Dave Ward has new club, and it's not Worcester

Dave Ward has been handed the task of filling Paul Turner’s big shoes after being appointed as Ampthill’s head coach.

Last month, it was announced that Welshman Turner would be ending his 14-year-long association with the Championship club to concentrate on affairs at Dragons RFC.

And the Bedfordshire have moved quickly to secure the services of the former Premiership hooker, who has previously been a player-coach at Dillingham Park.

Ward will start work at Ampthill on July 1st, having left his job as head coach of Bristol Bears Women.

“I’m very excited to return to Ampthill in the revamped Championship. The league is at the start of a new chapter with a competition that’s going to be more fierce than ever, so I’m delighted to be back and can’t wait to get going,” said Ward.

Mark Lavery, Ampthill’s director of rugby, is delighted to have secured the services of Ward, who was rumoured to be top of Worcester’s forwards coaching wish list.

He said: “Dave was a great signing as a player, bringing another level of professionalism to the playing group and is an exciting appointment now as Head Coach. We had applications from across the world of rugby, but it was important that we brought in somebody who understood our culture to help us build on what we’ve achieved as we enter the next exciting phase for Ampthill & District Rugby Club in the new Tier Two.

“I’m sure he’ll get a warm welcome back from the Mob faithful and can’t wait to see what we can achieve over the next two/three seasons.”