Scotland appoints new coaches in age-grade programme revamp

Scottish Rugby has appointed 14 new coaches to deliver a revamped age-grade programme for the country’s best young players. After positive results across the age-grades this year, including Scotland U20’s recording their best ever positions in the Six Nations and Junior World Cup respectively, the coordinated recruitment is designed to maintain momentum and develop a unified national style of play.Melrose coach John Dalziel has been appointed to the role of U20 head coach, stepping up from the assistant U20 coach role he held for the past three seasons.John will be supported by Ben Fisher who is currently a BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Coach in Edinburgh and was Scotland U18 assistant coach last season and Ian Monaghan, a BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy coach at Glasgow and the West and was Scotland U20 assistant coach for the past two seasons. Scotland U19’s will be revived after a development side beat Japan U19’s over two matches in March this year. The new U19’s’ coaches are Don Caskie, Director of Rugby at Dollar Academy and U18’s assistant coach for the last two seasons and Calum Forrester, current Head Coach of Ayr. At Scotland U18 level Ally Donaldson, Director of Rugby and coach at George Watson’s College, is the new head coach and he will be joined by assistant coaches, Andy Henderson Director of Rugby at Strathallan School and Currie head coach and former Scotland international, Ben Cairns The coaches will be working to create continuity and develop a ‘Scottish way to play’ and pass that through the Scottish rugby system. With this objective the coaches have already had a number of successful technical workshops. A specific focus will be given to the U16’s, whose coaching will be overseen by Sean Lineen, and will result this season in the creation of two Scotland U16 teams to keep a wide playing base and ability to select on potential at that age level. The two sides, Scotland Red and Scotland Blue, will both have their own respective coaching teams.Scotland Red Head Coach is Roddy Deans, coach at Merchiston Castle, who will be assisted by BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Coach, Edinburgh, Bryan Easson and Davy Wilson.Scotland Blue will be led by former Scotland player Stevie Lawrie, now assistant coach at Heriot’s with assistant coaches, Graham Shiel, currently  BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Coach, Glasgow & the West and former Scotland 7s head and assistant coach and also Colin Phillips, BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy coach for Caledonia, and Scotland under-18 development coach. The new appointments see a number of coaches move into age-grade national team roles having followed Scottish Rugby’s own coaching pathway with all the appointed coaches completing UKCC Level 3. Sean Lineen, Head of International Age-Grades at Scottish Rugby said: “The message is clear – we have talented youngsters and we need to make sure we provide the best environment for them to develop.”My job is to select and support the coaches. It’s not easy at age grade level playing against other countries such as England, Wales and France but it is a great way to cut your “coaching teeth” and learn the challenges that come with international rugby and how to deal with them. I am very excited about the quality of Scottish coaches we have brought into the programme and it will benefit both the players and the coaches to develop together in the coming years.”The new programme will also link with the new opened BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy and enable the coaches working with the U20 & U19 groups to coordinate with Academy coaches and managers to develop the players more effectively. John Dalziel said:”It’s a huge honour to be given such an important programme like the U20’s to deliver. I’ve been fortunate to work with Sean in the U20’s for the last three years and know how key it is as a transition for our best young players. With a Six Nations Championship and World Cup every year it is a big programme, and I think the work the players are now doing at the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy and the number playing in the BT Premiership means we can step by step look to develop a longer term consistency to our approach.” Neil Graham, Scottish Rugby’s Coach Development Manager said: “We now have a clear pathway and development programme for Scottish coaches wishing to coaching international and progressional rugby. Four of the coaches appointed (Ben Fisher, Steve Leckie, Calum Forrester and John Dalziel) are on the inaugural UKCC Level 4 course, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, which aims to develop our next generation of high performance coaches.”