Malvern have appointed their head coach Andy Longley as the new National Three Midlands club's new director of rugby.
Longley, a former Malvern player, succeeds David Robins who has stepped down after 15 years in charge of playing affairs at Spring Lane. Robins has become Honorary President of the club.
Peter Woods takes over from Martin Pocock as Chairman, having been a former President, and he continues to hold down the Press Officer's role.
Woods said:"Dave Robins has been a true servant to the Club and has been tireless in running the playing side whilst Malvern have risen through the leagues.
"He will still be working closely with Andy on all the important administrative tasks which he as previously undertaken. This leaves Andy free to concentrate on rugby development across the whole club, with special emphasis on nurturing our home-grown talent.
"We have a strong Youth and Mini section, headed by Mel Dawson and a large band of dedicated age-group coaches. However, in common with most clubs, there tends to be a drift away in the later teenage years. We want to halt this attrition and bring players of all skill levels through to senior rugby, first via the Under 19 side, then into an Academy team, where they will play alongside highly experienced team mates with a first team pedigree.
"Andy sees this as a major part of his role, and also to watch for any developing talent within the third and second teams. To this end, he will be assisted in coaching duties by the appointment of a high profile player/coach at first team level. With several other signings on the cards, he is confident that Malvern will be fighting for a position at the top end of the league table, rather than just looking for a comfortable mid-table berth."
