Diamond to take over team (From Messenger Newspapers)

Diamond to work with Mitchell

4:39pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in Sport

SALE Sharks' Chief Executive Steve Diamond has confirmed he will be in charge of the team for the remainder of the season, following the removal from the position of director of rugby of Bryan Redpath, who has been offered a role on the coaching staff.

Redpath is currently considering his position and, contrary to media reports broadcast on Monday evening, has not left the club.

Diamond will be in charge at Friday's Aviva Premiership game against London Irish.

It is hoped that John Mitchell will return to take up a consultancy role at the club. Mitchell returned to South Africa at lunchtime on Tuesday, having watched the Sharks' matches against Cardiff Blues, Montpellier and Worcester Warriors as an advisor.

Diamond said, "I will be in charge until the end of the season. John Mitchell will be consultant during that period, and hopefully Bryan Redpath.

"The situation is that after a lot of poor results, we have asked Bryan just to take a little bit of time out, a couple of days off to reconsider what we are doing and how we restructure our rugby department.

"We want him to be involved moving forward. He is contracted for a long time after making a big move from Gloucester and we want him to be involved.

"We just need to get the balance of that right, and it clearly isn't right, judging by our results, so we just want to change it around a little bit to make sure we get the most out of our resources in the coaching - myself, Bryan and John Mitchell.

"We want him to be involved moving forward. He is contracted for a long time after making a big move from Gloucester and we want him to be involved.

"The situation is that after a lot of poor results, we have asked Bryan just to take a little bit of time out, a couple of days off to reconsider what we are doing and how we restructure our rugby department.

" I will be in charge until the end of the season. John Mitchell will be consultant during that period, and hopefully Bryan Redpath."