Xodus Wasps are searching for a new head coach after Darrell McEwen relinquished the role after just one season.
Following a turbulent campaign for the club, in which they finished rock bottom of both the Sport360 UAE Premiership and the West Asia Gulf Conference, the New Zealander has stepped down.
The club insist the decision is mutual and revealed McEwen will remain at the club, but he recently married and has cited job demands as reasons for leaving his post.
Wasps’ director of rugby Martin Southern said the club is looking to appoint a replacement with experience of both coaching and playing as well as someone who can develop the squad and take the club forward.
“Darrell isn’t leaving the club but he doesn’t have enough time to be able to dedicate being head coach, as he is newly married with a demanding job, and he also fancies a final crack at being a player,” said Southern, who like McEwen arrived at the club last summer in a bid to turn poor fortunes around.
“We are looking to appoint a new coach who is an experienced coach and former player to lead the men’s teams and develop the players in the squads.
“It must be stressed at this point that we are a fully amateur club and any incoming coach(es) would have to embrace the amateur ethos. “We had a very successful 7s and 10s season, but were not so successful in the 15 a-side game. We aim to put that right this term and need a new head coach to lead us.”
Despite their shortcomings last season, Wasps were dogged by numerous problems on and off the field, not least a string of injuries and even an outbreak of conjunctivitis which left them missing 28 players across two teams on one game day during the Premiership campaign.
“We are anticipating a number of new arrivals in the playing ranks and we hope to have our long term injured back in the squad in time for September so we should be very competitive in the UAE Conference,” said Southern.
“Squad strength was stretched beyond limits last year with a crazy injury and illness crisis that forced us to forfeit several second team fixtures as the UAE RF refused to use their discretionary powers to allow rescheduling of games.
“We are also looking for any new or existing players to join us, men or women, whatever their level of play. Last season as a club we participated in 15 a -side, 7s, 10s, RL, Touch and also Women’s 15s, 7s and touch.
“We aim to do the same this season and to improve on performances across the board.”
Southern insists he is looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“My role as director of rugby is to steer the rugby playing side of the club – men’s and women’s – and to put together a coaching team to deliver results.
“We have had a re-structure in the committee and the organisation of the club and are looking to build on the foundations laid.”
Wasps are certainly in need of a buzz after a disastrous 2014/15.
They went through the five-game Premiership season winless, finishing bottom with just a point and seven adrift of fifth-placed Dubai Exiles, amassing a -137 points difference.
They fared little better in the post-Christmas Gulf Conference, again finishing bottom below Exiles, Doha 2nds and Muscat, winning just one game from six.
They fared better at the Dubai Sevens in December, reaching the final of the Gulf Men’s League Plate competition, although they went down 15-10 to the Red Sea Sharks.
Their season hardly got off to the greatest of starts when they were fined Dh10,000 (£1,621) by the UAE Rugby Federation for failing to send a member of staff on a medical course.
The UAE RF said Wasps failed to officially respond to its “correspondence to explain non-attendance” and the fine was upheld on appeal.
Earlier this year the club’s second team was disqualified from the Sport360 UAE Conference after they forfeited three games, a decision chairman Craig Gibson labelled “over-zealous”.
