Leigh Centurions are delighted to confirm the appointment of Garreth Carvell as the Club’s new head of rugby ahead of the 2021 Betfred Super League season.

Carvell, 40, has a wide-ranging role, supporting operations manager Neil Jukes and head coach John Duffy and his coaching and support staff.

He will be responsible for all aspects of player welfare, recruitment, discipline and RFL issues and have a pivotal role in the Club’s application for an academy licence.

Leigh Centurions owner Derek Beaumont said: “As a result of the successful application to the Betfred Super League, a lot of additional work we want to undertake was identified, in order to build a successful and sustainable Super League club.

“Although it wasn’t contained as part of our bid in the revised operational structure of a successful application, I always had it in mind after tentative talks with Garreth to appoint a head of rugby. Given my knowledge of Garreth’s skills and experience, along with a reassuring chat with my good friend Marwan Koukash, his former employer, he was the ideal candidate to approach.

“I like to employ ex-players where possible in the club, given their obvious understanding of the game. Garreth has already proven himself in various roles of the game and has a proven track record with player welfare and academy structures, something the club is keen to commence building this year. I had already committed funds to the club this year for the recruitment based on Championship status, therefore given the additional funding from Super League, as well as adding players we will utilise the additional income to strengthen the off-field team and this is a significant step towards achieving that.”

Mr Beaumont added: “Having dealt with Garreth numerous times during his position at GMB during the difficulties the club faced in 2018, I have a great deal of trust in him and also his skill sets. He also has a good knowledge and understanding of both the club and myself from that and therefore knows how professional we are, even in the most difficult circumstances, which clearly gives him the confidence to establish himself in a challenging role within a Super League club.

“With Neil Jukes as Operations Manager we have great leadership from experienced rugby people with great knowledge. The additions to the strength and conditioning, medical and marketing department will be important aspects in achieving our goals of establishing ourselves in Super League and implementing structures to build a platform for a successful application for an academy license in 2022, a vital part of our growth plan for the club to unite our great amateur clubs with its professional club for the benefit of the whole town and wider community. I look forward to getting stuck into everything with Garreth in what will be looked back on as a significant part of the club’s history.”

Garreth Carvell said: “I’m looking forward to an exciting and no doubt challenging 2021. I can’t wait to get started. I’m really excited to be working for Derek and the club.

“Leigh is a club with a great history and tradition and the supporters are very passionate about the club and the game. Our immediate focus and challenge is to stay in Super League, enjoy the experience and build the club on and off the field. There are some great people involved in the club and I shall be working closely with them to achieve our goals.

“My time at Salford and with the Rugby League Players Association has given me a good grounding in many aspects of the game since my playing career ended and I intend to fully play my part in the team effort to ensure Leigh Centurions takes full advantage of this great opportunity.”

Carvell had an outstanding playing career that stretched over three decades and covered nearly 20 years, beginning at Leeds Rhinos in the late 1990s and ending at Featherstone Rovers in 2015.

He played nearly 300 Super League games in the front row for Leeds, Gateshead Thunder, Warrington Wolves, Hull FC and Castleford Tigers and in two grand finals and five Challenge Cup finals. He was selected for the Super League Dream Team in 2011.

A key member of the Hull FC side that beat Leeds in the memorable 2005 Challenge Cup Final at Cardiff, he later played in three Warrington cup-winning teams at Wembley in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

On the international stage he represented Wales in the 2000 World Cup, Great Britain in the 2006 Tri-Nations and England in the 2010 and 2011 Four Nations tournaments and later had an assistant coaching role with Wales.

Since his playing retirement he was appointed player welfare officer, later head of youth and in an assistant coach’s role at Salford Red Devils before re-launching and heading the Rugby League Players Association in January 2018 with backing from the GMB Union to a position where it now has over 900 members.