The Scotsman reports

GLASGOW Hawks director of rugby Peter Wright will leave the club at the end of this season and is now looking for coaching opportunities outside Scotland.


The 44-year-old former Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop is one of a handful of Scottish coaches who have become disillusioned at the lack of opportunity in their home country. He is currently the Scotland under-20s coach and has worked at most age grade and club levels, but, with just two of the nine main coaches involved with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland products of the Scottish system, and Graham Steadman being replaced this summer by former Scotland A flanker Matt Taylor, developed in Australia, he sees little future for ambitious coaches in Scotland.

“I have really enjoyed the last four years as director of rugby with Glasgow Hawks,” said Wright, who is also a BBC Scotland radio analyst. “They are a fantastic club with great people and players, but it’s time for a change and the club agreed.

“I am ambitious and would like to give pro rugby a go, but I have been told by SRU officials that comments I’ve made in the past count against me and that that won’t change. I hoped it might with the new regime at Murrayfield, but the fact that their latest job [Scotland defence coach] was not even advertised suggests that the glass ceiling from club and age-grade rugby to the professional game is still very much in place. There are lots of talented coaches working hard to develop in Scotland and how many have been given a chance in pro rugby in the past decade? One – Shade Munro.

“The players we are helping to bring through from club and age-grade rugby are making a big difference to Scotland – the likes of Duncan Weir, Lee Jones, David Denton and Stuart Hogg – which makes me feel we’re doing something right, but the club coaches who work 24/7 are given no real credit or respect and you feel like second-class citizens in Scottish coaching.”

Glasgow Hawks chairman Alasdair Graham paid tribute to Wright’s work, stating: “Peter spent a total of seven years as head coach and then Director of Rugby with Hawks during which time he built a side that went on to win three consecutive championships and the Scottish Cup.

“On his return after his first spell, he found that many of the side had gone on to play professional rugby and Fergus Thomson and Ruaridh Jackson became Scottish internationalists.

“He rebuilt the side and players continued to benefit from his coaching before going on to be professionals.

“The club wish to thank Peter for his commitment and dedication and wish him every success for the future.”

Wright insisted that he had no new post lined up, but is looking at prospects outside Scotland as well as part-time opportunities in this country.

This article was posted on 8-Mar-2012, 07:05 by Hugh Barrow.