RGC head coach Matt Silva is taking a leave of absence from his role.

The newly appointed figurehead, who arrived in the summer to replace Mark Jones, cited personal reasons for his decision to step down for a short period at the helm of the Indigo Group Premiership outfit.

The coaching team of Josh Leach, Latham Tawhai and Saul Nelson will be tasked with leading the Gogs’ during their forthcoming matches, with no timetable confirmed for Silva’s return to the fold.

Silva, who represented Wales B and won a Rugby League cap for his country, has worked within player and coach development roles for 15 years and coached Bridgend for the last three seasons prior to his arrival at Stadiwm Zip World in Colwyn Bay.

He has masterminded an encouraging start to the season for RGC despite losing a number of key players in the offseason, with the club currently occupying sixth in the standings after winning four and losing four of their opening eight contests.

They are just three points off fourth-placed Aberavon ahead of a busy series of fixtures over the festive period, which begin at Bridgend this Saturday.

This will be followed by a crunch home encounter against Aberavon on December 14, and the Gogs’ conclude the calendar year with a trip to defending champions Merthyr and former winger Sam Jones on December 27.