The creation of a new coaching set-up for Xodus Wasps marks a “seminal point” in the club’s short history, according to player-chairman Craig Gibson.
The Dubai-based outfit have reacted to last season’s disappointing UAE Premiership campaign – in which they finished winless at the bottom of the table – by hiring a director of rugby, new head coach and backs coach.
Experienced English D.O.R Martin Southern has been brought in to develop the structure of the Wasps from the bottom up, working to improve the first XV, second XV, veterans and women’s sides.
At the same level in the triumvirate will be New Zealander Darrell McEwen, selected to succeed former head coach John Stamper, who will focus his energies solely on the first team.
Supporting them is former Halifax RLFC centre Jaymes Chapman, with his playing duties supplemented by the task of adding a sting to the Wasps attack.
Xodus Wasps sign former Halifax RLFC and Leicester Tigers players
The decision to bring in the trio follows a new determination to improve first-team results.
“As a club we have made tremendous progression off the pitch in the last year,” Gibson said. “With those structures in place, we have been working really hard to ensure we get things right on the pitch.
“We have recruited some high calibre players during the summer, and we need the right structure to get the best out of them. It is a really exciting development, and marks a seminal point for us.
“Winning a place in the Gulf Top Six [the elite competition for clubs in the Gulf region] is the target. We aren’t naive or disrespectful, and know it will be a tough challenge against our Premiership rivals.”
Southern was formerly involved in the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union – the now dissolved governing body for rugby in the region, while former No8 McEwen’s strengths lie in the forwards.
“Martin has spent more than a decade in the region,” Gibson said. “His experience is invaluable as we look to implement the correct structures and systems – he knows how good clubs work.
“Darrell is a no-nonsense type of guy, with a sound knowledge from his playing days.”
The Wasps begin their Premiership campaign at home to defending champions Jebel Ali Dragons at 7he Sevens Stadium on Friday, September 26.
