The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union has promoted Magpies assistant coach Josh Syms to the top job to replace Mark Ozich who is headed for a Super Rugby role with the Western Force in Perth.
The widely-anticipated appointment of Syms, who came from the head-coach role at Heartland Rugby union Wairarapa-Bush to join Ozich in 2018, was announced by the union in a late-afternoon Thursday facebook post.
Union CEO Jay Campbell said there was considerable interest but after a "robust appointment process" it quickly became apparent that Syms' "outstanding coaching ability, huge motivation to succeed and vision for the future" made him the right man to lead the Magpies.
