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It was confirmed today that Bell, one of the games true legends, would take up a new position in August as the clubs community and development manager.
Also announced today was the appointment of Bells former Kiwi and Wigan team-mate Tony Iro as coach of the first Vodafone Warriors under-20 side next year.
As a club, weve substantially increased the level of our commitment to our requirements in the development area, said chief executive Wayne Scurrah.
With the NRLs under-20 competition coming on stream next year, the need to fully cater for those needs becomes even more critical and in Tony and Dean we have two outstanding people to head up our operation in that area.
Player welfare, community initiatives and all player development requirements including recruitment are part of Bells brief. Hell also be the manager of the under-20 team.
Bell, who was in Auckland for the announcement today, said he cant wait to settle back in New Zealand with his English-born wife Jackie and their daughter Chloe to take up his latest challenge in the game.
Ive had the best part of 20 years in England and we were keen to come back to New Zealand on a permanent basis, he said.
This opportunity couldnt have been a better one for me and it couldnt have come up at a better time either.
I love working in the development side of the game. It gives me so much satisfaction to see the results that can be achieved.
Coming back to the Vodafone Warriors for a brief visit last year really excited me. There seemed to be so many good things going on around the club.
Bellhas a long background of working in the community and development areas with both Wigan and Leeds since he finished playing after leading the Auckland Warriors in their debut campaign in what was then the Winfield Cup in 1995.
He worked as head coach of the Leeds academy in 1998-99 before moving to a position as rugby league executive with Wigan in 2000, a position he recently resigned from.
Hes also looking forward to working with Iro after playing alongside him in both New Zealand test sides and at Wigan. For his part, Iro is relishing the challenge of his coaching job after working with the Allied Work Force development squad since 2005.
Its exciting for us as a club that we will now have our young players together as a team playing against high-quality opposition every week, said Iro.
Weve got some outstanding young players coming through and, by playing in an intense competition like this, the club will benefit enormously in the long run.
Bells appointment gives the Vodafone Warriors football department a massive injection of rugby league experience and credibility. He played almost 400 top-level games during his career including 26 Tests four as captain and 253 appearances for Wigan. He scored 137 tries.
Director of football John Hart said he was thrilled the club was able to secure a person of Bells calibre.
This is a vital appointment for us, he said.
Dean brings a culture of success and integrity with him, qualities which can only further help us as we look to deliver on our vision of making development a priority for the club going forward.
Bell is due to start with the Vodafone Warriors on August 1.
DEAN BELL
Born: April 29, 1962
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Clubs: New Zealand Manukau, Auckland Warriors
England Carlisle, Leeds, Wigan
Australia Eastern Suburbs
Representative: New Zealand, New Zealand Maori, Auckland, South Island,
Oceania, Rest of the World, Cumbria
Playing career: New Zealand 26 Tests (1983-1989), four Tests as
captain including 1988 World Cup final, 11 tries
New Zealand 10 tour matches (1985-1987), 4 tries
Auckland Warriors 19 games (1995), 3 tries
Wigan 253 games (1986-1994), 96 tries
Eastern Suburbs 40 games (1985-88), 8 tries
Leeds 22 games (1983-84), 4 tries
Carlisle 23 games (1982-83), 11 tries
Achievements: Wigan Challenge Cup winner seven times, three
as captain;championship winner six times; John Player Trophy
winner five times; premiership winner two times; Lancashire Cup
winner four times; world sevens winner once; Lance Todd Trophy
winner 1993; Man of Steel winner 1992
NZRL Player of the Year 1987
NZ Maori Sports Personality of the Year 1994
Inducted into NZRL Immortals
Inducted into NZRL Legends
Inducted into Wigan Hall of Fame
This is Your Life recipient
Coaching: Head coach Leeds Rhinos 1996-97
Head coach Leeds academy 1998-99
Previous position: Wigan Warriors rugby executive 2000-2007
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Also announced today was the appointment of Bells former Kiwi and Wigan team-mate Tony Iro as coach of the first Vodafone Warriors under-20 side next year.
As a club, weve substantially increased the level of our commitment to our requirements in the development area, said chief executive Wayne Scurrah.
With the NRLs under-20 competition coming on stream next year, the need to fully cater for those needs becomes even more critical and in Tony and Dean we have two outstanding people to head up our operation in that area.
Player welfare, community initiatives and all player development requirements including recruitment are part of Bells brief. Hell also be the manager of the under-20 team.
Bell, who was in Auckland for the announcement today, said he cant wait to settle back in New Zealand with his English-born wife Jackie and their daughter Chloe to take up his latest challenge in the game.
Ive had the best part of 20 years in England and we were keen to come back to New Zealand on a permanent basis, he said.
This opportunity couldnt have been a better one for me and it couldnt have come up at a better time either.
I love working in the development side of the game. It gives me so much satisfaction to see the results that can be achieved.
Coming back to the Vodafone Warriors for a brief visit last year really excited me. There seemed to be so many good things going on around the club.
Bellhas a long background of working in the community and development areas with both Wigan and Leeds since he finished playing after leading the Auckland Warriors in their debut campaign in what was then the Winfield Cup in 1995.
He worked as head coach of the Leeds academy in 1998-99 before moving to a position as rugby league executive with Wigan in 2000, a position he recently resigned from.
Hes also looking forward to working with Iro after playing alongside him in both New Zealand test sides and at Wigan. For his part, Iro is relishing the challenge of his coaching job after working with the Allied Work Force development squad since 2005.
Its exciting for us as a club that we will now have our young players together as a team playing against high-quality opposition every week, said Iro.
Weve got some outstanding young players coming through and, by playing in an intense competition like this, the club will benefit enormously in the long run.
Bells appointment gives the Vodafone Warriors football department a massive injection of rugby league experience and credibility. He played almost 400 top-level games during his career including 26 Tests four as captain and 253 appearances for Wigan. He scored 137 tries.
Director of football John Hart said he was thrilled the club was able to secure a person of Bells calibre.
This is a vital appointment for us, he said.
Dean brings a culture of success and integrity with him, qualities which can only further help us as we look to deliver on our vision of making development a priority for the club going forward.
Bell is due to start with the Vodafone Warriors on August 1.
DEAN BELL
Born: April 29, 1962
Birthplace: Auckland, NZ
Clubs: New Zealand Manukau, Auckland Warriors
England Carlisle, Leeds, Wigan
Australia Eastern Suburbs
Representative: New Zealand, New Zealand Maori, Auckland, South Island,
Oceania, Rest of the World, Cumbria
Playing career: New Zealand 26 Tests (1983-1989), four Tests as
captain including 1988 World Cup final, 11 tries
New Zealand 10 tour matches (1985-1987), 4 tries
Auckland Warriors 19 games (1995), 3 tries
Wigan 253 games (1986-1994), 96 tries
Eastern Suburbs 40 games (1985-88), 8 tries
Leeds 22 games (1983-84), 4 tries
Carlisle 23 games (1982-83), 11 tries
Achievements: Wigan Challenge Cup winner seven times, three
as captain;championship winner six times; John Player Trophy
winner five times; premiership winner two times; Lancashire Cup
winner four times; world sevens winner once; Lance Todd Trophy
winner 1993; Man of Steel winner 1992
NZRL Player of the Year 1987
NZ Maori Sports Personality of the Year 1994
Inducted into NZRL Immortals
Inducted into NZRL Legends
Inducted into Wigan Hall of Fame
This is Your Life recipient
Coaching: Head coach Leeds Rhinos 1996-97
Head coach Leeds academy 1998-99
Previous position: Wigan Warriors rugby executive 2000-2007
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