Bristol Bears have confirmed that Sean Marsden has been appointed first team skills coach.
The 40-year-old Bristolian takes over the role from Bruce Reihana, who departs after three seasons.
One of the most highly regarded young coaches in the Premiership, Marsden spent four years as Bears Academy coach was appointed to the England U18s backroom staff during the 2019 Six Nations Festival.
🗣️ Reihana: "It’s been an exciting journey from when we first started in 2017 to where we are now as a team. Through good and bad, we have learnt a lot, worked hard and become stronger as a unit.The future is looking very bright for the Bears and I wish them all the very best." pic.twitter.com/OLC260Ph1U
— Bristol Bears (@BristolBears) June 26, 2020
“Sean is respected and well thought of by the entire group. Developing our staff and promoting from within is a core pillar of our vision. He is an excellent ambassador of our Bears Team culture and has shown his value to the organisation,” said Director of Rugby Pat Lam.
“Sean has shown his quality of preparation and detail during his time as Bears Academy Transition Coach. He has an excellent understanding and knowledge of our system and game plan coaching the Bears A Team as well the Bears U18s. I’m confident he can build on the strong foundations that Bruce set and help drive our Bears skills programme to the next level.
“We’re massively grateful to Bruce for the dedication, commitment and friendship he has shown in his time with the Bears. Bruce has been a key part of our journey from the start and has been an excellent team man. He brought real energy to the environment every day and we all wish him, Laura and the family every success for the next chapter of his career.”
JOIN THE RUCK:
4 Big-Money Signings Who Flopped at Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers have welcomed more false dawns than most clubs in recent – as highlighted by their misfortune in the transfer market when it comes to exciting signings that ultimately proved disappointing.
We’ve gone from the inception of the Premiership in 1997/98 because, as you all know, that’s when club rugby ‘started’.
1. JP Pietersen
World Cup winner with South Africa in 2007, Pietersen signed a three-year deal to join Premiership giants prior to the 2016–2017 season. However, the winger was granted early release to join top French club Toulon in the Top 14 from the 2017-18 season. He scored three tries in 15 appearances during his underwhelming one-year stint at Welford Road. Worth the huge salary? Absolutely not.