Andrew Quick continues his association with Pooler but switches role to Team Manager, taking over from Lewis Roberts, who departs to focus on his full time position with the Dragons.
Quicky said ‘The last 8 years have been thoroughly enjoyable however it’s now time to spend more time with my family. Most people probably don’t realise how much time and effort goes into coaching with session planning alongside game and opponent analysis - It’s way more than just turning up for a couple of hours every Tuesday & Thursday! Hopefully the club is in good shape with the lads now able to take another step up over the next 3 years of Super Rygbi Cymru.
I can’t thank Leighton and Peter enough for the opportunity they gave me 8 years ago and I’m delighted to have been asked to stay on in the Team Manager role. My project management skills will come in handy and it will be fantastic to mentor plenty of the young guys that will be in our camp.
Consistency in the group is maintained with Gareth Betts staying on as Strength & Conditioning Coach alongside Robert Tovey in his role as Skills Coach, both of whom have vital input behind the scenes.
Club Secretary, Jamie Hallam said ‘it’s fantastic that Quicky remains involved moving forward as he’s a great character to have around with a wealth of knowledge. We’ve got some new faces in the management group so retaining Gareth and Robert is also hugely crucial for us. Both have played a massive part in our recent success and will continue to contribute to the environment.
Speaking about the season structure in the inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru Hallam said: We’ve worked really hard alongside the other Super Rygbi Cymru clubs and the WRU to ensure that the season structure gives continuity for the supporters to stay engaged whilst also aligning us closer to the professional game. There were some challenges to overcome with initial blueprint but there was great collaboration to shape the fixture list that was you've seen released recently. It aims to keep interest from September all the way through to May whilst allowing our squad enough rest periods between blocks. Our festive fixtures against Gwent friends and rivals, Ebbw Vale, will be fantastic occasions! I’m also really excited about the potential of cross border fixtures in future seasons, something which the WRU are working towards.
