Scotland U20 Coaching Group Confirmed

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 30: Watsonians head coach Fergus Pringle during the FOSROC Super6 Final match between Watsonians and Ayrshire Bulls at the DAM Health Stadium, on October 30, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Pringle joins Scottish Rugby after a successful tenure with FOSROC Super6 side Watsonians where he has been Head Coach since 2019. This year he led the Myreside outfit to win both the FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series and the FOSROC Super6 Championship.

He said: “I’d like to thank Watsonians for the Super6 Head Coaching opportunity. For the last three and a half years they’ve trusted me to develop the Super6 programme, there is a special group of players and staff at the club that will no doubt drive the club onto more success in the future, both on and off the field.

“I’m really excited to join Scotland U20 as Forwards Coach and to work alongside an experienced coach like Kenny and the wider management group. It’s a great opportunity to work with the best young players in the country who are coming through our systems and support their development to reach their full potential.”

Scotland U20 Head Coach Kenny Murray has also confirmed Scott Forrest will complete the coaching group as an Assistant Coach focusing on attack.

Forrest makes the move to the men’s U20 programme following his work as Scotland Women High Performance Manager. He previously held roles of Scotland Women’s 7s Head Coach at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Team GB Women’s 7s Head Coach at the 2021 Toyko Olympics.

Kenny Murray’s previous U20s assistant coaches, Shade Munro and Rob Chrystie, will now be fully focused on their full-time roles with the professional club academies in Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby respectively.

Scotland U20 Head Coach Kenny Murray said: “I’m delighted to be able to confirm our coaching group ahead of the 2023 Under-20 Six Nations campaign. In both Fergus and Scott we’ve got two quality coaches who are specialist in their areas and have a huge amount of experience in high-performance environments.

“Both coaches will be in camp this week as the playing group come together for the second of three camps prior to the Christmas break. Our first camp last week was a good opportunity to get the players together for the first time and set out our aims, objectives and standards for the programme.

“I’d like to thank Watsonians for their assistance in the process of Fergus transitioning into his role with the U20s programme. We will now work with Watsonians in finding a replacement for Fergus.

“The changes in the coaching staff also allow Shade Munro and Rob Chrystie, who worked as assistant coaches with the team last year, to continue their work in developing our young players within the academies of Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.

“Having both Shade and Rob focussing on their respective teams will be of great benefit to the development of the young players within those environments.”