Good news if you follow the Midland League as there will be a fresh, new and experienced face in the dugout this season in person of Andy Powell, former British Lions and Welsh International. The 43-year-old has already met with the team and has already started training sessions as he prepares them for the season, starting with their first encounter with rivals, Old Edwardians. His appointment brings a fresh dynamic to the Regional 2 West Midlands League, with the Shropshire club hoping he can add firepower to their already competitive team. This kind of coverage is beneficial for the league, as it signals growth and development, potentially encouraging both established and new UK betting sites to expand and enhance their betting markets, further boosting the league’s popularity.
A Chance Encounter
What turned out to be a win-win for both parties —Powell and the club- turned out to be a random chance encounter between the club Chairman, Dave Tudor, and the Ex Wales International.
Dave Tudor said: “Sometimes you just can’t believe your luck. A chance meeting and a chat about rugby and I just said we were looking for a new coach.” Powell replied, “I’m not doing anything this year.” They met over drinks, ironed out the details, and the team had signed its dream coach.
Powell’s Credentials
While this is spectacular news for the club and league, it is certain to keep all the other teams in the league awake at night. Powell has played in some big games in his career, and bringing all that with him means Whitchurch RFC will be operating at a new and improved level this season.
Andy Powell, born in Brecon, had attended Llandovery College, where he played amateur Rugby, and later in Halifax. Powell was known in the national and club Rugby scene, having played for the Wales Sevens team and the Wales National Rugby team and also touring with the British and Irish Lions in 2009. His illustrious club career has had him ply his craft in France with AS Béziers Hérault in England with the Leicester Tigers, the Cardiff Blues, Newport, Llanelli Scarlets, Sale Sharks, Dragons RFC, and the now defunct Wasps RFC, al in Wales.
After he retired in 2016, he branched into coaching with experience coaching the likes of Southwell RFC and Brecon.
This wealth of experience is all the evidence neutrals and fans alike need to know Powell is a seasoned professional who takes his job seriously, and we can only wait to see how it impacts the team.
Whitchurch RFC needs a lift.
While we wait to see if Powell hits the ground running, one thing is certain: Whitchurch RFC needs a lift. While the club has a long and storied history, setting records in the past and enjoying promotions, their progress has been relatively curtailed, and they’d be hoping that their new manager has something to say about that as he hopefully makes his marks in their history book.
The club sure believes so and is excited to have him, as is evidenced in a post that’s been making rounds on their social media pages; it reads: “Introducing Andy Powell. We have just appointed a new coach. The Welsh international and British Lions player has taken over and will start at training on Thursday night. Powell played 23 times for Wales and [was] in the British Lions squad of 2009.”
Powell, also ready for the task at hand, responded, “Can’t wait to get started with this great club . Especially seeing all the Whitchurch supporters [on] Saturday #churchtime”
In the words of the number one detective, Sherlock Holmes, “The Game’s Afoot!”