Ex-skipper Ben leaves

Skipper Ben Williams has made a quiet exit from Maidstone Rugby Club. Williams won two promotions and the Intermediate Cup final at Twickenham during six years as captain of his hometown club. He missed the start of this season on doctors’ advice while recovering from a head injury but even his return couldn’t help them up the London 1 South table. Work commitments saw him give up the captaincy and he’s now joined Tunbridge Wells, who play above Maidstone in the London Premier. Coach Mike Hebden said: “Ben should be publicly thanked for his service. “I’d like to thank him for his commitment over many years at the club. “He put in a lot of effort, on and off the pitch, and felt the time was right to move on to another club and try to play at a higher level. “We wish him all the best. He was captain here for a number of years.” Adam Knight is Maidstone’s new skipper, with Matt Iles and Gary Beck sharing vicecaptaincy duties. Hebden said: “Adam’s doing a fantastic job, as are Matt, a long-standing club stalwart, and Gary. It’s largely thanks to those three that morale is still so high.” Maidstone have been blighted by injuries, with Williams the most high-profile victim. Hebden said: “We’ve lost key players and we’ve not been able to select a consistent team every week. “That’s sometimes an issue with rugby at this level, plus work still has to come first. “We’ve got paramedics, doctors, people who work shifts, people with families and sometimes it’s tough.”