Ross Chisholm, the former Heath, Sussex, England Under 18 and current Harlequins player with almost 90 professional appearances to his name, is joining the Heath 1st XV coaching team next season as Joint Head Coach. Committing to Heath from early July to ensure a full pre-season to get to know the current squad, Chisholm brings considerable experience as current Sussex Senior and U20s Head Coach, current Head Coach at Farnham RFC and former Backs and Attack Coach at Guildford RFC.

Commenting on the return to his childhood Club, Chisholm said “I can’t wait to have the opportunity to coach at my old Club; Heath played a key role in developing me as a player from a very young age and I am looking forward to giving something back to the ambitious Club where my rugby journey began.” He added, “Matt Hawkes has done a great job with Heath - they have some fantastic players and a strong coaching set up and I am excited about the potential for next season.”

Chisholm will be joining up with Matt Hawkes, current 1st XV Head Coach at Heath, with whom he has worked successfully in the past. Hawkes, commenting on this latest development at Heath, said “I really enjoyed working with Ross previously - we complement each other well and make a good team. I know he always keeps an eye on the Heath scores at the weekend and together I am confident we can improve Heath’s performance in London South East 2 next season.”

Ross Chisholm’s credentials speak for themselves but his experience in game management will bring additional skills to the coaching set-up at Heath, who are determined to finish this season strongly after beating league leaders Dartfordians at Whitemans Green on Saturday.

Heath will be wrapping up their current league season at Whitemans Green on 14 April against Horsham - a match doubling as the semi-final of the Bob Rogers Cup. With silverware at stake, the current squad will be wanting to put in a strong team performance to reach the final and impress their new coach.

Heath welcomes new players at any time and anyone wanting to join Heath for pre-season this summer should keep an eye on the Club website at www.hhrfc.co.uk. Training will be taking place at 7pm every Tuesday and Thursday from early July at Whitemans Green, Cuckfield.