Newcastle Falcons have announced the appointment of Steve Diamond as consultant director of rugby.

The vastly-experienced Lancastrian will take up his new role next month, with current head coach Alex Codling stepping away from day-to-day duties.

Forwards coach Micky Ward will take interim charge for the Falcons’ upcoming games in Perpignan and Northampton, after which point Diamond will arrive in the North East, combining duties at Newcastle with his consultancy role at the RFU.

The former hooker has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most astute operators in the game.

Appearing more than 300 times in Sale’s front row, he embarked on a 23-year coaching and managerial career, more than a decade of which was spent at Sale.

Having coached with Saracens, England A and the Russian national team, Diamond’s last Premiership appointment was with Worcester Warriors, whose final game in September 2022 saw them inflicting a 39-5 defeat on Newcastle.

A proud northerner who has long advocated for rugby in this region, Diamond spent a significant part of last year helping Edinburgh in his role as lead rugby consultant.

Newcastle Falcons chairman of rugby Matt Thompson said: “I am delighted to welcome Steve Diamond to the club. He is well known and respected throughout rugby, and we believe he is the right man to help us take the club forward.

“The work he did up at Edinburgh recently has contributed enormously to putting them on a sure footing, and at Worcester he did a remarkable job in exceptionally difficult circumstances.

“He knows the English rugby landscape very well, he is passionate about having a strong northern presence in the Gallagher Premiership and I’m excited about what can be achieved here with him on board.

“I would like to thank Alex Codling for all the hard work he has put in during his time as head coach, and during this interim period we will give Micky Ward all the support he needs for our games in Perpignan and Northampton.”

Delighted to be back in the Gallagher Premiership and determined to improve the Falcons’ fortunes, Diamond said:  “Newcastle are an iconic Premiership club with a fantastic history.

“It is a privilege to be asked to assist in building a successful and sustainable Premiership business.”

RFU executive director of performance rugby, Conor O’Shea, said: “We welcome the appointment of Steve as consultant director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons to ensure his continued involvement in the English game at this very important time.

“We would like to thank Newcastle Falcons for allowing Steve to continue in his advisory role on our work to achieve a sustainable and investible Tier 2 league in English rugby. 

“Within the context of the Professional Game Partnership discussions we are wanting to create a whole-game solution and a Tier 2 that has improved standards, is integrated and fully contributes to the high-performance system in English rugby. Steve’s experience in growing clubs sustainably is valuable in helping us achieve that.”