DUNCAN Hughes, the former Wales Under-21 centre, will captain North Midlands in their opening match of this season's Tetley's County Championship Shield against Dorset & Wiltshire at Bournemouth on Saturday May 4 (3 pm).

The Stourbridge and former Newport and Worcester player, will lead out a strong side that includes 12 other players from National League clubs.

The only players from outside the top four divisions in the North Midland's starting line-up are Camp Hill's flanker Glen Fager, who made his county debut against Crawshay's XV last year and Bromsgrove lock Tom Churchill.

Three Moseley first team regulars -- fly-half Andy Binns, lock Neil Mitchell and prop Terry Sigley -- will also start the game along with Birmingham & Solihull scrum-half Gavin Cattle. Sigley will link up again with his older brother Rob, who left Moseley for Stourbridge in January, in the front row.

The RFU have restructured the Championship this season to make a two-tier competition -- the Championship and Shield -- with promotion and relegation between the two.

North Midlands will play Dorset & Wiltshire on a home and away basis -- the return leg is at Dudley Kingswinford on May 11 - with the aggregate winners progressing to the knockout stages.

The creation of an English Counties XV and a tour to Chile next month has also attracted the interest of players from National League clubs and their availability is likely to make this year's Championship the strongest and most attractive competition for many years.

North Midlands: Steve Smart (Dudley Kingswinford); Mark Millard (Dudley Kingswinford), Duncan Hughes (Stourbridge), Mark Eastwood (Stourbridge), James Benedict (Dudley Kingswinford); Andy Binns (Moseley), Gavin Cattle (Birmingham & Solihull); Rob Sigley (Stourbridge), Rob Merritt (Stourbridge), Terry Sigley (Moseley), Neil Mitchell (Moseley), Tom Churchill (Bromsgrove), Glen Eager (Camp Hill), Jason Mellors (Stourbridge), Layton Wilkinson (Dudley Kingswinford).

Reps: Adam Caves (Moseley), Stuart Homer (Dudley K), Jon Taylor (Bromsgrove), Ben Connett (Dudley K) plus two more.