Ward Extends his stay!
The current coaching setup at the club, led by Josh Ward has been largely the same since the 2017/18 season when he joined the club. Initially as skills coach and then towards the end of that season he took on the role of Head Coach & Director of Rugby. Under his guidance the playing side of the Club continues to go from strength to strength.
Josh and his team managed to keep the squad active and engaged during Covid, continued recruiting and working on club wide initiatives such as the partnership with the Community Group. Early on in the current season sees the Saxons sitting 5th on 24pts in what is shaping to be one of the tightest leagues to call in recent years, ahead of the RFU restructuring of the leagues ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Joint Chairmen, David Short & Ken Baynes had this to say, "The Club is really happy with the progress both on and off the pitch made by Josh since taking over as DoR. We feel he has been integral to the change in our fortunes. We reviewed the situation and as a result, we have agreed terms of an extension until the end of the 2023 season".
Ward had this to say about his new contract, "It’s nice to be able to commit my future to the club. We’ve got a brilliant off field infrastructure now to work from, a thriving partnership with the community group, a committed and loyal group of sponsors such as Paul Robinson & Grey Simmonds and a talented, committed and loyal group of staff and players alike to take us forward on the field. I’m excited to see what we can achieve going forward."
Club Co-Captains, Ben Lloyd & Matt Wagstaff had this to say about the news, "We are very pleased to hear the news that Josh is staying at the club after signing his new deal. Josh has stayed true to himself and his vision throughout the recent years and I am really pleased to see the plans and results play out more recently reflecting his desire to help Southend be successful both on and off the pitch" - Wagstaff. Ben Lloyd, currently sidelined with injury, had this to say, "it’s really positive news for everyone at the club to have Josh sign an extension to his contract. To have some certainty about his future gives the playing group stability and real clarity about the direction of the club and speaks volumes of the backing he has from the board. It’s been a tough two-year period for everyone involved in the grassroots game but Josh, the coaching team and the committee have worked hard to guide the club through that and now we’re excited about kicking on and working hard to achieve the goals we’ve set out for ourselves."
