Following the announcement last month that Steve Mason was appointed Director of Rugby and would spearhead the coaching team, Dearne have moved to finalise the wider coaching group.

Ant Hamilton continues in his role at the club as First Team Coaches, Sam Carney steps up from Assistant Coach to First Team Coach and we are pleased to share that Luke Hatfield joins the club from close neighbours Barnsley, also as a first team coach.

Hatfield has extensive playing experience, having played front row at Lincoln Uni, Lincoln City, Barnsley, Wath and Sandal. His career highlights include promotions with Barnsley and running out in the National Leagues for Sandal.

In terms of coaching, Hatfield has previously worked with Wakefield College, Barnsley Ladies and was most recently the Forwards Coach for Barnsley in Counties 3 last term. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and promises to be a strong addition to the club.

Kev Horrobin and Rob Bowling also remain at Dearne Valley as 2nd XV Coaches and will focus on building the clubs 2nd XV. Dearne Valley have made turning out a 2nd XV a priority for the 2025/26 season, with a strong focus on social rugby, and having two 2nd XV coaches in place is key to reaching that objective.

Director of Coaching, Olly Dixon, commented “We are delighted with the coaching team with have put together for the 25/26 season. We have built the right blend on knowledge and experience within the group to ensure we are delivering a quality experience to all players. Steve and the coaching team are looking to evolve our playing style and build on the success of last season”.

He added on the recruitment of Hatfield “Hatter brings a lot of experience with him. He’s played at various levels across the game from Counties Leagues through to the National Leagues. From the first meeting we had with him, we were impressed with his enthusiasm for the challenge, his knowledge of the game and his recent experience within Counties 3. He will add a new perspective to our coaching team and our team strategy, and we are sure he will fit in well with our other coaches”.