Tigers seal Griffiths coup (From Prestwich and Whitefield Guide)

Tigers seal Griffiths coup

3:30pm Thursday 28th June 2012 in Sport

SEDGLEY Tigers have added ex-rugby union and league star Clive Griffiths to their backroom staff.

The Welshman comes to the Whitefield club with an impressive coaching pedigree, which includes stints as head coach at London Welsh and Swansea.

The former Welsh international full-back joins the Park Lane men to work alongside Richard Senior and Dave Peet.

In a move similar to the successful initiative Fylde have undertaken with Brian Ashton, Griffiths will take on a consultative role involving all aspects of senior rugby.

When the staff get back to work, they will have the majority of last season’s squad who have resigned.

The National League One side have also boosted their squad strength by securing the services of fly-half Steve Collins, scrum-half Callum McShane, full-back Joe Knowles, and back-row Jonny Bishop, with more new signings expected this week.

Griffiths played in the great Llanelli team of the late 1970s and won an International cap for Wales.

He then switched to rugby league for St Helens in 1979, making 100 appearances and scoring 598 points before moving to Salford in 1984.

He first coached at the age of 25 at Newcastle Emlyn RFC and became assistant coach at St Helens and Warrington RL at the end of his playing career.

He coached the Welsh rugby league team and in 1996 assisted Phil Larder on the Great Britain Rugby League Lions tour.

He returned to rugby union as head coach at London Welsh then Swansea, assistant coach at Newport Gwent Dragons.

He was also in the coaching team of the Wales squad before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and five Six Nations campaigns, including the 2005 RBS Six Nations Grand Slam, where he was credited for his part in tightening Wales’ defensive line, particularly in their tackling performance against England.

He became director of rugby at ambitious Doncaster in 2006 and went on to Worcester Warriors before joining former rugby league Super League outfit North Wales Crusaders, before becoming defence coach for Canada at the 2011 World Cup.

He will combine both part-time roles in back-to-back rugby seasons.