Former Wales star Andy Powell has taken over the reins and is setting the bar high as Whitchurch RFC's new head coach.  

Powell, 43, has made the transition as head coach from Southwell, Nottingham over to Whitchurch for the 2024-2025 season.  

And the former Cardiff Blues player has set his sights on promotion within two years as he begins establishing the game strategy for the Regional 2 West Midlands club.  

He said: "I'm excited to be here at Whitchurch, it's a great club. 

"I'd like to say to finish in the top half of the table would be my goal this year. 

"And to get everybody back, playing well, having fun. 

"If you can get everybody to play for you and have a smile on their face, that's halfway there."  

The former Wales number eight player, with 23 national caps, has already guided the side to two wins in their first two opening games.  

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Powell was particularly enthusiastic about the club's young players.  

"I think the club has got such a good Junior section", he said.

"If we can get some of those players in every week, we could be a very good side. But that doesn't happen overnight."  

Dave Windsor, Chairman of Whitchurch RFC said: "I'm still pinching myself that we've managed to secure Andy's services.  

"I could tell as soon as I spoke to him that his enthusiasm for the game is just absolutely immense."  

Powell played professional rugby for 18 years before hanging up his boots in 2016 - when he joined Brecan RFC as senior coach in 2017.  

Since then, Powell has coached at two clubs and stresses the importance of nurturing players individually.

He said: "I wasn't the easiest guy to coach, so I think I'm very good at managing the boys. Everybody's different, and you have to treat everybody individually.  

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"I think that's the best part of my game - my man management." 

Powell reflected on how mental health awareness is key to successful coaching and was open about his own struggles with mental health after retiring from professional rugby.  

He said: "I had a structure in my life. And when I didn't have to get up one day, I just lay on the bed and I went downstairs, it was like the emptiness in you."  

Powell spoke positively about how overcoming this struggle has enabled him to relate and support his team better as a coach.  

He added: "Being a coach, you can tell if you know them well, that there is something going wrong with them.  

"I think sports people, anybody, not just sports people, the normal person in life, they struggle. 

"The biggest thing is to talk, and you don't need to be ashamed of talking." 

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