Premiership’s Neil Back signs surprise long-term deal with National League three side Rugby Lions
2010/11 Aviva Premiership drop-outs Leeds Carnegie’s former head coach, Neil Back, made an unexpected decision as he signed a new five-year deal with the National League Three Midlands outfit, Rugby Lions. Back resigned from his position as head coach following
the relegation of Leeds from Aviva Premiership, the top flight of Rugby Union in the UK. Back confirmed the move while taking to the reporters on Monday, July 4.
Back has termed his new role as a challenging one in which he will pursue his goal of making Lions a top-level premiership side. He said, “This is an incredible challenge and one which, after a great deal of thought, I felt I could not turn down.”
Providing the backdrop of his decision to join the Lions, Back commented that the former Lions’ player, Michael Aland, had approached him following his resignation from the Leeds.
Back further said, “He (Alan) sold me his vision of taking this famous club back to the top flight of English rugby, while doing something really meaningful for the town.”
Back admitted the decision to join Lions was a hard one. He added that it is always difficult to join a below-par team but taking the helm of a team that is currently playing in the fifth tier was certainly very difficult.
Back confirmed that the he is not taking the job for the money. He said, “It's not about money. Nor is this is an easy option by any stretch of the imagination, which is why I asked for a five-year contract.”
Back expressed hope that he can develop the Lions outfit into a true professional rugby union club, one of the best in the country. He added that if he can make this happen this would be one of the biggest and most significant achievements in his career.
The 42-year-old Back was part of the English team, which lifted the 2003 Rugby World Cup title. He is considered to be one of the best flankers in the domestic and European circles and later made his mark on the international level.
He started his professional rugby union career with Leicester Tigers in 1990 and remained with them until the end of the 2004/05 season. Back made his international debut for England in 1994 that lasted until 2003.
England’s former open-side flanker has played 66 international matches and scored 83 international points for England. He began his coaching career in 2008 as he took the role of head coach for Leeds Carnegie. He helped the side reach the Premiership, however,
could not sustain them there.
Aland has confirmed that he will revamp the Lions headquarters at Webb Ellis Road with a new stadium that can host a crowd of up to 30,000 people. He further added, “This is very much about giving the town of Rugby something of which it can be proud. My
aim is to put into place a venture which will sustain itself and be financed as a stand-alone project."
Lions are expected to announce their squad for next season in a couple of week’s time. However, it would not be a surprise if they sign top tier players from the top domestic and European clubs.
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