Cornwall RFU make Graham Dawe County Championship coach

Former England hooker and Plymouth Albion stalwart Graham Dawe has been appointed county coach by the Cornwall Rugby Football Union.

Dawe will be supported by Ian Morgan for Cornwall's 2014 County Championship campaign.

Their appointments follow the decision of Dave 'Benji' Thomas to stand down at the end of last season.

Dawe, who played for Bath, Sale, Plymouth Albion and Launceston, said the appointment was a "great honour".

Cornwall reached the final of last season's County Championship but were beaten by Lancashire at Twickenham.

Dawe said: "Although I have other commitments in the game, I feel it is a great honour to be asked to coach a county team that has so much rugby history and passion for the County Championship."

The five-cap hooker was a coach at Plymouth Albion from 1999 to 2011, where he took the team from the bottom of National League Three South to the RFU Championship.

Morgan played for Camborne, Lydney, Redruth, St Ives and Brixham as well as Cornwall, and has coached a variety of teams including the RAF, the Combined Services and Cornwall Senior 15,

Morgan said: "There is a lot of exciting talent in Cornwall and hopefully we can put a team together and go one better this season. The players will have learned from last season's experience and that will only help the squad. I can't wait to get started."