South Wales Ironmen RLFC are delighted to announce that former Welsh Rugby Union and British Lions international Lee Byrne has joined the Management Board as the Director of Rugby.

Bridgend-born Byrne started his career playing both codes of rugby, playing for Bridgend Athletic and Bridgend Blue Bulls before being spotted by the Scarlets. A glittering rugby union career followed with Byrne going on to earn 46 Welsh caps and make an appearance for the British and Irish Lions. After five years at the Ospreys, Byrne signed a three year contract with French side ASM Clermont Auvergne. After a successful spell in France, Lee was forced to retire after a brief spell with Newport Gwent Dragons after failing to recover from a persistent shoulder injury.

Club Director Marc Lovering is delighted by Byrnes appointment.

He said: “To have someone of Lee’s calibre believe in what we are trying to build and to want to get involved, is a huge boost for everyone involved with the club and for rugby league in South Wales. Lee would not have got involved unless he believed in our aspirations and ambitions. He is an intelligent guy with a great deal of experience in elite level sport. We are all looking forward to working with him.

“Lee’s Director of Rugby role will have a wide ranging remit and we will certainly be looking to tap into his knowledge and experience at every opportunity. He has played sport at the highest levels and has a great deal of knowledge around nutrition and strength and conditioning.

“He will be co-ordinating how we approach these things across not only our first Team but also our under 20s side and our Category 3 Academy side based at Coleg y Cymoedd. He obviously doesn’t have a great deal of technical knowledge when it comes to rugby league, but he does have a wealth of experience that our coach Phil Carleton will be able to tap in to. Lee will also be overseeing our work in local schools and colleges working with Dafydd Hellard and Paul Emanuelli. It’s a varied role and I know he is looking forward to getting stuck in.”

Bryne is excited by the challenge ahead. He said: “It’s great to have this opportunity to continue my rugby career as part of a brand new project developing rugby league in South Wales. It’s where I started my amateur rugby career – as did a lot of of Welsh rugby greats – and I believe this will be a fantastic way to get youngsters engaged in the sport and fans enthused to watch it.

“As Director of Rugby it’s fantastic to be able to help develop this new team as it makes the move to state-of-the-art facilities at the Wern in Merthyr. The South Wales Ironmen have a huge opportunity to make an impact. The ultimate goal is to be promoted to Super League. But let’s remember even this season we are playing in an international league with the likes of Canada’s Toronto Wolfpack which is exciting for rugby fans right across Wales.”