YORK City Knights have unveiled their new strips for 2016 - and the new away kit gives more than a nod towards their future house-mates York City.

The Knights, currently gearing up for their do-or-die League One play-off semi-final at Swinton on Sunday, will be moving temporarily into City's Bootham Crescent ground next year - albeit 12 months later than planned amid the controversial community stadium saga - prior to the groundshare at the planned new arena.

And, ahead of the switch, the Knights have launched a new strip which happens to feature the Minstermen's colours of red and blue - a move which could be regarded as a way of improving recent strained relations between the two clubs.

Neil Jennings, one of the rugby league club's new directors, said: "It fits in well with the move to Bootham Crescent and hopefully it will go down well with both Knights fans and City fans.

"The new community stadium is set to have blue and red seats as well so it fits in with that too."

The new away shirt will be predominantly red with dark blue shoulders, to go with dark blue shorts with a red trim, and red socks.

The Knights' new home shirt retains the club colours of dark blue, light blue and white, but in a new design. This kit will have white or dark blue shorts and dark blue socks.

The club also plan to bring in a new "heritage" third strip at some point, featuring the old-style York RL amber and black colours as used in the away strip over the last couple of seasons.

The kits will be be made by Fi-Ta, in the final season of a three-year deal.

Meanwhile, Michael Channing, who played seven times for the Knights this year on dual-registration, has been released by Castleford Tigers. He is unavailable to play for York in the play-offs having turned out for Cas after the league's cut-off date.

Sunday's opponents, Swinton, may have a new half-back pairing next season after announcing the capture of Italy international Matt Bradley from Gloucestershire All Golds to follow that of Newcastle's Matty Beharrell, the scrum-half who surprisingly beat York centre Greg Minikin to the League One Young Player of the Year award.