Lee Dickson joins Newcastle Falcons as skills coach

Newcastle Falcons have announced the appointment of former England international Lee Dickson as skills coach on a consultancy basis.

Dickson, a product of Newcastle Academy, played for the club between 2004 and 2008 and featured most of his domestic career with Northampton Saints having played for them in over 250 games. He also had a stint with Bedford Blues before retiring in 2019.

The 39-year-old represented England in 18 Tests between 2012 and 2014.

“It’s great to be back at a club which means a lot to me, where I came through the academy and into professional rugby," he told the club's official website.

“I know Newcastle’s senior coach Alan Dickens from our time together at Northampton Saints so it’s great to be working with him again, and I’m still fully committed to my main role at Barnard Castle School.

"I think the two can combine perfectly in terms of coming in and doing one day a week skills work with the Newcastle scrum-halves, and I’m enjoying it so far.

“It’s not a case of trying to teach old dogs new tricks, but if I can improve their skills and give them a few little pointers I believe we will see a positive effect on the team.

“I’ll bring energy and enthusiasm to it just like I did when I was a player, and it’s fantastic to re-connect with the Falcons in this way.”