Alex Codling, the head coach of the Newcastle Falcons, has stated that he will stand down from his position as head coach effective immediately and leave the team at the end of the 2023–24 season.

Walder’s impending departure validates speculation that the team was trying to find a replacement for him after the Tynesiders’ disappointing season.

After Dean Richards left at the end of the previous season, the 44-year-old assumed leadership of the coaching staff prior to the current campaign.

When rugby’s most serious man considers taking home a Six Nations championship,

Walder’s contract will expire, but the Falcons have stated that he will stand down immediately and give the reins to Mark Laycock until an official successor is named in the following months.

Rugby chairman Matt Thompson commented on Walder’s exit, saying: “As a club, we understand that we must adjust our strategy in order to reach our objectives. In all honesty, we haven’t been where we want to be for a few years. These kinds of transitional times are never easy, and regrettably, some people will leave us along the way.

We need a little bit of a reset everywhere because a lot has happened, especially this year, in the sport and both on and off the field at the club. Our goal is to establish a long-lasting club; therefore, it’s critical that we make the appropriate investments at the appropriate times and in the appropriate places.

Thompson also discussed the club’s current recruitment strategy, which included bringing in new players and re-signing a number of existing players in addition to hiring staff members both on and off the rugby field, including the coaching staff. The Newcastle Falcons are finalizing the coaching staff composition for the 2023–24 campaign, and more details will be released following the completion of the interview process.

Like all exits, it was a difficult choice, but in the end, it was the best one for the club going forward. We’re excited to see what he accomplishes next and wish him the best of luck in the future, Thompson continued. Walder played 110 games for the Falcons. He was a key member of the team that won the 2004 Powergen Cup final and scored the game-winning try in the Tetley’s Bitter Cup final in 2001.

After concluding his playing career with Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan, he went on to win titles in both Europe and the United Kingdom with the Wasps. In 2014, he became a member of Newcastle’s coaching team. In 2017, he was elevated from the Championship to head coach after starting the season as the kicking skills coach. He also assisted in leading the Falcons to their first-ever Gallagher Premiership semifinal.