'Feels like a natural fit': Redpath appointed London Scottish DoR

Ex-Scotland scrum-half Bryan Redpath has jumped back into frontline rugby coaching, agreeing to become director of rugby at London Scottish in the Championship five years after he stepped down from his head coach role at Yorkshire Carnegie. He was 45 at the time, believing it best to take up a position in the financial sector away from the game.  

However, the soon-to-be 51-year-old - whose son Cameron has emerged in recent years with Bath and Scotland - has been tempted back into the Championship, agreeing to become the boss at Scottish just days after they parted company with Matt Williams whose film and TV production company business was increasingly taking up more of his time.

Redpath will continue to work in the foreign currency sector but his return to the game should be a massive boost for a second-tier club that found the going brutally tough in 2021/22 as they finished bottom in the eleven-team league following just a single win in 20 matches. 

A club statement read: "London Scottish are delighted to announce that Bryan Redpath has joined the club as the new director of rugby. The former scrum-half, who has 60 caps for Scotland and has captained the national side on 26 occasions, went to three World Cups and had a successful club career with Melrose, Narbonne and Sale Sharks.

"After retiring from playing, Redpath joined Gloucester as backs coach in 2005 before being promoted to head coach in 2009. He stayed there for three years before moving back to Sale in 2012 and then moving on to then Championship side Yorkshire Carnegie (now named Leeds) in 2015."

Redpath said: “I’m delighted to have the chance to join London Scottish at what is an incredibly exciting time for the club. The partnership with Harlequins is a great opportunity to build a lasting and competitive playing pathway for London Scottish players alongside Quins players. Being a proud Scotsman myself, it feels like a natural fit to join London Scottish.

"The main focus for me is to get the club back to being very competitive in the Championship after some tough times in recent years. I’d also like to thank Jackson Swiss Partners for allowing me to take on this role while I continue to work alongside them.”

London Scottish chairman Roddy Caxton-Spencer added: “Not only is it great to have found a new director of rugby so quickly, but I’m delighted we have managed to secure someone of Bryan’s calibre and experience. It feels fitting that we have a Scottish rugby legend now at London Scottish and I’m incredibly excited for the future.”