Winless Newcastle Falcons call in Steve Diamond

Struggling Newcastle Falcons have appointed Steve Diamond as their new consultant director of rugby.

With extensive experience in rugby, Diamond, a Lancastrian, will begin his role next month. This appointment follows the stepping down of Alex Codling from his regular duties as head coach. In the interim, Micky Ward, the forwards coach, will oversee the team for their imminent matches in Perpignan and Northampton.

Something of a specialist at righting struggling clubs, his career spans over 23 years in coaching and management, with significant time at Sale, where he also had a notable playing career as a hooker, making over 300 appearances.

The scale of the task Diamond faces is significant, with Falcons yet to win a Premiership match this season in eleven attempts.

He has held various prestigious positions, including coaching roles at Saracens, England A, the Russian national team, and most recently, Worcester Warriors. His last game with Worcester in September 2022 resulted in a significant 39-5 victory over Newcastle.

His experience also includes a consultancy role with the RFU and a significant contribution to Edinburgh Rugby as a lead rugby consultant. His appointment at Newcastle Falcons is a strategic move, expected to bring valuable insights and leadership to the club.

Newcastle Falcons chairman of rugby Matt Thompson said: “I am delighted to welcome Steve Diamond to the club. He is well known and respected throughout rugby, and we believe he is the right man to help us take the club forward.

“The work he did up at Edinburgh recently has contributed enormously to putting them on a sure footing, and at Worcester he did a remarkable job in exceptionally difficult circumstances.

“He knows the English rugby landscape very well, he is passionate about having a strong northern presence in the Gallagher Premiership and I’m excited about what can be achieved here with him on board.

“I would like to thank Alex Codling for all the hard work he has put in during his time as head coach, and during this interim period we will give Micky Ward all the support he needs for our games in Perpignan and Northampton.”

Diamond said: “Newcastle are an iconic Premiership club with a fantastic history.

“It is a privilege to be asked to assist in building a successful and sustainable Premiership business.”

RFU executive director of performance rugby, Conor O’Shea, said: “We welcome the appointment of Steve as consultant director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons to ensure his continued involvement in the English game at this very important time.

“We would like to thank Newcastle Falcons for allowing Steve to continue in his advisory role on our work to achieve a sustainable and investible Tier 2 league in English rugby.

“Within the context of the Professional Game Partnership discussions we are wanting to create a whole-game solution and a Tier 2 that has improved standards, is integrated and fully contributes to the high-performance system in English rugby. Steve’s experience in growing clubs sustainably is valuable in helping us achieve that.”