ROSS ALLAN

Position: Centre
Date of birth: 14/03/85
Place of birth: Jersey
Albion debut: 10/02/07 against Cambridge
Honours: Jersey, Hampshire, London & South East, Devon

JERSEY-born Allan made four league starts and one replacement appearance last season and also captained Albion’s development team to the Canterbury Shield title. Had an elbow operation towards the end of last term but will be hoping to build on the progress he made last year.

ARTHUR BRENTON

Position: Lock
Date of birth: 11/02/81
Former Clubs: Bedford, Luton (loan) Northampton
Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry

BRENTON joined Albion during the closed season from Bedford Blues, where he firmly established himself as a National Division One player.

JAKE CHILDS

Position: Back-row
Date of birth: 28/09/86
Place of birth: Taunton
Albion debut: 20/01/07
against Waterloo
Honours: Devon

CHILDS will be hoping to firmly establish himself in Albion’s first team squad this season. However, after pushing his claims during the summer he will miss the start of season after dislocating his shoulder against Neath in pre-season.

ARRAN CRUICKSHANKS

Position: Centre
Date of birth:10/12/86
Place of birth:Plymouth
Albion debut:02/04/06 against Waterloo
Honours: England Counties, Devon, Scotland Under-18s, Devon Under-20s

PLYMOUTH-born centre Cruickshanks started 25 of Albion’s 30 league games last season, scoring two tries. Cruickshanks is still only 21 but has become an established National Division One player after two full seasons at Albion.

ALEX DAVIES

Position: Fly-half
Date of birth: 21/06/86
Place of birth:Cheshire

Former Clubs: Waterloo
Albion debut:07/09/08 against Nottingham
Honours: Lancashire, Cheshire Under-20s

DAVIES has joined Albion from Waterloo this summer. The 22-year-old, who featured in last season’s County Championship for Lancashire, will be hoping to challenge Ross Laidlaw and Kieran Hallett for the number 10 shirt.

GRAHAM DAWE

Position: Hooker/coach
Date of birth: 04/09/59
Place of birth: Plymouth
Albion debut: 04/09/99 against Norwich

Former Clubs: Bath, Sale, Launceston
Honours:England, Barbarians, South West, Cornwall, Devon

FORMER England international hooker Dawe, who has won every honour in the domestic game, has still not called time on his playing career. Remains registered and was among Albion’s replacements on a couple of occasions last season, as well as offering his vast experience to the club’s development team.

MIKE DENBEE

Position: Flanker
Date of birth: 08/09/84
Place of birth: Somerset
Previous clubs: Weston-s-Mare
Albion debut: 12/01/08 against Henley
Honours: England Counties, England Students, Somerset

CHILDS will be hoping to firmly establish himself in Albion’s first team squad this season. However, after pushing his claims during the summer he will miss the start of season after dislocating his shoulder against Neath in pre-season.

GARETH EVANS

Position: Prop/hooker/back-row
Date of birth: 18/03/82
Previous clubs: Slough
Albion debut:17/02/07 against Newbury
Honours: Devon, Navy, Combined Services

SERVICEMAN Evans is Albion’s Mr Versatile. Can play in the back-row, prop and at hooker. It looks like his future could be at number two, where he performed well for the Navy last season.

KENI FISILAU

Position: Centre
Date of birth: 04/05/76
Place of birth: Tonga
Previous clubs:Mataura (NZ), Toa-Ko-Maatu (Tonga)
Albion debut: 01/09/2001 against Sedgley Park
Honours: Tonga (full and sevens), Devon

FISILAU is now Albion’s longest-serving player after chairman of rugby Graham Dawe. He missed the first half of last season after having a major shoulder operation during the summer, but he finished the term strongly. Is one of only three players at the club to have played more than 100 league games for Albion, the other two being Dawe and Danny Thomas.

LIAM GIBSON

Position:Winger
Date of birth: 25/09/85
Place of birth: Oxford
Previous clubs: Newbury
Albion debut: 01/09/07 against Esher
Honours: England Sevens, Devon, Oxfordshire

GIBSON joined Albion last summer after three seasons at Newbury. Made a great start to his career at Brickfields and after just a few months at the club had been called into the England Sevens squad. However, his first season was cut short when he suffered a serious kidney injury at the start of January. He recovered, though, to play for Devon in the County Championship and will be hoping to build on the reputation he built for himself in the first four months of last term.

GEOFF GRIFFITHS

Position: Utility back
Date of birth: 25/02/86
Place of birth: Northampton
Previous clubs: Rotherham, Leeds, Bedford
Albion debut:30/08/08 against Coventry

GRIFFITHS has joined Albion this summer from Rotherham, where he scored seven tries in 14 starts last term. Although wing is his preferred position, he is equally comfortable at centre or full-back.

KIERAN HALLETT

Position: Fly-half
Date of birth: 02/06/85
Previous clubs: Ulster, Bedford
Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry
Honours: Ireland Under-21s and Under-19s

FORMER Ireland Under-21 captain Hallett is another player to move to Brickfields this summer. He has returned to England after a frustrating season at Ulster. The fly-half previously played for Bedford.

RYAN HOPKINS

Position: Prop
Date of birth: 20/09/80
Place of birth: Devon
Previous clubs: Nottingham, Albion, Exeter
Albion debut: 06/11/04 against Moseley
Honours: England Counties, England Students, Devon

DEVON-born prop Hopkins has returned to Albion after two seasons at Nottingham. He previously spent three years at Albion between 2003 and 2006.

TOM JARVIS

Position: Full-back/wing
Date of birth: 21/03/85
Previous clubs: Stourbridge, Lydney, Gloucester Academy
Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry
Honours:England Counties, England Students

JARVIS has moved to Albion from National League Division Two side Stourbridge. Was named in last season’s Division Two team of the year and starred for England Counties on their tour on North America during the summer.

ED KING

Position: Lock
Date of birth: 18/07/86
Place of birth: Gloucester
Albion debut: 20/01/07 against Waterloo
Honours: Devon

KING will be hoping to really make his mark this season after graduating from the University of Plymouth this summer. Injury prevented him from making any first team appearances last season but he did make three during the 2006-07 campaign.

ROSS LAIDLAW

Position: Fly-half
Date of birth: 08/10/83
Place of birth: Evesham
Previous clubs: Saracens, London Irish
Albion debut: 01/09/07 against Esher
Honours: England Under-21s, England Under-16s

FLY-HALF Laidlaw finished last season – his first at the club – as Albion’s top points scorer with 211 points from 23 starts and four replacement appearances.

MIKE LEWIS

Position: Lock
Date of birth: 05/01/86
Place of birth: Plymouth
Albion debut: 08/10/05 against Doncaster
Honours: Devon

PLYMOUTH-born second-row forward Lewis will be hoping to finally get through a season without suffering an injury. He has missed large spells of the last three campaigns with various injuries, but will be hoping to fulfil his promise this term. Made eight league and cup starts last year and three replacement appearances.

KYLE MARRIOTT

Position: Back-row
Date of birth: 12/04/87
Place of birth: Devon
Previous clubs: Lydney
Albion debut:08/09/07 against Exeter
Honours: Devon, Devon Under-20s

DEVON-born Marriott started the last five league games for Albion last term after missing three months with a broken hand. The young back-row forward also captained Devon to Twickenham in May.

JUSTIN MENSAH-COKER

Position: Winger
Date of birth: 18/11/83
Place of birth: Canada
Previous clubs: Albi
Albion debut: Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry
Honours: Canada (full and sevens)

GIANT winger Mensah-Coker has joined Albion from top French side Albi. Played in this summer’s Churchill Cup for Canada, where he scored a try against Scotland. At 6’6” is the tallest winger in international rugby.

WIHAN NEETHLING

Position: Full-back/Winger
Date of birth: 25/03/81
Place of birth: South Africa
Previous clubs: RC Massy Essone, Asvel (both France) and Western Province
Albion debut: 02/04/06 against Waterloo
Honours: Barbarians

SOUTH African-born Neethling, who joined Albion in 2006 from French club RC Massy, is hoping to secure a new deal at the club after two-injury plagued seasons at Brickfields. In his first year he scored 162 points, but last term made just two league starts and eight replacement appearances.

MATT NEWMAN

Position: Scrum-half
Date of birth: 30/04/86
Place of birth: Plymouth
Albion debut: 05/11/05 against Fylde
Honours: Devon

NEWMAN will be hoping this season is the one when he finally gets to start a league game for his hometown club. He did start Albion’s cup win over Henley last term and has made league replacement appearances in previous years, but is still waiting to run out in the number nine shirt in a National Division One game.

GREG NICHOLLS

Position:Scrum-half
Date of birth: 10/12/82
Place of birth: Blackpool
Previous clubs: London Welsh, Bristol
Albion debut: Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry
Honours: England Under-19s, under-18s, Lancashire

FORMER England Under-19 scrum-half Nicholls has arrived at Brickfields after spending a season with London Welsh. He was previously at Bristol, where he helped them gain promotion to the Premiership. Combines rugby with studying for a medical degree at Bristol University.

JAMES OWEN

Position: Hooker/fitness coach
Date of birth: 28/06/76
Place of birth: Plymouth
Previous clubs: Penzance, Albion, Ivybridge, Exeter
Albion debut: 22/09/2001 against Preston
Honours: Devon

ALBION’S fitness coach Owen featured in 29 of Albion’s 30 league games last term – starting 25 of them. He also managed to cross for five tries.

DAVID PALU

Position: Scrum-half
Date of birth: 06/11/81
Place of birth: New Zealand
Previous clubs: Wellington, Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti
Albion debut: Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry
Honours: Tonga

TONGAN international scrum-half Palu has arrived at Brickfields this summer after spending all his career in New Zealand. Played in the 2003 World Cup and was named in Tonga’s 2007 squad but had to pull out due to a family bereavement.

DARREN RITCHIE

Position:Winger
Date of birth: 14/11/85
Place of birth: Plymouth
Albion debut: 12/01/08 against Henley
Honours: Devon, Devon U20s

RITCHIE, who joined Albion as a 17-year-old, finally made his breakthrough into the first team last term. After a short loan spell at Mounts Bay he returned to Brickfields and started three league games and came on as a replacement in four more matches. He also made two cup appearances, including one against Northampton.

MARTIN RICE

Position: Prop
Date of birth: 26/06/82
Place of birth: Plymouth
Previous clubs: Launceston
Albion debut:19/03/05 against Bristol
Honours: Cornwall

CORNISH prop Rice is hoping to get his promising rugby career back on track after a nightmare 18 months, which has seen him suffer career-threatening neck and knee injuries. But he has fought his way back and will be looking to rebuild his reputation as one of the best props outside the Premiership.

JAMIE SALTER

Position: Hooker
Date of birth: 04/04/85
Previous clubs: Mounts Bay
Albion debut:
Honours: Cornwall

SALTER is hoping to make the grade in National Division One after moving to Albion from Mounts Bay. He made 28 league and cup appearances for the Cornish side last season as they won promotion to Division Two.

WAYNE SPRANGLE

Position: Flanker
Date of birth: 28/10/82
Place of birth:Salisbury
Previous clubs: Launceston, Batj
Albion debut:07/09/08 against Nottingham
Honours: Somerset

TEACHER Sprangle has made the short move to Albion from Launceston. Impressed for Somerset in this year’s County Championship.

SEAN-MICHAEL STEPHEN

Position: Number Eight
Date of birth: 27/10/82
Place of birth: Canada
Previous clubs: Beziers (France), Oakville (Canada), Northampton (extended trial)
Albion debut:
Honours: Canada

POWERFUL Canadian World Cup number eight is set to arrive at the club next month after getting married and recovering from a back operation. Stephen, who has Irish relatives, has yet to receive the go-ahead to return to competitive action.

COLIN STEWART

Position: Lock
Date of birth: 06/01/80
Place of birth: Scotland
Previous clubs: Border Reivers, Glasgow
Albion debut: 02/04/06 against Waterloo
Honours: Scotland Under-21

SCOTTISH lock Stewart is in his third year at the club. His first season was hampered by a serious knee injury, but he recovered and last term made 17 league starts.

DANNY THOMAS

Position: Flanker/coach
Date of birth: 12/05/76
Place of birth: Barnstaple
Previous clubs: Taunton, Albion, Barnstaple
Albion debut: 02/09/00 against Penzance-Newlyn
Honours: Barbarians, Devon

THOMAS has re-joined Albion as player-coach after a season in a similar role at Taunton. Had seven successful seasons at Albion, captaining them to two successive promotions and making nearly 200 league and cup appearances. Needs three more Albion appearances to break Richard Thompson’s club record.

NAT SAUMI

Position: Utility back/coach
Date of birth: 03/09/70
Place of birth: Fiji
Previous clubs: Penzance, Redruth
Albion debut: 06/09/03 against Coventry
Honours: Fiji, Barbarians, Devon, Cornwall

FIJIAN Saumi is beginning his sixth season at Albion, having previously played for Penzance and Redruth.
Can play at full-back, on the wing or at centre and as well as playing also helps out on the coaching side.

JAMES TIDESWELL

Position: Prop
Date of birth: 06/1183
Place of birth: Burton-on-
Trent
Previous clubs: Stourbridge, Worcester IIs, Gloucester Academy
Albion debut: 30/08/08 against Coventry
Honours: England Counties, North Midlands

TIDESWELL is a highly-rated young prop who impressed last season for Division Two Stourbridge. He started every match for them as they finished third.

JANE DU TOIT

Position: Prop
Date of birth: 02/10/75
Place of birth:Namibia
Previous clubs: Griquas, Boland,
Albion debut:
Honours: Namibia

PROP Du Toit can play tight-head and loose-head and has made over 150 Currie Cup appearances. Featured for Namibia in the 2007 World Cup, starting their matches against Ireland and France.

JAMIE TRIPCONY

Position: Lock/back-row
Date of birth: 26/09/88
Place of birth: Plymouth
Albion debut:07/09/08 against Nottingham
Honours: Devon, Devon Under-20s, Cornwall Under-20s

TRIPCONY will be hoping to make his Albion debut this season after coming agonisingly close last term. Can play lock or in the back-row.

MARK LEE

Position: Centre
Date of birth: 09/03/1990
Place of birth: Devon
Albion debut:
Honours: Devon all age groups

LEE has joined Albion this summer after leaving Ivybridge Community College. Is comfortable at either 12 or 13 and can also play full-back