The Upper Clutha premier rugby team, the Rams, will have a new coach next year with Wānaka stalwart Alex Dickson appointed to the role.

Alex said he was looking forward to the challenge and said fans can expect a continuation of the expansive rugby the premier side has played for the past few years.

“I probably won’t be changing too much from what they’ve been doing; they’re playing some great rugby,” Alex said. “I do like to play a high-tempo, fast game.”

Alex has been involved with the Upper Clutha Rugby Club since he moved to Wānaka in 2002 and began coaching when his children took up the sport.

He has since coached through the grades, including a stint in Dunedin coaching the University prem colts team and the Otago Under 16 representative team.

In 2022 he was a member of the senior coaching group for the Upper Clutha premier team. 

That year the side suffered a heavy defeat to Wakatipu (44-15) in the Central Otago Premier Rugby Competition preliminary final.

Upper Clutha Rugby Club president Gary Read said the club likes to appoint its head coach for three years to give them a chance to “get them [the team] going good”.

He said the club continued to grow and he hoped to establish a senior reserve team in 2024 to give fringe players more match time.

“Central Otago and South Otago are looking at putting a senior reserve competition forward,” Gary said. “It would be awesome.”

Gary said a new scoreboard will be a highlight for spectators next season, with funding secured for a $30,000 mobile digital screen.

The club is hosting a ‘meet the coaches’ gathering for prospective senior players at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club on Sunday December 10 at 1pm.

PHOTO: Alex Dickson