Former Bristol Bears boss confirms new club after shock departure
04/11/2025 11:14 AM
Former Harlequins hardman Dave Ward is heading back to Ampthill—but this time, he's taking the top job.
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After guiding Bristol Bears Women to four consecutive semi-finals and a PWR final, Ward is stepping away from the Premiership Women's Rugby scene to return to the Championship side where his coaching journey began. Bristol confirmed his departure earlier this week, saying he was off to pursue "a new opportunity."
Succeeding a Welsh Legend
Ward replaces the legendary Paul Turner, the ex-Wales fly-half who's been the heartbeat of Ampthill for the last 14 years. Turner will step down at the end of the current campaign, leaving some big boots to fill.
But for Ward, it's a homecoming. He originally signed with the club in 2019 as their first-ever Championship signing, starting as a player-coach before becoming their forwards guru. He left for Bristol in 2021—and now he's back, ready to take the reins.
Bigger League, Bigger Challenge
Next season brings a revamped Championship with 14 teams, thanks to the return of Worcester Warriors and a club stepping up from National League One. It's a fresh frontier—and Ward is buzzing.
"I'm very excited to return to Ampthill in the revamped Championship," he said.
"The league is at the start of a new chapter with a competition that's going to be more fierce than ever, so I'm delighted to be back and can't wait to get going."
The Player-Turned-Coach
Before swapping boots for a whistle, Ward, now 39, clocked up spells with Bath, Northampton Saints, and Sale Sharks, before finding his groove at Cornish Pirates and then making a name for himself at Quins.
Now, with coaching stripes from both men's and women's rugby, he's back where it started—this time as the boss.
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Nigel Owens said: “I can only speak from my own experience of refereeing him and, when I did, he was an excellent captain to deal with.
“I have a huge amount of respect for him as a player and a person. He always knew where the line was with me.
“I would say to him that he could always come and talk to me as long as it was at the right time and in the right tone and he always did that.”
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