England legend Simon Halliday is back at Championship new boys Esher Rugby on a mission to help cement the club's place as one of the top teams in England.

The former Bath and Harlequins star, a double Grand Slam winner who won 23 caps for his country, has been named Executive Director.

He has been given a broad and challenging brief to improve all aspects of the club ranging from infrastructure improvement to the development of the overall branding and profile of Esher Rugby both at local and national level.

Halliday, 50, has strong links with Esher having coached the first team in the early 1990s as the ambitious Surrey outfit climbed the first rungs on the English league’s ladder.

Halliday said: “We want Esher to be the go-to club in the south of England outside the Premiership “My main role will be to drive the strategy of the club and to accelerate the pace of change. I have been lucky enough to be involved at many levels of Rugby whether it be with Bath or Harlequins or at the Rugby Football Union as well as at Esher Rugby in the early 1990’s. I am confident that I can use that experience to the club’s benefit “The other thing that attracts me is that unlike any other club at this level or in The Premiership we are a traditional rugby club, which still fields seven or eight adult teams every week as well as having a thriving mini and junior section.”

Esher chairman Bob Stratton believes the appointment sends a strong signal that Esher are determined to be a force in English rugby.

Stratton said: "We are all very excited to have someone of Simon's calibre and experience on board and we see his appointment as one of the missing pieces of the jigsaw off the field.

"His brief, basically, is to work with us on strategic policy and to bring in some significant investment to provide facilities appropriate for this level "He has many contacts both in the city and in rugby, having been a director at Bath as well as being on the RFU council for 10 years.

"His appointment also puts out a statement that we are determined to establish ourselves as a Championship side as well as preserving our unique position in the world of rugby where players can start at the age of 5 and progress to almost any level of rugby within one club "Simon was one of the catalysts at the start of Esher's journey in the English leagues. He was first-team coach for a couple of years and that was where it all started for us.

"Thanks to our Director of Rugby Mike Schmid, things have gone very well on the pitch recently culminating in promotion last season and now we are going to try and match that success in all other areas.”