Josh Beaumont takes role at Fylde RFC and dad Sir Bill offers to help too

Premiership back-rower Josh, 27, is completing a Master of Business Administration in Sports Leadership and has offered to help out on the commercial side at the Ansdell club.

The former Fylde first-teamer came through the mini-junior ranks and will help the club to focus “on how we engage with sponsors”, says chairman Mike Brennand.

Brennand, whose club faces major funding issues during a break of at least 10 months between matches, told The Rugby Paper that Beaumont “rang and volunteered some time to assist at the club and I took him up on that.”

As for Josh’s legendary dad, Fylde RFC’s most famous son and the chairman of World Rugby, Brennand added: “I got a call from Bill Beaumont, who said, ‘I’m keen to help. I’ll join the committee if you like.’

“There can’t be many clubs who have had the chairman of World Rugby ringing up to say they were keen to come on board.

“But I actually said to him, ‘Mate, no thanks. I think I’ll just use you on an ad hoc basis when I’ve got certain things that need your presence.’ I think we’ll let him concentrate on the world game for now.

“Bill is absolutely passionate about the club. I’ll never forget the last time I was chairman and he was in Argentina for the Under-20 World Cup.

“He rang to say: ‘I’ve heard the pitch isn’t in very good condition. What are you doing about it?’”

Brennand, who returned to the chairman’s role at the end of last month, has written to members explaining that a working party has been assembled to consider all options to safeguard the club’s future, possibly including a move away from the Woodlands.

Meanwhile, head coach Warren Spragg has spoken to the Rugby Blindside website about maintaining a positive mindset as he and the players hope for a return to match action in the New Year.

Spragg said: “The Covid-19 outbreak and the obvious effects it has had on rugby at all levels has afforded me a chance to reflect on the progress made as a playing and coaching group.

“If we had continued last season, I don’t think you would find a player with a shred of doubt in their mind that we would have reached the play-off and there was a collective self-belief that we would win the play-off game, regardless of opposition.

“This developing mindset is something I am extremely proud of. As with most areas of society, the lockdown brought uncertainty on and off the field.

“Health, mostly mental wellbeing, has been affected and there are financial implications for the squad with the abandonment and delay of fixtures.

“But through it all there has been an unwavering positivity from the players and staff to get back to training, playing and doing what we all love.

“We have stuck to the guidelines for training, starting with socially-distanced fitness sessions on the beach at St Annes, and recently moving back to the club, where the players have had to fill out symptom questionnaires and complete temperature checks before training.

“And this is where we are, waiting for the next steps, hoping to get back on the pitch where we can compete.

“When we do get back out there, I hope we can continue to push forward as a group and enjoy the challenges that we know National League rugby will bring.”