RECRUITMENT & OVERSEAS players 3 of 4

3. Overseas player testamonials


David Khanyile
David is from Natal and played during the 2006-7 season. He helped Northwich win the EDF trophy, league and the Cheshire Vase, and played at Twickenham.

Kiwi Happy to be here!
Simon Pratt is glad he picked Northwich as his temporary home town club. The Kiwi full back is the latest in a growing list of overseas stars to become a Black, a fact he says has helped him settle in at Moss Farm. “The boys have been brilliant,” he said. “Wherever you go in the world the rugby fellas are all the same – they stick together and they’ve been a really welcoming bunch here. “It’s good to have people like Stacey [Hosking] and Jamie [Miratana] around because we can reminisce about the things we miss back home.” The 23-year-old shares a living space with Hosking and another New Zealand import, Nigel Farrow, at the Greenbank Hotel. He arrived from the other side of the planet, Marlborough to be precise, in August when the weather was a lot warmer. “Getting used to the temperature is taking some time to be honest,” he grinned. “I’ve been in snow once and vowed never to go in it again. “I just wanted to play rugby all year round and when I found out about Northwich I was desperate to come. “I’m a country boy back home so the town is plenty big enough for me.”
Pratt added: “I’ll go back a better rugby player, I’m convinced of that. “As a person I’m a lot more open-minded and loving the experience. “Northwich is a great club – there’s always some old boy around who’ll get a beer in for you!”

Romanian Coach "Dodo"
Bogdan (Dodo) Muntean was appointed 1st team player-coach in August 2009 after coming to the UK with his wife Christina. Living now at the Greenbank Hotel, Dodo has an illustrious career with Romanian club sides Steaua Bucarest, Dinamo Bucarest and more recently Farala Constanta. Constanta are located on the Black Sea. These sides are the only three professional Romanian teams and, invariably they provide the main players at international level. Dodo has been on the fringes of the international side for 10 seasons, appearing in for his country against New Zealand A side and Italy, both at his favoured fly-half position. Dodo played at all age levels for his country and was employed as an administrative controller in his countries' police force for 7 years. At club level Dodo has playing experience in the Heinekin Cup in Wales and England
Dodo is keen to focus upon his coaching role and has impressed his colleagues with a mixture of enthusiasm, experience and a wealth of new moves.
With his official UK work permit now being processed, Dodo hopes to develop his coaching skills with local Mid-Cheshire schools and on RFU assignments. He has become more respected by his team colleagues, the longer that they work on his fitness and technical programmes. Dodo is a also a strong supporter of the junior section and particularly the junior and senior colts sides