Andy Murray career-saver part of Scotland backroom reshuffle

Fresh from the news that Gregor Townsend is staying on as head coach through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the Scotland Rugby Union has announced several high-performance appointments.

Among the new arrivals is James Moore, who joins Scottish Rugby from the NBA as Head of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.

Between 2019 and 2023, Moore worked as Performance Director for Team Andy Murray, where he led the clinical delivery to return the legendary Scottish tennis star to the elite level following injury issues. Moore has also worked at two Olympic Games, as part of Team GB.

A total of five new appointments have been made, including Alex Ross as Head of Athletic Performance and Sports Science. He joins from the Miami Marlins in the MLB, where he is Director of Strength and Conditioning.

A former USA Sevens international, Ross has previously headed up performance teams at USA Rugby, New York Mets and Argentina Rugby Union, working with Los Pumas at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

His extensive experience also extends to working with the Jaguares, the Blues and New Zealand Rugby.

Meanwhile, former Scotland international, Ali Kellock, will transfer from his role as Managing Director at Glasgow Warriors to lead Scottish Rugby’s athletic performance programme across both the men’s and women’s game.

Richard Chessor returns to Scottish Rugby as Head of Nutrition from his current role as Head of Science and Medicine for GB Aquatics, while James McLaren has been added to the business analysis team.