24th August 2005
Leeds Tykes have today announced that Director of Rugby Phil Davies has agreed a new three year contract with the club that will keep him at Headingley until at least the end of the 2007-08 season.

Davies, who had a year remaining on his current contract, announced the new deal at the club’s official season launch at Headingley today. Commenting on the announcement the 41-year-old said, “I’m delighted to have been offered a new contract with the club and more than happy to accept it. I will be entering my tenth season with the club this year and I still feel there is so much we can achieve as a club. The Powergen Cup win last season showed the potential we have at the club, both in terms of the players and the support, with 15,000 Leeds fans at Twickenham, and I am excited about the future. The average age of our squad is now 25 and I am looking forward to seeing those players develop over the next two years. 

“We have got a vibrant management team in place for this season with the addition of people like Daryl Powell, Colin Stephens and our new head physio Dave Becker from South Africa.  We have got a strong team off the field and on it now and hopefully we can take things forward this year.

“I would like to thank Paul Caddick and Gary Hetherington for their support over the past nine seasons and going forward. The club is in very good health, especially with a new contract in place with main club sponsors Leeds Building Society, and the future does look bright,” added Davies.

Born in Seven Sisters near Neath, Phil Davies has become an adopted Yorkshireman since his move to Headingley in 1996. Since then he has masterminded the Tykes rise from National Division Three to the Zurich Premiership and Heineken Cup, and the Powergen Cup success of last season in just nine seasons.

Davies was capped 46 times for his beloved Wales and was the most capped forward of all time for Wales upon retiring.