It?s all change on Bermuda?s domestic squash scene as South African Gary Plumstead is heading home to pursue international dreams while former world number 69 Patrick Foster is jetting in as his replacement.

Plumstead, a former Bermuda and Caribbean champion, ends his five-year stint at the Middle Road, Devonshire facility next week, making way for Foster to take over the reigns of the internationally-acclaimed junior programme.

The two will play an exhibition game next week during their brief cross-over, although their careers are now moving in completely different directions.

Plumstead, former South African number eight and junior number one, is determined to give his playing career two more years and has set his sights on next year?s Commonwealth Games.

?I?m 33 now and I think I have two good years left in me as a player,? said Plumstead, who has earned a reputation as a serious, but likeable, coach and administrator at the club?s four-court facility.

?I am going to go back and my aim is to get into the South African team. I am still going to coach a bit, but I will go down to maybe four lessons a day rather than the nine or so I do here, so I can concentrate more on my own training.

?There are tournaments every couple of weeks to play in of a good standard, although not enough to make a living from.?

But Plumstead, who described his highlight here as winning the individual crown in the Caribbean championship in 2003 in Barbados, is going to stick to domestic tournaments, showing no desire to compete on the international tour.

?The two guys here Nick (Kyme) and James (Stout) seem to be losing money playing on the tour, and I think I might be a bit old to be taking that kind of risk,? continued Plumstead.

?But seeing those two guys competing all the time has made me a little envious which is why I want to give it another go for a couple of years.?

Plumstead is now eyeing a place in the South African team for the World Team Championships in December in Islamabad, Pakistan, as well as a place in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next March.

His replacement Foster, however, has a career going in the opposite direction, after reaching heights many, including Stout, and to a certain extent, Kyme are still dreaming of.

The 27-year-old, who spent four seasons on the international tour and has represented Ireland, the country of his father?s birth, in a number of international tournaments over the past 11 years, is now more interested in concentrating on coaching.

?I must admit I still don?t know that much about Bermuda but I can?t wait to get out there,? said Foster, who has played against many of the world?s top players for Ireland and has trained briefly with Island resident David Palmer in Australia.

?I am looking forward to really getting into it, I know they have a very good junior programme and I am looking forward to playing my part.?

Foster, who has been working as a sports development officer for a regional council in the north of England, will have a challenging role to play at the club, coaching adult members as well as the increasingly impressive array of youngsters who are dominating international regional competitions as well as competing as far afield as Europe in age-group tournaments.

?We received more than 40 applications from all over the world including from a world top four player and former British Open champion,? said Ross Triffit, director of squash for the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association.

?Patrick was our number one candidate and we are delighted he accepted this opportunity. We look forward to him carrying on all the great work that Gary did here.

The club are running a ?Meet the new Pro? evening on Friday, February 4, which includes an exhibition game between Foster and Plumstead.