Fourteen, mainly young, players made their National League debuts for the Club last season. Additional to those already announced as re-signing for the 2022-23 campaign, we are delighted to confirm that another two have been added to their number. A third re-signing is one of the most experienced members of the Club, with more than 170 1st XV appearances behind him. Welcome back guys!
JOE HIGGINS
Joe played rugby league from a young age but moved to rugby union when at Bridgewater High School in Warrington, and then junior rugby at Warrington RUFC and was part of the Sale Sharks Academy set-up.. He joined Kirkham Grammar School for his 6th Form years and shared a room with another young prop, Corey Bowker, who did similarly well in his first season at Fylde. He moved to Lymm RUFC during the first lockdown and played matches at 1st XV and 2nd team levels.
The Higgins family has a rich history at Lymm RUFC with his grand parents both stalwarts of the club in the 70’s and 80’s so it was a natural move for him to join the senior squad there. Joe has a younger brother, Will, a talented young hooker, on the same upward rugby career track.
Mid-season injuries to Fylde props Matt Ashcroft, Zach Barrow and Sam Kyle-Clay led to Joe being recruited from the Cheshire club and he was thrust into the squad and started against Stourbridge at the Woodlands on 4th December. In quite dreadful weather conditions, Joe had an excellent game and held his own against a very big opposition front row.
During last season he made eight appearances for Fylde’s 1st XV and also featured in the Hawks. His progress was noted at county level and he earned a place alongside other former KGS front rowers, Sam Parker and Ethan Hulme in the Lancashire U’20s squad which battled its way to the Jason Leonard County Championship semi-final.
Joe is a mobile, strong, ball carrying and skilled young prop forward who fitted in well at National League level.
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BEN VERNON
Ben Vernon (30) has re-signed for the 2022-23 season for his 9th season with the Club. Ben, 30, joined Fylde in the 2012-13 season and quickly earned a regular 1st team place. He’s made 177 appearances over nine seasons at the Woodlands. Like so many talented flankers who feature in much of the very tough tackle breakdown collisions, Ben’s career has been dotted with injuries which have somewhat restricted his appearances. His last National League match was in February 2020 before the pandemic cut short the season. He missed the whole of last season mainly due to business commitments.
He’s quick, mobile and strong and is a real asset all over the pitch, providing a very experienced presence in a generally young pack. He also skippered the team in the occasional absence of Adam Lewis in 2018 & 2019. ‘BV’ has earned the respect of everyone at the Club by the way he puts his body on the line each time he plays.
The former Hutton Grammar School student is another Fylde player with a distinguished career at junior and senior levels. He played his junior club rugby at Tarleton RUFC and was capped by England at U’16s & U’18s level alongside team mates such as Owen Farrell. At a senior level Ben has been capped by Lancashire and England Counties U’20s.
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CHARLIE PARTINGTON
Back-five forward Charlie Partington made his National League starting debut against Harrogate in September at the Woodlands after joining the Club in the summer of 2021. The 21 year old learnt his rugby at Kirkham Grammar School where he was educated between 2013-2019.
He started playing at age 12 and worked his way into the sport and the school teams. He also played at Preston Grasshoppers for U12s, U13s, U14s & U15s. He eventually made the KGS 1st XV and also the 7s squad for various fixtures against other schools and in tournaments.
Charlie toured with KGS to Ireland, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. He achieved the School’s ‘Full Colours’ for excellence in rugby union and was awarded the John Williams Award for sporting excellence in the Upper VI. Away from the School, he gained representative honours for Lancashire at U18s level.
He attended Leeds Beckett University between 2019-2021 making the University’s prestigious 1st XV with a particular highlight being the Ventur Cup Final in June 2021.
Charlie impressed in pre-season training a year ago and made 19 1st XV appearances during last season, including 11 starts and 8 more from the replacements bench. He also played a number of games in the Fylde Hawks line-up. He’s mobile, quick and brave with good ball handling skills and has a very promising future as a National League player.