We want Gregor to stay on, says Scottish Rugby chief as he backs Townsend despite disappointing Six Nations... and having highly-rated Franco Smith waiting in the wings
Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williamson claims Gregor Townsend is still the man to lead Scotland forward.
Townsend's contract as head coach expires next spring, with the former fly-half saying at the weekend that talks have yet to begin over a possible extension.
Williamson, though, wants Townsend to stay on despite this season's disappointing Six Nations campaign and plans on sitting down with him during the summer tour to New Zealand and Fiji to discuss the details.
And the former House of Fraser CEO is also eager for Franco Smith - who many thought was set to replace Townsend next year - and Sean Everitt to also continue as Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh head coaches, respectively, beyond their current tenure.
Whether that appeals to Smith remains to be seen, with the ambitious coach having been linked with some top jobs of late.
Townsend's deal is up next year and it was thought he could move upstairs at Murrayfield
Williamson also revealed that David Nucifora won't be extending his stint as performance director beyond the initial two-year agreement.
And he wants whoever comes in to succeed the Australian to arrive at a scenario where there is stability among the key coaching staff.
He said: 'We know that David is going in a relatively short time frame from now, some time towards the end of next year.
'So, the key hire is going to be a performance director who is willing to stick to the plan.
'We cannot afford to bring a performance director in who's then going to basically say 'I don't really like that plan we'll do another one'. We can't do that.
'So, off the back of that we absolutely want continuity with the coaches and we really like the three guys we've got and we'd really like to keep them.
'I haven't actually given that any thought [to either Townsend or Smith succeeding Nucifora]. I think that those three men's coaches, I anticipate them being our coaching team. That's my preference, in the same roles as now.
'I'm touring with Scotland and I'm going to have plenty of time with Gregor [to hold discussions]. His manager is in New Zealand as well so that's all helpful. And we're talking to Franco and Sean as well.
'Because I haven't had the conversation with [Townsend] I really want to recognize there's a two-way flow here but we really like the idea of the continuity of the three guys here.
'When we identify a new performance director we would really like to have continuity in the coaching already nailed down so that the first thing they're not doing is hiring new coaches.'
That news will come as a disappointment to some supporters who had hoped for a change at the top after eight years of Townsend.
But Williamson believes the former Glasgow boss is still the right man to lead the country to the next World Cup and beyond.
'I think that we'd all accept that there were a number of games last season whether it be South Africa, England or France, where Scotland were one very small twist away from some great outcomes off the back of some exceptional rugby.
'And also the feedback from the players through the review that Gregor does was very good.
'I genuinely believe that he has the potential to produce our best outcomes going forward so that's why we're excited to have Gregor remain on the team. And we also really think that Franco and Sean will continue to develop the quality of our player groups through the clubs.'
Smith expressed his frustration recently over the decision not to retain some of his foreign players like Henco Venter in favour of a focus on Scottish-qualified talent but Williamson had no truck with that.
'When we're talking about Franco we absolutely want him in. In fact I fully respect his emotional frustrations. You kind of want your coaches to be loaded and charged and emotional and frustrated, particularly in moments like those, but I don't actually think there is a huge gap between what Franco wants and what we're talking about.
'The challenge is probably that the structures aren't bedded in and as a consequence we've not really had the opportunity to test and stress test the thinking. We all believe that there is a place for foreign players, they just have to be the right ones in the right moments.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Footballer denies deliberately getting booked in ‘betting scam'
A former Livingston FC footballer has appeared in court accused of a betting scam by deliberately getting himself booked in a Scottish Premiership match against Celtic. Keaghan Jacobs, 35, is alleged to have attempted to cheat at gambling by picking up the yellow card on purpose during a game against the Hoops at the Tony Macaroni stadium in October 2019. Court papers state that the player is said to have 'acted in a manner whereby he would receive a yellow card for the purpose of enabling or assisting others to cheat at gambling'. Jacobs, above, will go on trial with his co-accused, Conan McDiarmid, in October ALAMY Jacobs, who now plays for the Lowland League club Gala Fairydean Rovers, entered a not guilty plea when he appeared at Edinburgh sheriff court on Wednesday. Sheriff John Cook set down a date for trial in October and issued a bail condition that Jacobs, from Edinburgh, cannot approach or contact his co-accused, Conan McDiarmid. McDiarmid, 40, is facing a charge of allegedly placing bets, and arranging for others to place bets, on Jacobs receiving the caution from the referee Willie Collum. He is alleged to have placed bets 'in the knowledge that it had been arranged that Jacobs would act in a manner whereby he would receive a yellow card during the match'. McDiarmid, from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, pleaded not guilty in May and will stand trial alongside Jacobs at the capital court in October. Both men are being prosecuted under the Gambling Act 2005, Section 42, 1A. The match resulted in Livingston beating Celtic 2-0 on October 6, 2019. The Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie was shown a straight red card in the 25th minute before second-half goals from Scott Robinson and Lyndon Dykes clinched the points for the Lions. Jacobs played the full 90 minutes and was shown a yellow for an illegal challenge on the winger Jonny Hayes in the 95th minute. Jacobs is a South African national who had two spells with Livingston between 2007 and 2015 and again between 2017 and 2022. The midfielder played 252 times for the West Lothian club, scoring 23 goals, and has also played for Falkirk, Arbroath and the South African side Bidvest Wits. Jacobs is believed to have made football history when he played alongside his three triplet brothers — Kyle, Devon and Sheldon — in a Scottish Third Division match between Livingston and Albion Rovers in April 2010. The 2-0 win in front of just over 600 supporters is said to be the only time four brothers have turned out for the same professional senior team in the same match. McDiarmid played as a defender with a number of amateur clubs including Edinburgh United and Whitehill Welfare before he retired in 2020 and moved into management.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
How a goal against Airdrie and a few famous Steelmen helped shape the career of new Motherwell boss Askou
Jens Berthel Askou is a shining example of what can happen in life when one is prepared to broaden one's horizons. Sixteen years ago, the Dane first alighted in Scotland after an indifferent spell in Turkey with Kasimpasa SK. Having joined Norwich City 's training camp on trial, he was thrown into a bounce match against Airdrie. Without a stroke of good fortune going his way, he believes his career might have gone down an entirely different path. 'I scored against Airdrie, so I've got a head start there,' smiled the new Motherwell manager. 'I have to admit, I don't even remember much about the goal. Luckily, someone hit me straight in my face and it went in. Then I succeeded in convincing them that I was worth keeping. 'I spent two years at Norwich. I met some very nice people there. I was lucky enough to have two Scottish managers. 'I had some Scottish team-mates who also had a history here at this club, Stephen Hughes and Simon Lappin. And then we had some friends outside football who were also Scottish. Nice people. 'So, my initial impression of Scotland has been very, very good.' Bryan Gunn, who'd been in charge as the Canaries were relegated to League One, was only ever holding the fort that summer. It was to be another Scot with a famous Fir Park connection in Paul Lambert who'd take charge and lead the side on a magic carpet ride back to the Premier League with successive promotions. The impression the Champions League winner made on Askou was to prove life-affirming. 'In terms of directness and clarity and how demanding he was, he was a big influence on my managerial career,' said the 42-year-old. 'There was an aura about him that inspired and pushed people to the maximum. He was demanding, but it was a very good environment. I have great respect for what he did.' That period in Norwich's history underscores what a huge thing momentum can be. Having romped to the League One title, Norwich kept winning in the Championship and clinched second spot. 'I think we got it right in so many ways,' added Askou. 'Our approach was really sharp at that time. We found some really good players with a lot of leadership and huge drive in their personalities. It was a very self-driven group.' Russell Martin was another figure from that time who made a profound impression on the Dane. He arrived on loan from Peterborough in the November of that first season and enhanced the dressing room culture. 'He was a fantastic person off the pitch,' Askou recalled of the now Rangers boss. 'Very, very professional. Very dedicated. A genuinely good guy. He approached everyone with the same attitude. Very friendly. 'He started his manager career in Milton Keynes and he's just done really, really well since then.' They will meet soon enough when hostilities in the Scottish Premiership resume. Askou believes there will be subtle differences in how their respective sides go about the business. 'He's got a modern approach to football and so do I,' he said. 'He's very uncompromising in his passing (style). 'I've probably in my career been a little bit more pragmatic at times. But I would say that maybe I've become more uncompromising in terms of if you really want to become really good at something then you have to be brave enough to do it when it hurts the most sometimes.' This philosophy has not been arrived at without careful consideration. After leaving East Anglia, Askou ran down his playing career at a string of lesser-known clubs in Denmark before taking his first managerial job at tiny Vendsyssel FF. 'I took over just before the end of the season in the second league,' he recalled. 'We were hanging in there and almost lost the chance of promotion. Then we did it through the play-offs. 'It was a very special year. It was a very small club. We had to do everything on our own. We were pumping up the balls, cutting the grass and watering the pitch. It was a great experience. I even hired my own sporting director after the original one resigned when I was a head coach.' With success, the offers came. HB Torshavn in the Faroe Islands may not be one of the game's hotbeds, but it felt like the right place at the right time. 'It was an opportunity for me to do something different, to go my own way,' recalled Askou. He landed the league and cup Double there, earned experience of European football and eventually was offered the chance to return to Denmark as manager of AC Horsens. After two years in which he also took them to the top division, fallen Swedish giants Gothenburg came calling. 'We were trying to rebuild the club from risking relegation, which would have been a disaster for a club of that size,' he explained. 'We made it in the last game of the league that season. We stayed up by scoring to make it 2-1 in the 96th minute to get us out of relegation. And then we started rebuilding with an even more brave style of play for six months.' He maintains he would gladly have remained had Sparta Prague not wanted to make him their assistant. His stay in the Czech capital only lasted six months — the time it took FC Copenhagen to offer him the same position. His burgeoning reputation was enhanced by helping them to the Double and the knockout stages of the Conference League. Self-assured and intelligent, you can see why Motherwell offered him a return to a managerial role. But with so many recent entries on his CV, you can also understand why some fans might question if he's going to stick around for long following the short-lived Michael Wimmer episode. 'I have no plans of going anywhere but here for as long as the club wants me,' he stressed. He's realistic about the prospect of retaining Lennon Miller beyond the transfer window. 'I think it would be naive to say we're not planning without him,' he said. 'But right now, he's here.' This speaks to an understanding of what he's signed up for. The promotion of youth, the main tenet of Motherwell's model, runs in his blood. 'I've given 25 or 26 under-19 players their first game in my five- and-a-half years as a head coach,' he said. 'I know what it's like and I love seeing young people develop and thrive. 'Some of them might start in the school around the corner. Then they might end up somewhere in a big European club when they're 20 years old. How fantastic it is to see people fulfil their dreams. 'I'm very excited to be here, because I feel I've found a place where I will thrive.'
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Scotsman
Scottish Rugby chief wants Gregor Townsend to remain head coach beyond 2026 Six Nations
Desire for 'continuity' extends to Edinburgh and Glasgow coaches Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gregor Townsend has been given a vote of confidence by Scottish Rugby chief Alex Williamson who intends to begin contract talks with the national coach during next month's tour to New Zealand and Fiji. Williamson also wants Franco Smith and Sean Everitt to remain in charge of Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh respectively, stressing the need for 'continuity' as the sport undergoes an overhaul of its pathway system in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We really like the three guys we've got and we'd really like to keep them,' said Williamson, who succeeded Mark Dodson as chief executive and has been in post for around five months. Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williamson. | SNS Group / SRU Townsend has been Scotland's head coach for eight years and led them to a fourth place finish in this season's Six Nations, winning two and losing three games, for the second year in a row. His contract expires in April and Williamson indicated he would like Townsend to remain beyond that. 'I'm touring with Scotland and I'm going to have plenty of time with Gregor, and his manager is in New Zealand as well so that's all helpful,' said Williamson. 'And we're talking to Franco and Sean as well.' Scotland have failed to qualify from the pool stage of two Rugby World Cups under Townsend, albeit after a very difficult draw in 2023. If he were to sign a new contract he would almost certainly take charge for the 2027 tournament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Williamson believes Townsend is the right man to 'produce our best outcomes going forward' and thinks he will benefit from the revamp currently underway in Scottish rugby which is being led by David Nucifora, the performance director credited with helping transform Ireland's fortunes. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend's contract expires in April 2026. | SNS Group Explaining his thinking, Williamson said Scotland had played some 'exceptional rugby' over the past year and had been unlucky to lose to South Africa, England and France. 'So there's two parts,' said Williamson. 'One: I think that the change we're making now, he will be a beneficiary immediately of that clarity with his senior team. Two: I think that we'd all accept that there were a number of games last season whether it be South Africa, England or France, where Scotland were one very small twist away from some great outcomes off the back of some exceptional rugby. 'And also the feedback from the players through the review that Gregor does was very good. I genuinely believe that he has the potential to produce our best outcomes going forward so that's why we're excited to have Gregor in the team. And we also really think that Franco and Sean will continue to develop the quality of our player groups through the clubs.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Smith's and Everitt's contracts run until the end of the 2025-26 season. Smith, who led Glasgow to the United Rugby Championship in 2024, has been linked with other jobs, most notably Leicester Tigers and Wales, and has indicated a desire to return to international rugby. He is former head coach of Italy and assistant coach of South Africa, and appeared to cast doubt on his Glasgow future earlier this month when he said he would 'sit down and reflect a little bit'. Franco Smith, head coach of Glasgow Warriors. | SNS Group Smith, who has also been touted in some quarters for the Scotland job, was speaking in the immediate aftermath of Glasgow's loss to Leinster in the semi-finals of the URC. He pointedly referred to 'budget restraints' and the loss of influential overseas players, such as Henco Venter and Sebastian Cancelliere. 'Our squad's been reduced,' an emotional Smith said. 'We've lost some of the foreigners. I'll be as honest as possible: that's going to put a lot of pressure on every aspect of our environment.' Scottish Rugby is in the throes of revamping its pathway system in an attempt to improve the supply of players into the national set-up. Nucifora was appointed last August on a two-year deal and the search has already begun for a new performance director to continue the Australian's work when he steps down in 2026. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stressing again his desire to retain the services of Townsend, Smith and Everitt, Williamson would not be drawn on a timescale. 'I haven't got into that, I'm just opening up conversations and saying we want continuity,' he said. 'I need to have those conversations with guys, I just haven't got into any detail.' Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williamson, centre, with Edinburgh Rugby coach Sean Everitt, right. | SNS Group / SRU Pressed if he wanted them to stay beyond their current contracts, Williamson added: 'Yeah …. when we identify a new performance director we would really like to have continuity in the coaching already nailed down so that the first thing they're doing is not hiring new coaches.' Williamson sees Nucifora's pathway revamp as an overarching project, the benefits of which will be felt not at the next men's and women's Rugby World Cups but at the tournament beyond that. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're doing this once and we're doing it with a view to '29 and '33 [World Cups] for the women and '31 and '35 for the men,' he said. 'That's a non-negotiable from my point of view. It's the most important thing we'll do. 'I've reviewed those plans hundreds of times to make sure that I'm comfortable that plan is solid. From that, the next thought process is we know that David [Nucifora] is going in a relatively short time frame from now, some time towards the end of next year, so the key hire is going to be a performance director who is willing to stick to the plan. We cannot afford to bring a performance director in who's then going to basically say 'I don't really like that plan we'll do another one'. We can't do that. 'We have to stick steadfast to that, so my preoccupation in many respects is making sure that we're absolutely aligned on sticking to the plan because I think it will make a massive difference in the long term. 'Off the back of that [we] absolutely want continuity with the coaches. So we really like the three guys we've got and we'd really like to keep them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Performance director David Nucifora has been hired by Scottish Rugby for two years. | SNS Group / SRU 'So when we're talking about Franco we absolutely want him in. In fact I fully respect his emotional frustrations. You kind of want your coaches to be loaded and charged and emotional and frustrated, particularly in moments like those, but I don't actually think there is a huge gap between what Franco wants and what we're talking about. 'The challenge is probably that the structures aren't bedded in and as a consequence we've not really had the opportunity to test and stress test the thinking. We all believe that there is a place for foreign players, they just have to be the right ones in the right moments.' Smith noted earlier that in the season the budgets weren't down but had remained the same while the value of players had gone up but Williamson remains confident the pro teams can remain competitive, helped by the new pathway plan which should produce more young Scottish players. 'What we're trying to do is we're trying to intensify the investment in a slightly smaller group of players who propel more quickly and there is a question absolutely as to whether that has a short-term impact on performance but, when you really look at the the number of high quality young players that are sitting in and around both those squads, I think that we should feel confident that whilst they may need some sort of blooding in to first team rugby, we've got a ton of quality. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
