Rotherham Titans bring in Gary Pearce as new coaching chief

The 62-year-old joins with a wealth of experience having achieved dual-code international honours playing for Wales in both Rugby League and Rugby Union.

He won caps for Wales (RU) in 1981 and in 1982 and for Wales (RL) in the early 90s.

Pearce has also enjoyed success as a coach, having steered both Hull and Hull Ionians to promotion winning seasons.

Rotherham will hope he can have a comparable level of success at Clifton Lane having seen their chances of promotion from National Two North fade away this term.

Director of Rugby Martin Jenkinson said: "We are delighted to appoint Gary Pearce as heading up the coaching team.

"It's a first appointment because we need a team of coaches to get us back to where we want to be.

"Gary has got lots and lots of experience, being a former international himself, and his coaching career is littered with promotions.

"So we've asked Gary to come in and head it up and to put in place whatever is needed to make a good fist of this league and to eventually get us back into National One."

Rotherham's previous head coach, Adam Byron, left the club in November after a year in charge.

Mr Jenkinson said that the club intended to put together a new coaching team, the look of which was still to be determined, to work alongside the new man.

He added: "There is lots of optimism going forward and we are excited to get stuck in."

Titans are away to Tynedale on Saturday.