St Joseph’s have appointed Joel Unsworth as the Ipswich college’s new Director of Rugby.

The 28-year-old is currently in the same role at Sandbach School, in Cheshire, and will be in Suffolk for pre-season training in August, before starting his new role permanently a month later.

Unsworth comes to St Jo’s with a good pedigree, having captained England’s Under-19s Colleges team and been vice-captain of the British Colleges Under-19s side a decade ago.

Unsworth replaces Peter Engledow – who has returned to his native South Africa be to be development coach with Griquas – and will also teach PE at the college, while he hopes to become heavily involved in London Divisional Rugby (Under-16s/18s), like he is currently in the north of England.

“We interviewed six candidates, three on each day, and the final four were very strong,” said Patterson.

“Joel’s role is to be Director of Rugby but it is a bonus for me, as director of sport, that he is a fully-fledged, qualified teacher.

“He will take rugby to a new level at the school with one eye on our philosophy of being a school that includes rugby as part of a rounded education.”

Unsworth also played for Hartpury College and played for the Gloucester Rugby academy as well as the west country side’s A-team.

“I would say he is on the younger side when it comes to such an appointment, but we were very excited by the coaching and teaching session he gave on the day of his interview,” Patterson added.

“I think he made the decision six or seven years ago that he was not going to play rugby at the highest level and he looked at his options.

“We are chuffed to bits to have appointed him.”

One of Unsworth’s first roles will be to help the St Jo’s senior team defend their own college title which they won towards the back end of last year.

The team defeated RGS High Wycombe 11-10 in a tense and dramatic final.

St Joseph’s won through an Austin Beckett try and two penalties through the boot of Dan Lewis.