Meet Philip Doyle
17 Nov 2019Scotland Women Head Coach Philip Doyle has his first home match at Scotstoun this afternoon. We asked him about his career so far and what we can expect going forward.
What got you into coaching?
My wife Nicola got me out of bed one day and said ‘I’m going to play rugby and you’re going to coach me’. It was a simple as that! She was the founder of Blackrock Women’s Club and the first President of Women’s IRFU, so we are very much a rugby family.
What’s your greatest coaching memory so far?
Getting this job is right up there, and that’s being totally honest. Beating New Zealand in the World Cup 2014 stands out and of course, winning Grand Slams as well – it’s tough to top that.
Have you had a most enjoyable moment in the Scotland job yet?
The end of the 2nd Test in Cape Town, it was a fantastic achievement to make history – that’s what we’re all about right now, making history.
I was happy but the most shocking moment for me was going down to the bench and seeing how emotional some of the players were. You could tell how much it meant to them to win away in South Africa.
That’s when I knew how special this job was.
Is it important to keep the squad grounded after the South African wins?
All we talk about is the World Cup qualifiers next September. It’s a long path and South Africa was only one step, so we’ve parked that already. The real target is ahead of us. From a coaching perspective it’s all about performance, but it’s a results business of course. We have two big, and different, challenges coming up against Wales and Japan.
Is this now the biggest 12 months in Scotland Women’s recent history?
Undoubtedly, yes. I’ve been to four World Cups in the past, but it’s a different era now. This is by far my hardest challenge so far but it’s also the most enjoyable.
