Having led the club to the National 2 West title and securing promotion to National 1 for the first time in their history, Gareth has agreed a new 3 year deal with Chairman Ken Whitehead that will see him become the club's Director of Rugby whilst continuing to oversee the coaching duties.

The 2023-24 season will be Gareth's 5th year in charge of the Lions having improved the side's league position in each season he has been in the role, culminating in the league title last season. The former first team captain, who played over 250 National League games for the club, is now closing in on 100 games in charge.

Collins commented: ''As always it was an easy decision to carry on when asked to do so by Ken. This will be my 15th year here as a player or coach and I'm still loving every minute of it. Last season was the most enjoyable I have had in rugby ever and I'm excited about the challenges ahead . The reality is that National 1 will be incredibly tough however we will continue to give it everything and we'll see what happens. I am also committed to the future of the club and in my new role I am going to have more input with the junior and amateur ranks within the club to try and ensure we continue to grow as a club over the next 3 years.''

Chairman Ken Whitehead commented: ''Gareth has done an incredible job since returning as head coach so we are delighted that he has committed his future to us. We are looking forward to seeing the team play in National 1 but are also excited by his long term vision for the club.''