Rugby / Bristol Bears Women
Dave Ward named as new Bristol Bears Women head coach
Dave Ward is returning to his home to become head coach of Bristol Bears Women ahead of the 2021/22 Allianz Premier 15s season.
The 35-year-old made nearly 300 professional appearances at Harlequins, Northampton, Sale, Bath and Cornish Pirates.
The hooker joins the Bears from Championship outfit Ampthill, where he has been a player-coach since 2019.
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Dave Ward joined Ampthill as player coach in the summer of 2019 from Premiership Harlequins and has made 29 appearances, scoring seven tries – photo: Ampthill Rugby Club
Ward said: “I’m extremely excited to get to work with the quality players and staff that Bristol Bears have in their high-performance environment.
“The ambition of the club is there for all to see and that is to be competing at the top end of the Allianz Premier 15s table.
“I can’t wait to get going this summer with a tough pre-season as we build towards the start of the 2021/22 campaign.”
Bears chief executive Mark Tainton said that Ward “was the standout candidate”.
He added: “His experience of professional environments, as well as his development as a young coach in the Championship, impressed us.
“We believe that Dave has the knowledge and attitude to drive the programme forward and help to build a high-performance, successful environment for Bears Women.”
Bears director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: “Dave’s understanding of the club vision and how to develop the Bears Women’s game was very impressive.
“Alignment across the Bears is absolutely key and we are confident he will lead the programme well and we look forward to welcoming him onboard.”
Main photo: Harlequins
Read more: Bristol players star in new video to encourage fans back to Bear Country
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