Lyn Jones replaces Phil Greeting to take charge of the London Welsh – Rugby news
English Rugby Union side, London Welsh, has confirmed the appointment of former Welsh international and Ospreys coach Lyn Jones as the head coach for the club.
During his earlier stint as the coach of the Ospreys, Jones had helped the rugby union club lift two Magners League titles in 2005 and 2007 respectively. His last appointment was as director of rugby at the British School of Al
Khubairat in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
London Welsh Managing Director, John Taylor, has expressed his excitement at the appointment of the Jones as the head coach. He said, “Lyn has already proved himself at the highest level and has really bought into our vision of
the way forward for this great club. He has a rare coaching talent and the fact that he is Welsh is an added bonus.”
Jones praised the clubs rich tradition and history and confirmed that he will use his experience in helping the club to fulfill their aspirations of returning to the premiership.
Jones said, “Closing the gap between Aviva [Premiership] and Championship rugby takes a lot of hard work to create more consistent individual performances.”
The 47-year-old Jones started his rugby coaching career in 1994. He coached the Neath RFC for eight consecutive years before signing as the head coach of the Ospreys in 2003. He left Ospreys in 2008 and joined premiership side
Dragons as backs coach.
Later he moved to UAE to take the position of the director of the rugby at the school. Jones has expressed hopes that he can help Welsh secure their place in the English Premiership. Earlier in this season, Welsh were defeated by
Cornish Pirates in the plays-offs of the RFU championship.
Jones termed his stay at the UAE as very beneficial and helped him to develop “professionally and personally.” He said, “I leave with a heavy heart, but plan to maintain links with the school, whilst developing a strong development pathway between my new
employers and schools rugby in the UAE capital.”
Jones has confirmed that the best students from the UAE will be allowed to train with the senior professional guys as part of their development program. He also confirmed that he and his coaching staff will also make some visits to the UAE’s capital to help
the youngster to further enhance their skills.
Jones added that, “My passion for the game and my desire to coach remain very strong and I hope I have a huge amount to offer the game of rugby at the highest level for many years."
Jones has replaced Phil Greeting who parts ways with the club after his side was defeated in the championship play-offs.
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