DAVID Stout is back home in Carlisle hoping to reinvigorate the city’s rugby union club after the traumas of the last 12 months.

Extensive flood damage took its toll on the Warwick Road club and, to some degree, the lesser of two evils was the demotion the team suffered through its results.

Stout, 55, is the new head coach at Carlisle, and one of his aims is to get players enjoying their rugby again.

“Of course everyone goes into a season wanting to win promotion, and I am no different. But I think seeing players enjoy their rugby again after what they’ve been through will be the first target.

“It will take me a few weeks to assess the playing talent at the club but from what I’ve seen so far there are enough good players with potential.

“It will be my job to bring the best out of those players so they develop as a team.”

Stout was particularly pleased that the Carlisle Colts side has been revived after lapsing last season without completing the fixture list.

That’s a subject close to his heart having coached the Carlisle Colts side to a national semi-final a couple of years ago.

“Colts rugby is a natural progression to senior rugby and re-starting the team was something I was fairly insistent upon when we were talking about my position as head coach,” he says.

Stout, who went to Sedburgh School, had started his own playing career in the Carlisle Colts side from where he was selected for Cumbria Colts.

After University he returned to the Carlisle club, stepping up to the first XV at No8 where his contemporise included Sandy Butler, Mike Hargreaves, Stuart Sherlock and Alf Harrington.

“We had a good side in those days before the advent of league rugby and professionalism. One year we lost to Aspatria in the County Cup final,” he recalls.

Whilst at University he was selected for the England Colleges XV and then joined the Northampton club who were one of the leading teams in the country.

He had five good years there but, with a new job in Gloucestershire, he decided to cut the travelling and join Cheltenham.

It was another enjoyable part of his playing career, but niggling injuries picked up from his combative role at the back of the scrum finally persuaded him to call it a day.

He had captained the side on many occasions and it was generally felt that his leadership skills and knowledge of the game made him ideal material for coaching.

Starting with Cheltenham Under-21s, he did well enough to get the first team coaching job and from being second bottom of the league took them up to fourth in South West One.

He was also involved in coaching Gloucestershire Under-21s.

Work interfered again and in the late 1990s he moved to the Midlands where he got involved with the Bromsgrove club, winning them promotion to Midlands 1 as well as County cup success.

He moved to North Midlands RFC in 2001 and brought them County cup success, combining this with consultancy coaching to other sides in the West Midlands, and a role as an England Counties selector, before moving back to Cumbria with his work as a land agent.

Stout is keen to point out that as well as his playing and coaching experience, he brings enthusiasm to help the club progress both on and off the field and adapt to the needs of modern rugby.

He says: “I have a reputation for being a hard taskmaster. But I focus a lot on player management and I’m keen to help them to develop, grow and reach their full potential.

“It is important that we continue to maintain the three senior men’s sides to ensure there is the opportunity for players to develop their skills, and allow progression.

“I hope that current players will continue to support the club as they have done in the past, and that anyone who may have drifted away for whatever reason will now see an opportunity to become involved again.

“I’m also keen to ensure we develop closer links with Cumbria University to encourage students to feel part of our rugby community.

“Success doesn’t come lightly and a lot of hard work and commitment will be required to build the club back to where it rightfully belongs both on and off the pitch, a successful club with a winning mentality.

“A successful playing side needs a vibrant, business-like and well-run club behind it. It is refreshing to see the new vision for the club after the floods and the addition of well qualified people becoming involved to help achieve this.

“I’ve committed to help this club become successful again on the field and I hope players, members and sponsors will make the same commitment to help the club realise its full potential.

“I believe there’s an awful lot of good will out there for Carlisle rugby club and I want us to be fully absorbed in the community.”

The new North Lancs Cumbria season starts in September and Stout admits to knowing next to nothing about the teams Carlisle will face.

You can bet, though, by the time the city side is ready to kick-off the 2016/17 season the head coach will know all he needs to know about the opposition.

By John Walsh