Sean is of course no stranger to the club having previously held the positions of Director of Rugby and Head Coach, as well as enjoying a distinguished playing career at Mayfield Park.

He has enjoyed great success at county level in recent years, leading Durham to the Jason Leonard U20 County Championship final at Twickenham in 2017.

Director of Rugby, Liam Lester, said: "We are delighted that Sean has come on board. He brings a vast amount of coaching knowledge and experience to the group and that strengthens us as we prepare for the season ahead.

"Sean will support Andy, Andrew & Ryan in the planning and delivery of training sessions. He will also have a keen eye on the development and progress of our younger players."

Wiles commented: "The club is in a great spot right now on and off the field and I'm looking forward to helping the guys build on the hard work and momentum of last season. Stepping up a league is a challenge but there is a lot of talent in the squad, and we have a good balance of both experience and youth.

"We enjoyed a good first week of training as we eased the players back into it and we'll be looking to step things up this week. I'm really excited about what we can achieve with the squad in the coming season and beyond."

If you would like to join Hartlepool Rugby Club, please get in touch. It would be great to hear from you - hartlepoolrugbyclub@outlook.com