Ampthill & District Rugby Club head coach to step down after 14 years
Paul Turner says he's made the decision with a heavy heart
Paul Turner will leave his role as Head Coach of Ampthill & District Rugby Club at the end of the season after 14 years in charge.
“With a heavy heart, I have decided to end my role as Head Coach of this fantastic club,” Paul said. “It has been an amazing 14 years. I would like to thank all the players and staff who I worked with over this time. I would particularly like to express my immense gratitude to Director of Rugby, Mark Lavery. He has provided me with terrific support and help in so many ways, without which our successes would not have been possible. Going forwards, I will be focused on my existing consultancy position with Dragons.”
Paul joined Ampthill in 2011 as a consultant before taking on the Head Coach role in the 2012/13 season. His early tenure saw key signings, including Viliami Ma’asi, as the team secured a league and cup double, winning National 3 Midlands and the East Midlands Cup.
Over the following seasons, Ampthill continued their progress, finishing as runners-up in National 2 in 2013/14 before securing promotion the next year. After four seasons in National 1, Paul led the club to the Championship, winning the league by five points.
Director of Rugby Mark Lavery praised Paul’s impact on the club. “I consider Paul as a close personal friend, and the impact he has had on the club, the town and the district is absolutely incredible,” he said. “I will always remember when we pulled up at our first away game at Esher in National 1, one of the Esher committee members came over and said, ‘Where exactly is Ampthill? We’ve never heard of you!’ Safe to say, they knew of us by the end of the game because Paul led us to a four-try bonus point win on the road.”
Ampthill have now been in the Championship for six seasons, marking a period of sustained success under Paul’s leadership.