The 42-year-old won seven caps including appearing in the 1987 Rugby World Cup and has helped coach Swansea and Ebbw Vale with great success, as well as helping with the Wales Under-21 side for several seasons.
Hopkins took last season out, but will fill a much-needed role at Aberavon under director of rugby Chris O’Callaghan, while another former cap, No 8 Mark Jones of Neath, is lined up to be the Wizards new forwards and defence coach.
Jones cannot play until he has served out his suspension incurred at last season’s Konica Minolta Cup final which will have to follow the Neath fixture list and will presumably include any of their pre-season games.
Most interesting of the new signings is Michael Hook from Bristol. The Taibach-born back was hugely successful with Wales Under-21s, scoring 21 points to help defeat England at Newbury two years ago.
He is still recovering from a shoulder operation, but can operate at full back, centre or fly half.
Also joining is Maesteg fly half Jamie Gadd, who notched up 143 league points for Maesteg after joining from Cwmavon. O’Callaghan enthused over Hook, Gadd and current fly half Jamie Davies, saying: ‘To have three such players is good, but they are all capable of playing in other positions and Gadd has displayed fantastic pace.’
Departing is veteran hooker Jason Hyatt, who becomes player/coach at Waunarlwydd and Jon Owen returns to Mumbles, but Chris Wells, the former Wales Schools and Under-21 cap, has come from Swansea to fill the gap.
At lock, skipper Chris Gittins has moved to Neath with experienced Ian Strang being brought over from Maesteg while former Youth caps Paul Bamsey and Gareth John return from Neath and Pontypridd respectively.
Joining from the Rugby League scene will be full back Phil Carleton, wing James Strover, GB Students and centre Neil Davies. Other new faces will be scrum half Adrian Williams from Llanelli; wing Mark Fender of Taibach, open-side flanker Craig Moses (Resolven Youth), hooker Sean Connolly (St Joseph’s, Port Talbot), tight-head prop James Jones (Aberavon Youth), lock Rhydian Geriat (Glyncorrwg and Ospreys Dev squad) and Dan ap Dafydd(Brunel Univ/London Welsh/Wales RL).
Mark Burke from Resolven Youth and Wales RL will train with the club with a view to converting to scrum half – a position that Mark Davies vacates to return to Neath. While other additions are expected later, wing Sam Greenaway is likely to join English club Blackheath.
