EX-NEWCASTLE Falcons director of rugby Steve Bates will be heading back over the Scottish border later this year, having taken up a post at Fettes College in Edinburgh.

Bates is undertaking a rugby consultant role at Northumbria University, but in September will swap that for a new position as director of sport at Fettes College and the Fettes College Prep School.

The former Wasps and England scrum-half is no stranger to the teaching profession, having worked with legendary fly-half Jonny Wilkinson during his time at Lord Wandsworth College – not to mention Ashes-winning cricket captain Andrew Strauss at Radley College.

Bates had two spells on the coaching staff at Newcastle Falcons, spending three years with Scotland’s Border Reivers in between his pair of Kingston Park stints as well as coaching England Saxons and the Scotland A team.

In his new role he will oversee all of the sporting activities at Fettes, develop and adapt current practices, promote their achievements and continue to nurture the talent of our young sportsmen and women.

Speaking about the move, he said: “This is about bringing the up-to-date experience I have into all sports.

“We want to offer opportunities to the elite end of the school sports population.

“We also want to continue to offer opportunities in other areas to people who maybe are not as able or do not want to operate in team sports.

“Although I am a rugby person and have been for a long time, I hope to bring the enthusiasm of professionalism to all of those areas and bring my experience to all sports.”

Insisting he will relish his new challenge away from the top-flight environment, Bates added: “I have enjoyed professional rugby, and I have had the privilege of working with top players from right across the world.

“It has been a fantastic experience, but I enjoy being in a school environment. I would much rather do this than coach abroad. “