Cambridge Rugby Club’s incoming head coach Craig Newby set to oversee overhaul of Championship squad

Cambridge Rugby Club want returning head coach Craig Newby to fire them up the Championship table next season.

Newby, 45, is on his way back to Ellgia Fields as successor to Richie Williams, who left last December.

The former New Zealand international, who’s currently with Ealing Trailfinders, will formally take over on 1 May, giving him the final five games of the campaign to look at the squad.

There’s a big job ahead as Cambridge, promoted in 2023, bid to establish themselves as a Championship outfit.

They’re struggling this season, bottom of the table with three wins from 12 games, but with the league increasing to 14 teams for 2025/26, nobody will be relegated.

“In terms of our squad, we’ll be going through quite a substantive rebuild,” said chairman Tim Hague. “Most sides do at the end of the season in the Championship.

“For example, last season we recruited nine players over the summer. I think this season over the summer, we’ll be looking for a similar level of rebuild as we refresh.

“It was a relatively mature side when we got promoted and so it’s an ongoing refreshment process to make sure we can be competitive in the Championship going forward.

“There will be much more jeopardy next season in a 14-team league.

“At the moment the proposals are there will be play-offs at the top of that league and there will be possibly two sides relegated, with some play-offs in place.

“It’s not quite sorted out yet but that’s the outline of the plans, so it’s very important we get it right now and move forward over the summer.

“Our aspiration is to be top to middle of the semi-professional sides.

“There are four fully professional sides in the Championship and we’d aim to be in the mix with those guys but, realistically, top of the semi-pro sides would be a great place to be.”

Newby was previously head coach at Cambridge between 2012 and 2015, during their National League days.

The former Leicester Tigers player has also held coaching roles with Wasps, Japan, England under-20s and Ulster.

He was among a number of candidates approached and interviewed for the job, and has the qualities Cambridge need.

“We were looking for experience of highly-competitive rugby across a number of different scenarios,” said Hague.

“Someone who’s got a real passion for the game and a real drive for it, who shares our values and goals which is about a proper full-on rugby club with the environment that All Blacks bring.

“It’s that vigour and drive and a culture that is about playing hard and being really competitive at all times.”

Anthony Allen, who’s been in caretaker charge since Williams’ departure, will keep the reins until Newby takes over.

The pair were team-mates at Leicester, so no doubt Allen will do all he can to assist the incoming head coach.

“Anthony’s been doing a great job as caretaker,” said Hague. “He’ll carry on until Craig starts on 1 May.

“Our season doesn’t finish until the end of May, so Craig’s got a chance to coach for the last five games.

“It’s never ideal when you lose a coach halfway through the season but it was what we had to do.

“I think we’ve got a decent plan going forward and we’ll make the most of the next couple of months and let Craig get his feet under the table.

“Craig and Anthony are old team-mates from Leicester, so they know each other pretty well.

“Craig is still employed by Ealing Trailfinders, so he can’t do very much because he’s got a job to do, but they’ll probably have a chat.”

Cambridge’s next league game is at Coventry on 22 March.