Hyatt returns to roots

Former Swansea and Tonmawr Coach Jason Hyatt has been named as Waunarlwydd’s new head for the forthcoming season.

Hyatt, who played for the now One West side as a youngster before going on to take the helm later in his career, says he is delighted to return to his former club after a break from rugby.

“I had a year out of the game after I left Swansea but I think I needed it to recharge my batteries and I feel refreshed from the time away. It was my first real break from rugby since I started playing at eight,” reflected Hyatt

The Level Four qualified coach led Waunarwlydd into Division One in his first stint in charge before taking over the reigns at Tonmawr where he took the Pitmen from the third Division to the Premiership. He then went on to lead Swansea for the 2011/12 season before parting ways with the Ospreylian club.

 “I played for Waun as a youngster and I started my coaching career there so it is really exciting to return,” said Hyatt.

The former Aberavon, Llanelli and Swansea player is keen to develop the burgeoning talent in Waunarlwydd’s ranks.

“Waun have always been blessed with a great junior set up, the talent that comes through the ranks there is fantastic with the most recent example being Scarlets and Wales full back Liam Williams. It really is a hotbed of talent and myself and the club are committed to developing and making sure youngsters reach their potential.

I think investing in the youth side of rugby is key to a club’s growth and that’s sometimes where clubs go wrong, but at Waun, there is a steady production line of talent and I can’t wait to get started again.

I’m excited to get back into the coaching arena and Waun have a great young side. They finished fourth in One West this year and I think it’s a team that has great potential .

“We aren’t setting goals but I have an idea of the direction I want the team to go in and want to facilitate an expansive creative brand of rugby and really promote a challenging and rewarding environment for the players to thrive in,” added Hyatt.