From SRU Website

TOP CLUB COACHES JOIN INTERNATIONAL SET-UP

Scottish Rugby has called on the experience of three of Scotland's top club coaches for the new-look club international management team.

The coaches, who all operate as head coaches of top Scottish Hydro Electric League sides, include ex-Scotland caps Peter Wright (Glasgow Hawks), Ally Donaldson (Currie) and Craig Chalmers (Melrose Wasps) who take up the roles of head coach, assistant coach and team selector respectively - while former head coach Ian Rankin moves to the position of team manager.

The amateur Scotland select represents the pinnacle of Scotlands club game, rewarding the Scottish Hydro Electric Leagues top performers with the chance to represent their country while offering the games up and coming club coaches the chance to test themselves at a higher level.

Henry Edwards, Scottish Rugbys Head of Performance, said: "Career development and succession planning are essential for developing rugbys coaching talent of tomorrow. We aim to give our top players and coaches the guidance and support needed to have the best chance of success.

We are very happy with the calibre of the appointments which contains a tremendous wealth of experience throughout and were confident that the new management team is capable of managing this squad and beyond as their coaching careers develop."

Wright, who won 21 caps for Scotland toured New Zealand with the British Lions in 1993, returned to coach Glasgow Hawks this season after coaching Scotland U19. He said: Im absolutely delighted with being appointed as head coach and equally so with the group of coaches that have been appointed to support me and the team.

I'm certain we can make progress and build on the performances shown by the team last year.

Currie head coach, Ally Donaldson, who played nine times for Scotland 'A, added: This appointment represents an excellent opportunity to develop myself as a coach. Im very proud to have been selected as part of a very experienced coaching set-up.

I believe that our combined experience will prove a massive boost to Scotlands top club players and, having met my new colleagues several times through club encounters, believe that we have the attributes required to be a very effective coaching unit.

Chalmers, the 60-times capped stand-off from Scotlands 1990 Grand Slam triumph and member of the Lions tour to Australia in 1989, coached Melrose to the Scottish Hydro Electric Cup last season, and is a recent addition to the Scotland U20 management team.

He said: Being appointed to both the U20 and club international set-up in consecutive weeks caps off a pretty tremendous fortnight and Im delighted with the support shown to me by Scottish Rugby through these appointments.

I've coached at Melrose for the last three to four years now so have a good knowledge of Scottish Rugbys top players and hopefully I can use that insight and experience to help them develop as players and get the most out of the great honour that comes with representing your country.

The new-look management team will start with immediate effect looking forward to fixtures against France (13 February, 2009, Rouen, kick-off 6pm) and Ireland (13 March, 2009, kick-off and venue tbc).

This article was posted on 31-Oct-2008, 16:19 by Hugh Barrow.