ALTHOUGH Wharfedale have signed five players during the close season, an equally important boost will come from the quartet who are returning from long-term injuries.

Centre Oliver Fewtrell, formerly of Derby and Macclesfield and props Ricardo Cano (Chinnor) and Alistair Wade (ex-Camberley) have been joined by Narbonne's Maxime Labasse and Otley fly half, centre or full back Andrew Rhodes on the recruitment front.

And, although centre Tom Davidson is likely to miss most if not all of the season with a fractured femur and cruciate and posterior ligament injuries, the cavalry are coming over the hill in the shape of Rob Baldwin, Richard Rhodes, Phil Woodhead and James Tyson, who will significantly boost the Greens' squad strength for 2015-16.

"It is like having a crop of new signings," admitted Wharfedale's head coach Tom McGee of the returning quartet.

Rugby chairman Michael Harrison said of Labasse: "He has been playing at level three in France, which is the same standard as ours, and we have been put in touch with him through a connection of a connection.

"He can play wing or full back, and wants to learn more about England as a country as much as English rugby."

No 8 Baldwin injured his medial and anterior cruciate ligaments in late September against Ealing Trailfinders in what was his fourth and final appearance of the season, while second row Rhodes dislocated a shoulder against Fylde in mid-November, and managed only seven more matches than his pack colleague.

Tyson's ankle injury came when he was an influential figure in the first team, despite making only three appearances, while scrum half or full back Phil Woodhead only played nine times, five of those off the bench in an injury-disrupted 2014-15.

With last season's head coach Jon Feeley dropping down to a first-team coach role due to teaching commitments, McGee said: "Andy Hodgson is stepping up to help with the backs, and we intend to build on the work that Jon did last season. We intend to play an all-encompassing game involving speed and skill."

Wharfedale Foresters will have an early-season home match against Newcastle University on Tuesday, September 8 (7.00).