Matty Jones' pride at taking over as Scarborough RUFC head coach

Smith stepped down from his role due to family commitments and changing circumstances after a successful three-year spell in charge at Silver Royd.

Jones has enjoyed a successful playing career at Scarborough, having rejoined the club in 2016 and is now preparing for life in the dug-out.

“Firstly, I’d like to give my thanks to Simon [Smith], he’s been a huge part of the club and has been extremely successful throughout his three years,” said Jones.

“We have worked well together over the past couple of years and it’s been great playing under him and gaining key coaching knowledge along the way.

“He will be sorely missed, but having said that, I am extremely honoured to be taking the role on and it’s going to be a really exciting challenge for me.”

Jones said that he is extremely grateful to director of rugby Mike Holder and assistant director of rugby - senior Phil Stewart, who have put their faith in him.

He added: “I sat down with both Mike and Phil, and it helped me put plans in place and look forward to the new season.

“They re-assured me and it’s given me confidence that moving to take the role of head coach is the right move for myself and the club.

“I’m hoping to bring more success to the club, but it will of course be a tough season ahead and we will be making a few changes to ensure that we do as well as possible.

“I’ve always been interested in the coaching side of the game and now I’ll be able to put my own stance on the style of play and certain areas of our game.”

Jones insists that his side will be working on the “little things” when they come back together to prepare for North One East action following a mixed season which saw Scarborough finish in eighth position.

“It’ll be key for us to get the lads back in and playing rugby together following what will have been a long time out of the game,” added the new coach.

“The little things are massive in rugby and they can be the difference between a top-half finish and a relegation battle.

“As soon as we can get pre-season underway, we will put a big emphasis on fitness and ensuring that the lads are focused for the season ahead.”

Stewart shared his delight at the announcement and insists that Jones has all the qualities to be successful at Silver Royd.

“We’ve known for some time now that Simon [Smith] was looking to step away and immediately we had our minds on who we wanted,” said Stewart.

“Matty has been assistant coach at the club for four years and it feels like a natural progression in terms of keeping a similar set-up that has been very successful.

“We trust Matty and we know that he has the skills, experience and knowledge to drive everything forward and continue to progress.”

Stewart insists that Jones was the best appointment for the club, having viewed every option.

“As a club, we looked at all the options and to appoint him as head coach was the best decision for the club,” he added.

“It’s a huge advantage that he already has that very close relationship with the players and knows them all inside and out.

“Despite not having any head coach experience, Matty is a great leader and his love for rugby will hopefully follow through to the players and supporters as we start a new chapter at the club.”