TIM MATHIAS says he is not looking to take on another coaching role after leaving Cornwall/Devon League side Plymstock Albion Oaks.

Former Plymouth Albion and Launceston prop Mathias has guided Oaks to two successive top six placed finishes in the league.

But last Saturday’s game against Penryn was his final competitive one in charge of the Horsham Fields-based club.

“I’m not going to be there next season due to work commitments and the club also want a player-coach, which I understand,” said Mathias, who has not been able to play this season due to injury.

“We knew what was going to happen around January/February time.”

When asked if he would continue in rugby, he said: “I think that’s it for me, to be honest.

“I am really enjoying my work but there is a lot more to it now and I have to do a few more late nights and that makes it tough to get to training.  I also want to make the most of the weekends.”

He added: “I have a different role now at work and need to be 100 per cent committed to that. They have been very good to me with my rugby and I’d like to repay their loyalty. 

“But I will probably still be around watching the likes of Oaks, Services, Ivybridge and Albion.”

Mathias hopes Oaks can build on the progress they have made over the last couple of seasons having been promoted into the Cornwall/Devon League as Devon One runners-up behind Plymouth Argaum in 2015.

“I think the people who come in are going to have a much higher standard of core skills to work with,” said Mathias. “That was what Rich (West) and I went in there to do – to try and raise their skill level.

“I think anyone who has watched the team over the last couple of years will say that has definitely happened.

“Hopefully, they can get new coaches to take them on to the next level, but it depends if they can get numbers at training.

“If we’d had numbers at training all the way through I think we would have been right in the promotion race at the end of the season.

“Hopefully, they will attract a few new players and also hopefully a lot of the lads will carry on as they are a decent bunch of lads.

“It will be interesting to see how they go next year, but I would like to think they would be up there.”