Catt – a 38-year-old South African who began playing for Bath in the early 1990s, and went on to captain the England team against France in 2007 and win 75 international caps before announcing his retirement in May – will represent Clydesdale Bank and Clydesdale Bank International at community and corporate events, the company announced.
Clydesdale Bank International managing director James Blower said Blower was expected to be an inspiration to Guernsey’s rugby community.
“Clydesdale Bank International are keen to support local sporting talent and, in his role, Mike will be spending time at schools and clubs meeting and coaching young athletes,” he said. The St Peter Port-based offshore bank, launched in July 2006, currently sponsors the Guernsey Athletics football team and Jersey’s Scottish Football team.
In his role at Clydesdale, Catt will join the bank’s existing stable of sporting “ambassadors”, which already includes Steve Cram, “the voice of UK athletics”; current England cricketers Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood; and former England cricket captain Alec Stewart.
Blower said it is hoped that Catt will make an appearance on the island in November, to coincide with the start of the autumn rugby internationals.
Catt’s career
During his career Mike won the Rugby World Cup and Grand Slams with England, and the Heineken Cup in 1998 with Bath. Since announcing his retirement, he has signed a three-year contract extension as attack coach with the Guinness Premiership team, London Irish.
Clydesdale Bank, of which Clydesdale Bank International is a branch, is an arm of the National Australia Bank Group. The international operation opened a deposit-taking arm on Guernsey in April, and does a significant percentage of its business through intermediaries.
