THE Basingstoke Bison will be looking to sting arch local rivals Bracknell Bees twice this weekend, as the sides clash in a double header weekend.

The Herd will entertain their Berkshire neighbours on Saturday (6.30pm) with the return on Sunday (6pm).

Encounters between these teams are always supercharged, so this weekend is set to be an early Christmas cracker.

Adding extra spice to the weekend, is the return of recent departed Bison Shaun Thompson with the Bees.

When the Herd beat Bracknell 8-1 in Basingstoke earlier in the season, Thompson bagged a hat-trick. The Bison will be out to stop him doing the same this weekend in a Bees’ jersey.

The Herd are also keen to bounce back to winning ways after losing their last two games. It will also be the second games for recent signings Joe Miller, Joe Rand and Dan Scott.

Bison head coach Doug Sheppard said: “We want to get a run going into Christmas, but Bracknell are a tough team to beat.

"I think a full week of training for the new guys is going to really help us. I was pleased with the way all three played last weekend.”