Pertemps
Bees have appointed former England sevens international flanker Russell Earnshaw
as their new forwards coach.Earnshaw, who has arrived at Sharmans Cross Road from Pertemps Bees' National One rivals Doncaster, will continue his playing career while strengthening his coaching expertise as a replacement for Steve Williams, the former head coach, who joined Ulster as assistant coach last week.
Earnshaw, 32, will form a new coaching team with Ben Harvey, the backs coach. Both will have equal responsibility for first team affairs.
Earnshaw, a former pupil of Yarm School, won two Blues while at Cambridge University and played Premiership rugby for West Hartlepool, Bath and Rotherham.
He had a spell with Worcester, helping the club win the National One title three years ago, and has since been with Doncaster where he was vice-captain last season.
Earnshaw helped to coach Doncaster when they were wthout a director of rugby following the departure of former South Africa centre Pieter Muller 18 months ago and he has recently acted as assistant to England Sevens coach Ben Ryan.
"I had two years remaining on my part-time contract with Doncaster but they are going full-time next season and I managed to negotiate my release," Earnshaw said.
"The initial intention was for me to join Pertemps Bees as a player but things have moved very quickly in the last week. Steve called me to say that he had been offered a post with Ulster and he then recommended me for the coaching job with Pertemps Bees.
"Coaching is something that I am looking to develop as a career so it's a new challenge for me and a good opportunity."
Earnshaw, who recently re-located to Bristol with his girlfriend and two-year-old son, will start work with Pertemps Bees immediately, helping to draw up plans for pre-season training which begins next month.
"From my experience Sharmans Cross Road is a place that visiting teams don't enjoy playing at and that's something that I would like to develop," Earnshaw said. "I quite like the idea of having a Fortress Sharmans Cross Road."
Lee O'Neill, Pertemps Bees board director, said: "We believe that we have found a high quality replacement for Steve Williams in Russell Earnshaw.
"He has probably been the best back-row forward in this league for a number of years, he has played at a high level and he is ambitious to make a new career as a coach.
"Steve Williams recommended Russell himself, he's very professional and intelligent and he has excellent man-management skills.
"From our meetings with Russell he has impressed us with his hunger and determination to do well for Pertemps Bees.
"We have decided to go for a young coaching team in Russell and Ben Harvey but it is a young man's game.
"This is the start of a journey for Russell. He's a quality coach like Steve Williams and I'm sure that he will move on to even better things in the future. But we hope that we can play a part in developing Russell as a coach for the long-term benefit of English rugby."