RUGBY: Coulson leaves Worthing to join Hove
LONG-SERVING Worthing Raiders Rugby Club's Ben Coulson has left the club to take a player-coach role at Hove.
Coulson, 30, leaves the club after 13 years in the first team. He was their leading points scorer in each of the last three years and scored 172 points in their maiden National League campaign last season.
He said: "Apart from being at university and a short spell playing in New Zealand, Worthing is the only club I've played for.
"It's a massive wrench for me to leave but it's a very good coaching opportunity at Hove, under Gary Henderson, and I'm dropping down three levels, which should prolong my playing career."
Raiders will be playing in National 2 South next season, under new coach Will Green, while Hove will be in London South East 2, and Coulson said: "I also couldn't commit the time and effort to training which I needed to and, if I stayed, I'd have still wanted to be of value to the team at that level.
"Also, with my job coaching some of the boys at Worthing College, I felt it would help their development more if they heard more than one voice – not just mine everywhere they play.
"I'll still be the biggest supporter Worthing has got and I'll still be helping them by bringing on players at the college, where I think six-to-eight of them will be playing for the 2nd XV next season.
"I'm massively jealous of the likes of Jack Maslen and Alex Nielsen and the club's youngsters. It took me 12 years to get into the National League and after one year, I'm out. I'd just love to be 19 or 20 again.
"I was tempted to play one more season. I'm getting married in July next year so, in my head, it would have been nice to play one more year, retire and then get married. But the opportunity at Hove came along, and it's one I'm definitely looking forward to.
"I'll be coaching the backs there but, who knows, I could come back to Worthing some day, and I wouldn't rule it out."
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Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 29 May 2012
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Light showers
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