Lee Radford will begin his new coaching role ahead of next month’s Test matches.
Former Hull FC coach Lee Radford has dubbed his appointment to the Scotland Rugby Union setup an ‘incredibly proud moment’. The 46-year-old has been named Scotland’s new defence coach and will start his new role ahead of November’s Test matches and then into next year’s Six Nations campaign.
Radford will continue his Northampton Saints club duties when not on international call. The two-time Challenge Cup-winning coach joined Northampton ahead of the 2023/24 season, winning the premiership in his first year at the club. He will eventually go full-time with Scotland in what is a huge appointment for the Hull-born coach.
Specialising in defence coach roles, Radford also took on the defence coach role for Samoa in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup and also coached Castleford as well as Hull, the side he debuted with as a player back in the late 90s before moving to Bradford Bulls, where he won three Super League titles.
Radford will work under Greg Townsend and alongside forwards coach John Dalziel, skills and contact coach Pete Horne, and scrum coach Pieter De Villiers.
Speaking on the appointment, Radford said: “I’ve always aspired to coach on the international stage within rugby union and to get that opportunity with a nation like Scotland is an incredibly proud moment.
“I’ve visited the Scotland camp a couple of times in the last few years and have come away with a great feeling about the place. The management are well connected and it’s a tight playing group. There’s a brilliant chemistry and that’s so important.
“Scotland have been very sound defensively over the last few years and there are similarities to how they defend compared to Northampton. My job will be to continue that cohesion as well as adding some of my own touches.
“If you look at the age profile of the Scotland squad, it is all starting to come together nicely and I have been really impressed with how the team have developed recently. Having so many players away with the Lions in the summer is testament to the work that has been done and I can’t wait until the end of October when I meet everyone for the first time ahead of four exciting matches in the autumn.”
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend said: “We placed huge importance on bringing in a high-quality replacement for Steve Tandy as our defence coach and Lee fits the bill perfectly.
“Lee brings a wealth of experience from rugby league and union in the defensive area of the game and will be able to build on the good work that has been done in that area over the last few years.
“He will fit into our environment really well and I believe our players will respond positively to Lee’s beliefs and ideas around the defensive side of the game and the mindset required to win at the highest level. We are looking forward to working with him as a coaching group and learning from his substantial knowledge and experiences.”