FORMER Wharfedale player James Tincknell, who shelved a promising cricketing career because of a back injury, is returning for a fourth spell at The Avenue.

The National League Two North club have also announced the signing of scrum half Sam Gaudie.

The 27-year-old centre Tincknell left the Greens for Leeds Carnegie, after scoring 15 tries for Wharfedale in 2009-10 and earning Yorkshire and England Counties honours, but his career was set back by a serious car crash in February, 2011.

Tincknell, who was at Old Otliensians before joining the Dalesmen, was in a medically-induced coma for a month after the accident on the A66.

Upon recovering, however, he received the Blyth Spirit Award from the Rugby Players' Association for outstanding courage in the face of adversity.

Seven months after the crash, Tincknell was back on loan at Wharfedale and playing for their Foresters.

At the end of that season, Leeds Carnegie released the centre, and he joined Doncaster, but was again loaned back to Wharfedale during the 2012-13 campaign.

The Leicester-born back, who was 12th man for England's cricket team when they played South Africa at Lord’s in 2008 and went on as a replacement fielder, has also played rugby for Cornish Pirates on a short-term contract, London Welsh, when they were in the Championship and Premiership, and Coventry.

"James will give us more of the attacking flair that our director of rugby James Doherty wants," said rugby chairman Michael Harrison, conscious of the loss of centre Cameron Hudson to Championship club Rotherham Titans.

Middlesbrough's Gaudie was a team-mate of Wharfedale's George Hedgley in the Yorkshire side that won the Under-20 County Championship last season at Twickenham.

"He is one for the future," said Harrison, bearing in mind that Wharfedale must do without their director of rugby James Doherty in a playing sense for 2016-17.

The Greens have also confirmed that Rob Baldwin will be their captain next season.

Harrison said: "Rob has captained Leeds Carnegie and has also captained us at a level that is higher than we are at present."

Wharfedale hope to have their forwards' coach in place by next week, and might also be able to announce further signings.

They have already held three pre-season training sessions, and Harrison added: "There were 43 there last Thursday and I would expect that figure to grow."

Wharfedale are holding their annual meeting tonight in the clubhouse (7.30).

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