Edinburgh Evening News reports
BILL LOTHIAN ([email protected])
THE Edinburgh man who helped guide Glasgow Hawks back to Scottish rugby's winners' enclosure says he's now ready to give his full-time commitment to the oval ball game.

Former Scotland B prop forward Dave Cockburn oversaw the forward effort as Hawks made amends for relinquishing their Premiership crown by beating Edinburgh Accies 24-13 to lift this season's Scottish Cup at Murrayfield.

And Cockburn, 53, believes his first Scottish Cup honour, to add to league titles at Division One and Two level won either as a player with Boroughmuir or as a coach, would hopefully prove a springboard to a full-time career in the game. He said: "I'd like to coach professionally if a chance arose. That might mean going abroad perhaps to the likes of Canada or Hong Kong but, if an opportunity arose, and I got the appropriate signal then I'd enquire about a career break."

Cockburn is Head of the Faculty of Science at Broughton High School in Edinburgh but travelling in pursuit of rugby fulfilment is now second nature to him.

He could be forgiven a wry smile on his usual journey, though, as travelling to take coaching at Hawks means going right past the Meggetland ground of his first love - Boroughmuir. In fact, it is only two sharp left-hand turns down the road from his home.

Cockburn added: "It's no secret I have strong affection for Boroughmuir but coaching them just hasn't happened, despite there being maybe five occasions when openings have occurred.

"Somebody need only have shouted across Colinton Road and asked me down to conduct a session to start the ball rolling.

"What's important, though, is that I've had so much satisfaction with Hawks this season, culminating in a Cup win that is up there with any other elation I've had through rugby.

"In fact my only regret is not going to Anniesland earlier.

"That could have happened had head coach David Wilson and I started hatching plans earlier but what is important is that I persuaded them they want me back for 2007-08. Unless, of course, a professional offer came in because I feel I have something still to offer on a full-time basis."

Cockburn certainly has an impressive CV which includes being among only 20 Grade Three coaches in Scotland. Additionally, he has assisted the Scotland under-21s, coinciding with a seven-year stint at the helm of Edinburgh's under-19s.

Club-wise he has worked with Corstorphine, Watsonians, Peebles and Gala.

They say, however, you are only as good as your next game and, typically, "Coby" is already gearing up.

He said: "The Scottish Cup may be in the bag but, in two months' time, we start all over again.

"Then what was a hard victory over an Edinburgh Accies side who'll be a credit to the Premiership next season will be long forgotten.

"But it is important, nevertheless, to put on record from a Hawks perspective how tough they made it for us to win what was our third Scottish Cup," he says.

The impression is that proud Edinburgher Cockburn - he represented the Capital against the touring Australian Wallabies as a player - can hardly wait to repay his adoptive Glaswegians for what he calls "a vote of confidence in my coaching".

This article was posted on 18-May-2007, 12:35 by Hugh Barrow.