Bedford Blues have announced that Denis Ormesher is to return to the club as director of the Blues Academy and a new coaching structure has also been put into place.
Ormesher is taking over from current Blues Academy manager Stuart Low who, having taken on a new business role which sees him travelling frequently, has had to step down from his role with the Colts.
Low has headed up the Academy for the last two years during which time they have won the National Colts Plate in 2009 and Cup in 2010, and secured the Oxford 10s in 2010 and the National Academy Sevens Shield in 2009.
Ormesher spent eight years coaching at the Blues Academy before moving to Luton two years ago to take up the role of director of rugby. He is a Level four coach as well as being a RFU coach educator and has a wealth of coaching experience having led the Blues to two National Colt Cup victories in consecutive years
The new Academy structure sees Mark Alderton joining Ormesher as lead coach, but they will also be assisted by Steve Guest and Blues stars Dan Richmond and Ian Vass. The trio are level three coaches while Vass has his level two badge.
Blues director of rugby, Mike Rayer, said: “Stuart has done an outstanding job over the last two years and the club have been lucky to have had a guy who has brought so much dedication and expertise to the role.
“The Academy continued its core principles during his time, developing rugby players to their best ability, with many players progressing on to the first XV or senior level rugby in the national leagues. We are sorry to see him go, and he will always be a welcome visitor at Goldington Road.
“We are in the very lucky position of having Denis rejoining the Blues as he knows the club and the Academy and his experience in player development, coaching, and mentoring coaches will be invaluable.
“We’ve had a lot of players breaking through into the first team from the Colts and you only have to look at the current squad to see players like Sacha Harding, Will Chudley, Chris Locke, Duncan Taylor and Darryl Veenendaal who all came through the set-up.
“With Denis on board, and our new coaching structure in place, we look forward to a bright future for the Blues Academy and I’m sure that we will see more developing players breaking into the Blues first XV.”
