Retiring Tom Cruse lands coaching role next season

Northampton Saints' retiring hooker Tom Cruse has been named the forwards coach of Championship outfit Bedford Blues for next season.

The 35-year-old announced his retirement from professional rugby in April after spending just over a year at Franklin's Gardens, and will swiftly move into the world of coaching full-time.

Cruse already has experience of the Championship having played for Rotherham earlier in his career, and describes himself as a "massive advocate of the Championship".

He also has experience of coaching already, serving as forwards coach for Chinnor this season under former England No8 Nick Easter and helping guide them to the Championship next season.

The move will see Cruse link up with his former Wasps teammate Michael Le Bourgeois, who joined the club after Wasps went into administration in 2022. Cruse, meanwhile, joined Edinburgh on a short-term deal before ending up at Northampton Saints.

“Bedford are a big, traditional club and I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity," Cruse said.

“It’s one I feel very privileged about, there’s a few familiar faces at the club – one of those being Michael Le Bourgeois from my time at Wasps.

“It’s a really exciting challenge for me as I begin my coaching career, in a league that’s highly competitive. I’m a massive advocate of the Championship, it’s a great place to help talent grow, and I’m eager to put my stamp on things to aid that.

“When I met Mike Rayer [Bedford director of rugby] to talk about coming on board at Bedford, he spoke a lot about development; and that’s not just the players, but the coaches as well.

“This being my first full-time coaching role, it was important to find the right fit. I’ve done a lot of coaching already in my journey, but that was whilst still playing, and it was that chance of development that really stuck out for me."