CENTRE Chris Spurr has re-signed for York City Knights and will be aiming to bounce back from his injury-plagued 2005 campaign.

The Great Britain Students player, an ex-Batley centre who can also play on the wing, first signed for York in late July 2004 and scored four tries in nine appearances that season.

However, having only just come back from a long injury lay-off, he then suffered a career-threatening ankle break while playing a student international in December and that ruled him out of the Knights' entire 2005 campaign.

The 25-year-old, though, has now battled back to fitness and has earned himself a new one-year deal.

In further good news, the Knights' ever-improving second-row John Smith, 25, has been called up to the Scotland squad for the 2005 European Nations Cup.

Smith, who rose out of the amateur game to become a regular fixture for the Knights in 2004 and again in their 2005 LHF National League Two championship-winning team, is a late call-up to the Scotland squad, who take on Ireland on Sunday.

Smith may come face to face with club-mate David Bates in the international tie, the former Halifax prop forward being in the Ireland squad.

Updated: 10:38 Friday, October 21, 2005