The club are happy to reveal their coaching and backroom staffing structure for 2019.
The Rugby side of the club will be headed up by Director of Rugby Alex Burns who is promoted from Head Coach in 2018 after leading the club to winning the West of England Championship. Alex will focus on shaping a wider vision for the club and its continued growth on and off the pitch.
On his appointment Alex Burns, said “Achieving success as a club on and off the pitch last season will act as a springboard towards the ambitions of Bath Rugby League. Our coaching restructure will allow us to get the best out of everyone at the club. Matt Bodey has shown excellent potential as a young coach, and taking on the Head Coach role will give him further opportunities to develop. As DoR, I will be able to work closely with Club Coordinator Chris Chatten to establish and implement a wider vision for the club and align our on pitch performance with our strong club culture.”
Matthew Bodey steps up to Head Coach in 2019 after a successful stint as assistant to Alex in 2018, a year in which he also gained his Rugby League Level 2 coaching qualification and finished off the year being appointed by the Rugby Football League as Assistant Coach for the South West Universities Rugby League squad who had a successful win against their counterparts in the South East at Maidenhead on 2nd December, Matt also assisted coaches as part of the West of England regional squad this year. Matt was brought up with Rugby League in Sheffield, then played for the University of Swansea team while studying there and even gained honours playing for the West of England Representative squad playing against a Wales Presidents select 13.
Matthew Bodey, Head Coach, commented on his appointment, “It’s really exciting to see the club develop over the last year, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it moving forward. I’m really looking forward to improving further as a coach under Alex as DoR, and I for one will be looking forward to working with the squad towards the improvement that will come from last year’s solid season”
Matt Warnock takes on the role of Assistant Coach and was the Club Captain for the 2018 campaign and has played Rugby League for 4 seasons, a ‘dual-coder’ who also plays for Frome RFC where he won Clubman of the year in 2017 and also won the Bath Rugby League Clubman of the year award for 2018. Matt also does a lot of work behind the scenes promoting the club on social media channels, designing graphics as well as a number of other key tasks which ensures the club operates smoothly.
Matt Warnock, commented, regarding his new Assistant Coach appointment “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for me and I can’t wait to start coaching alongside Matt & Alex with Bath Rugby League.
Rugby League is such a fast growing sport in the South, and I’m looking forward to working with a group of players who are keen to develop alongside this. I think my previous experience in playing and knowledge from being such a long term fan of the game will add another dimension to the coaching team at Bath RL and the Coaching Staff are already keen to start planning pre-season and the months ahead as we look forward to a successful 2019 campaign.”
Clare Avenell has been appointed Lead Therapist again for the 3rd year running and has been with the club since it was launched prior to the 2017 West of England season. Clare also works for Bath Rugby and performs a similar role for Chippenham RFC during the winter season with their first team squad.
Clare Avenell, commented on her reappointment, “With Chris’s ambition it is exciting to see where the club could go in the future. There is a friendly atmosphere with a good bunch of lads and I’m looking forward to working with them next season”
Chris Chatten, Club Coordinator, said “Alex was fantastic for the club in 2018 establishing an inclusive and engaging environment/culture around the group, making training sessions fun. With Alex the club also get the benefit of his experience as an RFU Level 3 qualified coach working with Bath Rugby’s Developing Player Programme and his full-time role with Lewis Moody’s (former England RU international forward) Maddog Sports as Director of Rugby, Alex will be moving to a new full-time role in 2019 as Head of Rugby Development, Downside School, which is part of the rational behind him taking a more strategic role in the club with Matthew Bodey stepping up to take a more hands on coaching role.
As a club we want consistency with our culture and both Matt’s stepping up in the coaching structure with Matt Warnock having played since the club began will ensure this. Clare is the longest serving member of the team, her commitment is second to none and she also gives helpful hints and tips to improve other areas of the club which is exactly what we want as we strive and drive improvements in all areas. This is a solid structure to move forward with for 2019, but we are always looking for good people to join the club so won’t rule out further appointments if appropriate personnel can be identified, and they are willing to buy into and commit to the club vision and objectives.”
The clubs partnership with York City Knights will continue in 2019 after their successful promotion to the Championship. The club are always on the look out for good people who are keen to learn the sport and work hard to be better, the club aim to develop on and off the field building towards the 2019 campaign. If you are interested in playing for the club please get in touch.
For further information and details regarding the club, please contact Chris on Mob: 07810 552196 or email info@bathrugbyleague.co.uk
