YORK City Knights' first-ever encounter will be against Oldham Roughyeds on Sunday, January 5.

The friendly at Huntington Stadium (KO 2.30pm) comes a week before the Knights take on a Wakefield Trinity XIII before they kick off the season with a Buddies National League Cup tie at home to Hull Kingston Rovers.

The two friendlies will give player-coach Paul Broadbent a chance to look at all his players and help bring cohesion to the team.

Chief executive Steve Ferres said: "We needed a couple of friendlies rather than just one to help all the players get games under their belts.

"In the second week of the season we're in Challenge Cup action and some teams have been caught out in the past by not being prepared. Obviously we don't want that to happen.

"We're likely to have a squad of more than 20 players and we need to give them all a run-out and get some continuity to their play."

The Knights now have 13 players signed up after York rugby league stalwart Mick Ramsden became the latest player to put pen to paper yesterday.

Chief executive Ferres is also expecting several more to join before next weekend - with an overseas utility player among the targets.

Few details have been released about this player but the Evening Press believes he is an Australian who can play at half-back, loose-forward or hooker.

Ramsden came out of professional rugby retirement to sign for the new club.

The 31-year-old had retired following the collapse of the Wasps last season, at which point he said he would only consider returning if major changes were made in the structure of York's professional rugby league club.

And with those major changes coming with the birth of the Knights, Ramsden has committed himself to a 13th season of professional rugby, having regained his enthusiasm for the game while starring for Yorkshire League club New Earswick All Blacks as player and conditioning coach.

The second-row forward, who first signed for York RL in 1991, had two years at Wakefield Trinity in the mid-1990s but otherwise spent his entire career with York, playing 161 games and scoring 32 tries and two goals, defying several injuries in the meantime.

Ferres said: "We're delighted to have him on board. He asked to come down to training and Paul (Broadbent) has been suitably impressed with him to offer him a position at the club.

"He's got great enthusiasm for the game and a superb attitude."

The Knights' 13 signed-on players are:

Matt Blaymire (full-back), Alex Godfrey (full-back/winger), Chris Beevers (full-back/winger), Graeme Hallas (centre), Mark Cain (half-back), Darren Callaghan (half-back/hooker), Lee Jackson (hooker), Paul Broadbent (player-coach) (prop), Richie Hayes (prop), Lee McTigue (prop/second-row), Mick Ramsden (second-row), Carl Stannard (second-row), Mick Embleton (utility player).

Updated: 12:45 Saturday, December 14, 2002