Mal takes over from Mick Orton, who left the CRFC due to his family’s relocation, and will lead the club’s challenge at the top of Sussex League 1 next season.
CRFC Club Captain John Doyle said “We are delighted that Crawley Rugby Club has been able to appoint someone of Mal’s track record and knowledge to build upon the foundations laid down by Mick over the course of this season.

“Mal comes with a wealth of coaching experience and is the current RFU Development Officer for Sussex, a position he has held for 12 years. His remit is to ensure that we continue to develop on the field at all levels of seniors of rugby and achieve our aim of becoming the go to rugby club for players throughout the surrounding area.
There’s a long way to go for us to achieve our aim but we have every confidence that Mal and his team have got what it takes to accelerate our progress towards our target.”

For his part Mal added “These are exciting times at Crawley RFC and I am glad to be a part of them. As a coach, I bring 30 years of experience to the Club and have coached in a wide range of environments, from community clubs through to Representative sides at County, Regional, Divisional and National level. My role at the RFU also allows me to bring a great breadth of knowledge and experience to the Club to help its growth and development on all fronts.

“Within the senior setup, there is clear potential within the current player base and I am confident that we can continue to build on the solid foundations laid by Mick and progress to achieve the standing that the Club deserves and needs.”

Notwithstanding the plans going forward, there are still things to play for this season at CRFC. The Club’s 1st team hosts Lewes at Willoughby Fields in the semi-finals of the Sussex Shield on Saturday 14th May. The tie against the Sussex League champions is expected to be a tight one so all support is welcome. Kick-off is at 3pm.