Scottish Rugby announces coaching appointments for 2017/18 season
Scottish Rugby has today (Thursday 4 May) announced new coaching appointments across Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland 7s for the forthcoming season.Following the appointment of Richard Cockerill as Head Coach at Edinburgh, Scottish Rugby can confirm Calum MacRae will move from Scotland 7s to become the club’s new Defence Coach.Defence coach Peter Wilkins will leave the club at the end of the Guinness PRO12 season. Wilkins joined Edinburgh from Queensland Reds in summer 2015.Duncan Hodge will return to the role of Attack Coach he held both as an assistant Scotland coach and at Edinburgh Rugby before becoming Acting Head Coach at the capital club in September 2016.Calum MacRae moves back to the 15s game after successfully leading Scotland 7s to continued success on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, which saw the team win an historic first title in London in May 2016. MacRae played for Edinburgh Rugby during his career between 2007 and 2009.Scotland 7s will be coached next season by John Dalziel, who has been working at London Scottish for the past season as forwards coach. He will lead Scotland U20s to the 2017 Junior Rugby Championship in Georgia before taking up his new role.Current Scotland 7s strength and conditioning coach Nick Lumley will also join Edinburgh Rugby next season, with Head of S&C Ashley Jones leaving the club at the end of the Guinness PRO12 season.In a new role at Edinburgh Rugby Matt Cornwell will become Head of Rugby Operations, joining from Leicester Tigers where he was previously team manager.Scottish Rugby Chief Executive Mark Dodson said: “I am committed to creating success at Edinburgh Rugby and the results, especially in the Guinness PRO12, this season have fallen well short of what we expect.”We are acting quickly to create a different set-up and environment at the club following Richard Cockerill’s appointment. Duncan conducted himself incredibly well during a difficult season and his skills in developing Edinburgh’s attack will play a key role next season and by bringing in Calum we are investing in a young, talented coach with a growing reputation.”Director of Rugby Scott Johnson said: “It is important to outline our intention to improve results next season and build a coaching group around Richard to do that.”We have been developing Scottish coaching talent like Calum and John in different environments and now they can bring their experience into new team set-ups, be it the professional game or the opportunity to develop the group and continue the upturn in results in the World Sevens Series.”Edinburgh Managing Director Jonny Petrie said: “We are working closely with Richard Cockerill on the coaching team for next season and it is important they have a strong idea of what it means to play for Edinburgh to complement Richard’s fresh direction.”I’m looking forward to seeing the impact these new appointments have on our performances both in pre-season and into the new Guinness PRO12 and European Cup campaigns.”I’d also like to thank Peter Wilkins for all his hard work and dedication over the past two years.”
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