Otley have received a late Christmas bonus with the news that their talismanic second row Howard Parr, who was supposed to be skipper this season, has rejoined the club.

The 38-year-old quit Cross Green on the eve of the National League One campaign because of additional work commitments as an RAF squadron leader at High Wycombe.

However, Otley’s director of rugby Gary Walker revealed yesterday: “Howard will not be moving up North but his schedule has been sorted out and he is back with us and will be available every week, including on Saturday at Launceston.

“This is great news. Howard is a fine leader of men and has experience of playing in the Premiership. He will help to bring our younger players on.”

Jamie Sutton will remain as captain. Walker is not only looking over a squad that includes Parr again. The former Old Otliensian can also select prop Jonno McMillan and goal-kicking centre Ben Hough, while the quartet of fly half Jervis Manupenu, back-rower Richard Beck and props Cameron Zeiss and Adam Kemsley should all be available by the end of next month, and some much sooner than that.

Walker said: “Jonno was on loan from Rotherham but has enjoyed playing with us so much that he has opted to quit playing for them full-time and join us.”

Hough’s availability was interrupted by a stint in Australia last year but Walker said: “Ben is back playing again and will be in the first-team squad on Saturday, and that is another bonus from an experience point of view.”

The weather, coupled with the festive break, meant that Otley wanted Manupenu to have a knee operation, and Walker said: “He should be available next weekend, while Richard Beck should also be an option in the next few weeks after concussion and a shoulder injury.

“Cameron Zeiss, who had a shoulder operation in pre-season, should be back by the end of January, while Nottingham University skipper Adam Kemsley will hopefully be available next month.

"He has experience of playing for Nottingham in the Championship and has also played for Bracknell, but severed a bicep in pre-season.

“All this means that our strength in depth is increasing, and other than that we are only missing some of our representative players.

“Ollie Stedman is playing for England Under-20s at No 8, and lock Dominic Barrow, who captained England Under-18s last weekend, is being rested by us for a few weeks so that he is not doubling up matches at such a young age.

“It is great for the club that we are getting these representative honours – winger Curtis Wilson started for England Acadamies Under-19s in their victory over their Irish counterparts in Dublin – but it is also great that these players are increasingly tied to Otley rather than Leeds Carnegie.

“We also have Jake Armstrong and Ollie Cicognani playing for England Under-17s, and they have been with us for many years.”

Bottom-of-the-table Launceston, who had 20 points deducted for going into voluntary liquidation in August, are 15 points and three places below Otley, and Walker said: “It will be a tough match, especially as they lost 26-0 at Redruth on December 18.”