Nat Saumi has accepted Plymouth Albion’s offer to become their new director of rugby and head coach, Herald Sport can reveal.

The 41-year-old former Fijian international, who has been doing the job on a caretaker basis since the start of January, has spent the last few weeks considering whether to accept the role on a permanent basis for next season.

However, after speaking to his family and having had the reassurances he needed from the Albion board that the struggling club are in a position to move forward, Saumi has finally committed to another year at Brickfields.

And despite Albion’s current off-the-field troubles, Saumi expects to have a better playing budget for 2012/13 than the club had this season and he will now get down to work trying to put together a squad for next year.

“It was a big decision and a tough one,” said Saumi, on committing himself to another season at Albion.

“But my family have agreed. They will come and spend six or seven weeks with me at Christmas.”

Saumi, who has been at Albion since 2003, first as a player and then as a coach, knows there will be pressure on him.

His first job is to keep Albion up this season and then to try and improve them next year.

“There is always pressure with everything you do in life,” said Saumi.

“But I see it as a challenge.

“I just have to give it my best shot.

“It is the first time I have done this work (director of rugby), so it is a new start for me.

“It is a good challenge for me.”

Saumi admits he will probably seek advice of his predecessors at Albion, Peter Drewett and Graham Dawe, as well as other people in rugby.

“You have to ask questions and ask for advice,” he said. “I still keep in contact with Graham and Pete and I will ask advice from people.”

Although Albion still have to get through the relegation play-offs, Saumi is confident they will stay up and he hopes to keep as many of the squad together for next season as possible.

When asked about next year’s budget, Saumi said: “It will depend on where we finish, but it is a decent one. I think it is better (than this year’s),” he said. “But it all depends on the play-offs.”

He added: “I will start now looking at players’ contracts so that by the time we go into the play-offs they know where they stand.

“It is all about planning.”

Saumi admits wheeling and dealing to try and put a squad together will probably be toughest part of job.

He knows some players might be put off from joining Albion because of what has happened at the Championship club this season.

But his thoughts are just about trying to persuade as many of this year’s squad to stay for another season.

“I know what has happened, but for me the only thing I can work on is the players I have got now,” he said.

“I work well with them. They react well to me and we enjoy each others’ company and the important thing is I think they can offer more.”

He added: “The welfare of my players is the most important thing. I want them to be happy with the environment they are working in.

“I said before that for me everything has to be black and white and transparent. That is why after every meeting the board have had with shareholders and supporters that the players are always the first to know what happened the next day.

“They are the most important people at the club.”

Saumi admits his backroom staff for next season is still up in the air, but he does hope to appoint a forwards coach soon.

“We will need a forwards coach. There is someone in line, which I hope to confirm later,” he admitted.

But he said all the other roles at the club would probably be decided at the end of this season.

Albion’s board are confident Saumi will be a success at Brickfields and that he can take the club forward.

In a statement, club chairman Graham Stirling and director Maurice West said: “The board is extremely pleased to announce that Nat has agreed to accept the permanent role of head coach and director of rugby for at least another season.

“Nat has a proven history with the club and his abilities are well-known and respected in the rugby arena.

“We are convinced he is the right person to take the club forward.

“He has demonstrated that he has the coaching and man management skills the club needs in order to progress and he is highly-thought of by the players and the rest of the coaching staff.

“The timing of the appointment is important to give the playing squad stability and confidence for the play-off stage of this season and, equally important, as we progress our plans for next season.”