THERE’S a new role in the pipeline for vastly experienced rugby coach Norman Stalker this coming season.

Stalker, who is head coach of Ludlow and of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, has been appointed North Midlands Under 16s head coach.

He will be joined by John Das-Gupta who will be in charge of the Under 18s.

Stalker, who is also a Level Three coach, previously coached in Canada and has also held coaching positions with Newport, RGC 1404, Wrexham, Whitchurch, Caldy, Wirral and Chester.

Both Das-Gupta and Stalker were appointed after an extensive recruitment and selection process.

Other new coaching appointments with North Midlands representative teams include the appointment of John Tibbetts and Dan Hemingway as assistant coaches of North Midlands Under-18s.

Andy Moseley is a new appointment as assistant coach of the Under-16s joining Stalker and existing assistants Richard Bragg and Sean Bakewell. Bakewell has also taken on a role as assistant coach of

North Midlands Girls Under-15s.

Brett Prior has joined the North Midlands Under-20s coaching team as an assistant coach with James Shotbolt becoming an assistant coach of North Midlands Women.

Clive Chapman and Gareth Barrett have been appointed assistant coaches of the North Midlands Girls Under-18 team to work alongside existing head coach Jeremy Porteous.