Winger signs on loan for Fylde in time for Blackheath debut

The Rotherham Titans player will make his debut in Saturday's visit to the Woodlands of Blackheath.

Coach Warren Spragg has moved swiftly after his squad was shorn even further by the loss through injury of Henry Hadfield and George Brookes.

Cooke will take his place on the right wing against the London club who are in fifth position in National League One.

The 21-year-old is a product of the powerful Hartpury College set-up.

He was an influential player in their British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) super rugby campaign last season.

That culminated in a 17-12 victory for Hartpury in the final at Twickenham against Loughborough.

He joined Championship club Rotherham during the close season after leaving Hartpury.

Cooke learned his rugby at his local club, Bury St Edmunds RFC also had a spell in the academy of Aviva Premiership club Northampton Saints.

At 6ft 2in, Fylde’s new recruit has a reputation as a powerful ball-carrier and someone reliable in defence where his physicality and work-rate mark him out.

Fylde enter tomorrow’s contest fresh from victory away to Old Albanian; it was a confidence-booster, but not enough to take them off the bottom.

The same day Blackheath suffered a setback to their promotion hopes when they lost 21-19 at home to Bishop’s Stortford.

Fylde (probable): Carleton; Cooke, Briers, Wilkinson, Grimes; Smith, Dolly; Lewis, Gregory, Irving, Ashcroft, Parkinson, Corrie, Vernon, Fairbrother. Replacements: Joyner, Burtonwood, Garrod, Harrison, Fowden.

Fylde have decided not to proceed with any move for Cornish-based forward Billy Roberts, who trained with the club recently and had a run-out in the second team.