Leeds Rhinos: New role at Worksop College is a feather in assistant coach Chris Plume's cap

The 36-year-old, who has worked at Rhinos for a decade, is joining Worksop College as sports performance director.

Plume joined the Leeds Rhinos Foundation as a community coach in 2007. He joined Rhinos’ academy coaching staff the following year and had a spell as under-19s team boss before becoming first-team assistant-coach in 2012.

He has worked solely as assistant to coach Brian McDermott this year and will continue in an advisory role within the backroom team for the remainder of the current season.

“I can’t think a better way to finish my time at the Rhinos than with a big game like the Challenge Cup semi-final this Saturday,” Plume said.

“I have been working with the first team for the past six years and also learned a lot during that time coaching the under-19s as well.

“We have had some success along the way and I am very thankful to have had that opportunity. I would like to thank all the players and coaches I have had the privilege of working with and learning from down the years.

“As sports performance director at Worksop College I will be overseeing their sports provision and making sure everything they do is to a professional standard and the grounding I have had at Leeds Rhinos will certainly stand me in good stead to do just that.”

Plume is a former player for Sheffield Eagles, Huddersfield Giants, Gateshead Thunder and Hunslet. He began his coaching career while at university in Huddersfield and became the Giants’ player performance manager in 2004.

McDermott said: “Chris has been an outstanding member of our coaching team for the last six years. This is a great opportunity for Chris, especially as it is nearer to his home in South Yorkshire and we have been happy to meet his request to leave his full-time role before the end of the season so he can take it up.

“Chris will continue to play a role in our team preparations for the remainder of the year, but Saturday’s game will be his last as a full-time member of the team.

“[Under-19s coach] Adrian Morley will increase his day-to-day involvement with the first team and Chev Walker has been working with our outside-backs for the past few weeks, which has been beneficial.”