PONTYPOOL, South Wales, 14th June 2019 - Pontypool RFC is pleased to announce that the core of the club's coaching and management staff have been retained ahead of the 2019- 2020 WRU National Championship campaign.
Andrew Quick (defence coach), Rhys Dyer (head of performance) and Gareth Rusby-Davies (team manager) have all been central to Pooler’s recent successes and will continue to play a key role in the club’s quest to end an eight-year absence from the Principality Premiership over the next twelve months.
It brings a sense continuity at a time when the club look to bounce back from the disappointment of last month’s Principality Premiership play-off defeat to Llanelli RFC. Along with head coach Leighton Jones, the coaching and management staff will look to build on what has been three successful years since Jones took the hot seat in 2016. The club have won three consecutive WRU National Championship titles and will look to build on that success ahead of what is set to be the most competitive league season in the division's short history.
On the importance of retaining his backroom team, Jones said: “A number of solid foundations have been laid over the last three years and the coaching and management staff have been integral to that. Although last season did not finish as we would have liked, we are undoubtedly heading in the right direction and are looking forward to coming back together as a group next month and preparing for the new season.
“The retention of our coaching and management team is an endorsement of the environment that exists at Pontypool Park. This group are key to driving and maintaining the standards we expect from everybody who represents the club.
“We have an excellent mix of individuals who will continue to work tirelessly for the club and I am looking forward to once again working alongside them during another vitally important season.”
The club’s head of performance, Rhys Dyer, will begin his third season in the role and is raring to go once again, when the squad reconvene for the first time in July.
On his outlook for the future, he said: “We are still a relatively young coaching group but are learning and developing all the time. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the role so far and can't wait for pre-season training to commence next month.
“We are all given the space to thrive and evolve as coaches under Leighton's leadership and I expect the coming season to be no different. As a coaching group, we support each other and Andrew and Gareth are fantastic characters. The addition of Tom Hancock as backs coach is also hugely exciting.
"I have every confidence that we will learn from the experience of the play-off game and be better for it. As a group, we will always challenge ourselves and we are all really looking forward to what the next twelve months will bring."
Early-bird season tickets are now available to purchase for the 2019-2020 WRU National Championship season. For all the details on how to purchase your ticket, please click here.
