Jeff Mostyn, the former chairman who took AFC Bournemouth to the Premier League, has joined Bournemouth Rugby Club with ambitions to repeat the achievement in rugby union.<\/p>\n
Mostyn sits on the club’s newly created corporate development board alongside owner Matt Barker and other businesspeople including Nick Douch of Douch Family Funeral Directors.<\/p>\n
The Lions currently play in Regional South 1, the fifth tier of English rugby, following promotion last season.<\/p>\n
Mostyn, who has been appointed honorary chairman, said: “Matt asked if I would consider joining the club as an honorary chairman, to add my wisdom and expertise to the strategic board to strengthen the club’s desire to follow in the footsteps of AFC Bournemouth.<\/p>\n
“Matt understands my first love will always be with the Cherries, but having achieved the near impossible once with AFC Bournemouth, who’s to say it can’t happen again?<\/p>\n
“It would be wonderful if one day we could hear the Lions Roar all around Dorset and beyond.”<\/p>\n
The club says it aims to reach the Championship and even the Gallagher Premiership, where clubs including Bath and Leicester compete.<\/p>\n
Matt Barker, owner of Bournemouth Rugby, said: “Our aim is to take Bournemouth Rugby through the leagues to the Championship and even the Premiership.<\/p>\n
“The history of The Lions has been one of promotion followed by relegation as there has never been the foundation to support consolidation after promotion, we aim to change that.”<\/p>\n
The corporate development board has been created to ensure long-term financial sustainability.<\/p>\n
Barker added: “It is great to have Jeff Mostyn on board, he is incredibly enthusiastic.<\/p>\n
“At his first game with us, I had to stop him from having a word with the ref about the number of hand balls.<\/p>\n
“We’re looking forward to his second book about how he helped Bournemouth Rugby reach the Premiership.”<\/p>\n
The club plays its home games at Chapel Gate, which is owned by the university.<\/p>\n
Bournemouth Rugby is the only major rugby club in the area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jeff Mostyn to help fifth-tier club emulate football team’s rise<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":48608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,120904],"coauthors":[160],"class_list":["post-48607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","category-sport","tag-dorset","tag-featured-story"],"yoast_head":"\n