He's donned a black cap for New Zealand and picked up bucket-loads of national titles - now Andrew Newton is set for the next phase of his storied surf lifesaving career, having signed on as club head coach of Papamoa.

It's a big step for the 32-year-old, who has spent 13 years competing for Mount Maunganui, and one he agonised over.

In the end, the chance to become head coach and lead his own programme swayed him, plus the fact he's also employed at Te Akau ki Papamoa Primary just down the road.

'It's a wicked opportunity - I'm ready for a new chapter and this is the community that I teach in,” says Newton.

'I'm really looking forward to being more involved in the community down at the beach and helping develop some good young lifeguards.”

Newton won three national board race titles, in 2009, 2011 and 2012, while he was an influential figure in many of Mount Maunganui's nine national club titles over the past 12 seasons, including the last six in a row.

He has also helped coach Mount's under-14 Oceans squad to national titles in the last two seasons.

Knowing just how strong his former club takes him back to his early days competing for Dunedin's St Clair club.

'It reminds me of when I was a little grom and I was the one running around trying to chase the seniors. Now I'm an old grom - or maybe a young coaching grom - but I've got renewed youthful enthusiasm and I'm ready to sink my teeth into it and do some chasing.

"I have no doubt we're going to rise and that we'll be pushing Mount, or whoever is at the top at the time, soon.”

Like the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service, the Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club is about to embark on a large-scale club rebuild, which is expected to kick off next year.

Papamoa president Andrew Hitchfield says the timing of the coaching announcement was ideal.

'There are a number of reasons for our club and community to be excited and Andrew's appointment is only going to add to them,” says Hitchfield.

'He's an impressive, hard-working guy and we know he's exactly the right person we need to lead our young athletes forward and build upon the culture already here.”

The starting date for construction on the new Papamoa Community Surf Rescue Base facility will be announced in the next few months, after the next funding round, and Newton believes it's the perfect recipe for a club on the rise.

'There's huge scope to link up with other sporting clubs in the community and tap into their athletes, while there's a massive population boom down here in Papamoa and having a new building is going to be really exciting.

"This club is going to become the focal point of the Papamoa community and it's only going to bring more people through the doors.”