Fylde's 2008/9 league campaign comes that much closer with the visit of Stirling County for a pre-season game at the Woodlands on Saturday, August 16.

Their visitors are a leading Scottish Premiership club with a long and famous history being admitted to the Scottish RFU in 1904. This will be the first ever game between the two clubs.

In 1995, County achieved the unique distinction of being the first club to rise through the ranks from the depths of the seventh division to win the Scottish Championship.

The club has been prolific in producing a large number of age-group international players while senior internationalists who have worn County's colours include George Graham, Allister Hogg, Ian Jardine, Alastair Kellock, Kenny Logan, Kevin McKenzie and James McLaren.

One of those internationals, Ian Jardine, is now County's Head Coach. A group of between 22 and 24 players from the senior squad listed below will be chosen for the game.

Stirling finished a very creditable seventh in the table last season and most of that successful squad will be back this season.

But Jardine recognises that the squad will miss their two Kiwis who made strong contributions last season: "We’ll miss Justin Matheson as he was our main ball-carrier but we’ll just have to get on with it.

There are a few guys keen to establish a regular slot in the side this season. I’d say that overall our squad has more depth than it had last year.”

Also gone, however, is the other Kiwi, Massey Tuhakaraina, who left after the end-of-season Stirling sevens.

Fylde will also be looking to give opportunities to an extended match squad with almost all of their first choice players from last season expected to take part. One exception is playmaker and fly-half Steve Nutt who is on holiday.

Director of rugby Mark Nelson said: "The players need to get a competitive game under their belts.

"No amount of pre-season training prepares players as well as match action. Saturday will be oriented to giving players game time, units playing together and trying out some of the strategies we've been practising on the training field.

"Steve Nutt's absence gives young Mark Edwards a chance to impress at fly-half - he's looked good in training. I hope that other players also throw their hats in the ring to claim a 1st team starting place.

"We'll be cranking things up from now on and running up to the first league game against Huddersfield on 6th September. The process against Stirling will be much more important than the result.

"We'll be using a total senior squad of some 40 players in the two games on Saturday, with a number playing in parts of both the Skipton and Stirling matches."