the resumption of competitive rugby. In the second one, against Sale FC, he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and required major surgery in the autumn before he was able to start rehab.
Back to full fitness now, he’s a clever, creative centre (or occasional fullback) who does his share of tackling and covering, and he’s a crowd favourite too.