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Scottish Rugby appoint new chief executive

Scottish Gas Murrayfield/ PA

Scottish Rugby have appointed Alex Williamson as their new chief executive.

Williamson, 50, will take over from Mark Dodson, who announced in January that he would leave Scottish Rugby this summer after 13 years in the role.

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The former House of Fraser CEO will take charge from early 2025, leaving his role as CEO of education provider Inspiring Learning, which he has held since 2019,

He has previously worked as chief financial officer and chief executive of the Goodwood Estate, which hosts a variety of sporting events.

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Williamson’s appointment comes just weeks after Scottish Rugby recruited former Irish Rugby High-Performance Director David Nucifora on a two-year deal.

“I am very pleased to have the opportunity to lead a team charged with shaping the future of something that is about so much more than rugby,” Williamson said after his appointment.

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“A sport that brings families together, inspires fans and connects communities in the way Scottish rugby does makes it more important than ever.

“There are many opportunities ahead for the sport globally and locally and I see no reason why Scotland cannot continue to be a positive force in the world game and within the wider sporting community.”

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“My interactions with John McGuigan and David (Nucifora), along with a number of board members have only amplified my confidence in what we have the potential to achieve. I cannot wait to get to Edinburgh and crack on.”

Scottish Rugby Limited chair John McGuigan added: “I’m delighted Alex has agreed to join Scottish Rugby. He has significant experience in the areas we need to excel in over coming years, combined with fantastic energy and an open style of leadership.

“During the later stages in the recruitment process Alex had the opportunity to connect with our recently announced performance consultant David Nucifora . They will be a great partnership with complementary skills and a shared desire to grow the game in Scotland at all levels.

“On behalf of Scottish Rugby Ltd we very much look forward to Alex’s arrival.”

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cw 6 hours ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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