Southend Rugby Club's preparations for the new National League Two season get underway this weekend.

The Essex side face National Three side Canterbury on Saturday in the first of three pre-season games.

It will be the first match for the new management team of Mark Mapeltoft and Ben Green, plus the five new players brought in over the summer.

The club, who finished seventh last season, get their league campaign under way against Launceston on 6 September.

The new faces on display will be number eight Tim Stannard from Nottingham, German back-row Tm Kastens, New Zealanders Joe Hamilton and John Barton and outside centre Danny Cleare who has come up from Rochford.

Southend's two other pre-season games will be against National One side Esher on 23 August and National Three outfit London Scottish a week later.