Scottish Rugby announces new Regional Training Centres

This initiative, in partnership with sportscotland and alongside the already existing Highland & Islands performance development programme, will see Scottish Rugby delivering high-performance training across the country for women and girls.

As outlined in the Women & Girls’ Strategy 2022-2026, the three new Regional Training Centres based in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen will offer enhanced support to 60 players such as access to; performance rugby, strength and conditioning, medical and analysis.

The centres are located at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Scotstoun Stadium and Aberdeen Sports Village, providing bases for upcoming talent to develop and hone their skills, while gaining a greater breadth of knowledge about high performance rugby.

Performance Development Coaches Chris Laidlaw, Lindsey Smith and Stuart Corsar will be responsible for the East, West and North regions respectively and will deliver enhanced training sessions to develop the next generation of female players, with the 60 supported players to be announced in due course.

Laidlaw and Corsar recently worked together during the inaugural Celtic Challenge competition as part of The Thistle coaching set-up, with both coaches experienced in developing rising talent within the pathways programme.

Former Scotland Internationalist, Smith, is previously the Head Coach of West of Scotland and recently coached her side to success at Silver Saturday, following a 19-12 victory against Cartha Claymores in the Women’s National Shield Final.

Head of Girls and Women’s Strategy, Gemma Fay, said: “It’s brilliant to launch the Regional Training Centres, helping to take our pathway programme to the next level.

“One of our aims in the Women and Girls’ Strategy was to develop a coherent pathway system that provides players with the opportunity to play at all levels and today’s announcement is a significant step towards ensuring we have the high-performance capacity to support our future players and coaches.”

Head of Pathways and Elite Coach Development, John Fletcher, said: “I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point. It’s vital that players across Scotland can access environments that both stretch and support them in their rugby development.

“Lindsey, Stuart, and Chris are outstanding coaches who will work closely with the clubs, schools, colleges and universities in their region to ensure that all players involved have an amazing experience and that they are inspired to want to play for Scotland.”

Performance Pathway Manager Girls & Women’s Rugby, Robbie Lavery, said: “I’m incredibly proud to launch our Regional Training Centres for the Women and Girls’ pathway programme.

“A considerable amount of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to get from the strategy launch last June to getting the resources in place and launching the centres this summer.

“I’m excited to get to work, alongside my colleagues, to help develop the most talented female players in the country for the demands of our future game and to prepare them for the international rugby.”