Colchester have announced their new coaching team for next season, with current interim head coach Mike Haywood confirmed in the post on a permanent basis.

Mike will be supported by two experienced player-coaches who will look after the forwards and backs, allowing Mike to take more of an over-view.

Essex-born Haywood joined the club at the start of the 2023/24 season as assistant coach after a long career playing with Premiership club Northampton Saints. He took over the top role a third of the way through last season.

“Since Mike has taken over the quality of the play has improved and the atmosphere amongst the boys has been absolutely fantastic,” said club chairman Karl O’Brien.

For the new season in Regional 1 South East, Haywood will be working alongside two assistants.

Ben Kelland rejoins his boyhood club as player/forwards coach from Bury St Edmunds, where he has been a first team regular since 2021 and more recently the Suffolk side’s forwards coach.

It’s a return home for Ben, who first started playing at Colchester in the mid-2000s while a pupil at Holmwood House School in Lexden.

Ben went on to play for the club’s first team in National 3 and was also part of the Northampton Saints academy before joining French Top 14 club Pau in 2016. He also had spells at Bedford Blues and Cambridge.

Ben played for Bury against Colchester in both home and away fixtures this season.
Meanwhile experienced scrumhalf Jack Daly will join the club as backs coach from Nat 1 side Blackheath.

Jack is also an Essex native. Like his father, he played for Southend before moving to Cambridge and Old Albanians. Jack made his debut for Blackheath in the 2018/19 season and played his 100th match for the London club in September. He also won three caps for England Counties.

Colts coach Harvey Finbow, who has helped with some first team coaching this season, is also going to step up to help with some of the skills.

“I think we are really starting to put a very, very strong coaching group together that will upskill all the players but also the other coaches throughout the club massively,” said Karl.

As well as keeping the current squad together, the club is also looking at further recruitment, with a couple of other new players already signed up.

“There’s no doubt about it. With the facilities – and I would say every club that’s come here has been astounded and amazed at the great facilities we have – it’s definitely our target to be a National 2 club, and we’ve aspirations past that.”

Mike Haywood agrees the future looks bright for the club.

“We haven’t even scratched the surface here at Colchester. We have an unbelievable minis and youth section; we have an unbelievable colts’ system. It’s just trying to balance that out and how we continue to develop those colts guys so they’re the future of the first team.

“I’m just looking forward to what next season will hold – and there’re bright things on the horizon.”