Marshall Suckling has been unveiled as the new head coach of Sumner’s premier rugby side, the Wave, for the 2027 season.

It comes after nine coaches and managers resigned from their roles at the end of the season, including premier coach and rugby development officer Gareth D’Almeida.

James Graham has since been appointed as the club’s new RDO.

It is understood most who resigned were unhappy about the way the club had handled a coaching proposal for the premier team, which was submitted with still a month left in the season.

Suckling started playing for Sumner in 1998, coming through the junior club. He went on to play 37 NPC games, 16 for Otago and 21 for Canterbury across three championship-winning seasons.

He also captained Sumner through more than 40 games between 2014 and 2017, and in 2016 became the first captain in the club’s history to lift the DCL Shield.

Suckling’s assistant coaches and management team will be announced next week.

Club vice president Jim Stenberg did not respond to inquiries from Bay Harbour News about the club’s new senior coaching team.