Promoted Hunslet RLFC have appointed a director of rugby with experience at clubs including Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers.
Darren Higgins has pledged to ensure the south Leeds outfit have a long-term future in the second-tier after winning promotion through the play-offs last season.
Higgins is rugby league development manager with Rhinos’ Foundation – Leeds’ charity -, a former coach of the Serbia national team and has worked in youth development at Sheffield Eagles, London Broncos and Castleford.
Hunslet chief executive Neil Hampshire said Higgins’ immediate focus is to provide support for head-coach Dean Muir.
“In the short space of time since securing promotion, Dean and the coaching staff have done a fantastic job of pulling a squad together to meet the demands of the Championship,” Hampshire said.
“The administration around this is immense and Darren’s appointment will free up Dean to concentrate on the coaching side of things.
“To progress to where we want to be, the club has to be constantly looking to the future and Darren will be working closely with Dean to develop recruitment strategies for 2026 and beyond.”
Higgins added: “Hunslet is a great club with great people and I’ve worked closely with Neil, Dean and Phil [Hodgson, director] on a number of things over the last 12 months.
“The club have been very supportive of the final year of my studies on my Masters degree in sports directorship and I very much intend to put these learnings into practice as we aim to make the club competitive as a Championship club, both this year and beyond.”
