FORMER Hereford Cathedral School pupil Perry Pudge has returned to the city to join the Wyesiders.

Pudge can play at centre and full-back and was turning out for Broadstreet last season in National 2 North.

Hereford have lost influential number eight Guy Thompson, who has joined Richmond, and flanker Nick Harrison who has taken up a teaching job in Oxford.

But Hereford’s director of coaching, Steve Bradley, is pleased how his troops have been shaping up ahead of their National 3 Midlands opener at Newport on Saturday.

“Adam Knight is back from the USA and he’s looking really sharp and Richard Preece is fit after injury and he’s raring to go,” said Bradley.

“Our prop, Ben Probert, was injured with a neck problem and missed a lot of games last season but he’s also now fully fit and raring to go.

“The main thing is that we have had a lot of injuries but those have cleared up and people are now fit for the start of the season.”

Gareth Miles will be skippering the Wyesiders in their second season since returning to level five (formerly Midlands 1).

Bradley said: “I am quietly confident because the pre-season training has gone very well - but we need someone who can play at number eight.”

Picture: All set for the new season, the Hereford RFC squad is, back row (left to right): Will McQuaid, Jeremy Grisman, Perry Pudge, Adam Knight, Alistair McColl, Will Watkins, Richard Preece, Ben Probert, Matt Hallet and Phil Rees (1st XV Manager); centre: Dan Phillips, Keiram Hallam, Mike Cheesley, Morgan Goodall, Gareth Miles (Captain), Dean Powell, Gary Preece, James Watters and Charlie Loughman; front: Richard Rees, Simon Sabel, Owen Lawrence and Matt Evans.

Missing from picture: Matt Prichard, Sean Day, Ben Hillstead, Dan Lewis, Eric Rabuka and Sam Bishop.