RUGBY: Our biggest appointment (From Wiltshire Times)

RUGBY: Our biggest appointment

6:00pm Thursday 21st June 2012 in Rugby By Owen Houlihan

TROWBRIDGE Rugby Club administrator Chris Lamb has labelled the arrival of former Bath and England star Steve Ojomoh as their new head coach as the biggest recruitment move in the club’s history.

The 12-times capped former Bath and Gloucester back row forward, who lives in the town, was confirmed as the Green Lane outfit’s new supremo this week – with a little help from the Wiltshire Times.

Ojomoh, who featured in England’s 1995 World Cup squad, will oversee coaching at all levels of the Southern Counties South club and will be assisted by player-coach Dan Smith.

The 42-year-old, who won multiple honours with Bath in the 1990s before moving on to playing spells at Gloucester, Overmach Parma in Italy and Welsh side Newport, revealed his intention to return to coaching in his weekly Times column several weeks ago.

That set the wheels in motion for the club to get in touch via the paper, culminating in his appointment this week.

Lamb said: “It seems like a bit of fate really. We knew Alex Hill (last year’s coach) was moving on and Dan (Smith) has also been coaching, but always wanted to have one final year playing as well.

“Somebody at the club said they had bumped into Steve in town and then we saw in the paper that he was looking to get back into coaching. We had the meeting last week to finalise matters.

“It’s very exciting and the biggest appointment in this club’s history. We’re trying to back the potential and pedigree at the club with the immense coaching experience that Steve brings. Steve’s passion and commitment really impressed us.

“He talked a bit about the club punching below its weight for too long and we liked his broader view about the club.

“He wants to get involved at all levels and he’s come in at just the right time.’’

The club, which fields three senior mens teams and has 300 youngsters on its books, has sold Green Lane to developers Doric Group to fund the development of a ground opposite Paxcroft Farm on the A361, giving the club five times more space.

Work on preparing pitches will start in the summer with building work pencilled in for later in the year.

Ojomoh, who previously coached Moseley in the National Leagues, as well as Bath side Walcot, at Parma and St Brendan’s College in Bristol, said: “Trowbridge has so much going for them and I want to be part of that journey.

“The potential is there and people are aware of what they are trying to do in the future.

“When you dig a little deeper and look at the youth side of things, you want some of those players filtering through to the senior teams.

“It’s not just about the first team, but the club as a whole and if they get it right, the town will get behind them because this is an area where rugby is in the blood.

“They are moving forward and what they have planned is very exciting.’’

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