Roddy Grant will return to Edinburgh Rugby as an assistant forwards coach under Richard Cockerill next season, it has been announced.
The hugely popular Scotland A and 7s cap steps up from his position in the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy to the role of Assistant Forwards Coach. It means that Richard Cockerill now has three Scottish assistants under his care, with Attack Coach Duncan Hodge and Defence Coach Calum MacRae already confirmed last week.
Current forwards coach Stevie Scott will move on from the club but there is no word on his destination. Coaching Romania or Georgia seems to be a popular choice for ex-Edinburgh coaches…
If you’re a Scottish fan suffering from a lack of rugby with anything at stake now the season is over, there are still a few Scots on show with Matt Scott starting and Greig Laidlaw on the bench for Gloucester tonight, while Duncan Taylor and Jim Hamilton are on the bench for Saracens in the Champions Cup final tomorrow.
Glasgow have signed former New Zealand winger Lelia Masaga on a two-year contract, subject to medical and visa.
The 30-year-old, who will arrive along with his coach following the conclusion of the Super Rugby Season, played 91 times for the Chiefs between 2006 and 2013 and won two Super Rugby titles under Rennie in 2012 and 2013.
Capped for the All Blacks once against Italy in 2009, Masaga scored 38 tries in Super Rugby before moving to Japan to play for the Honda Heat club.
He has returned to the Chiefs “wider training squad” this season which included a development tour to Hong Kong in April. He has been providing injury cover to the main team but made no appearances yet.
Nicknamed ‘Flash’, Lelia Tony Corona Masaga also played 65 times in the Mitre 10 Cup during his time in New Zealand, scoring 28 tries for Counties Manukau and Bay of Plenty.
It is on paper a high calibre signing similar to those of Corey Flynn and Darryl Gibson, in terms of the name and the brand association down under, but possibly less glossy when you consider the player’s age and recent playing experience. He’s far from ancient, but will be hoping to rekindle the heights of 2013.
And here’s a wee clip of him in 2015:
The winger becomes Glasgow’s fifth new signing ahead of the 2017/18 season, following the previous announcements of Huw Jones, Callum Gibbins, Oli Kebble and Adam Hastings. Will more former Chiefs follow?
Will more former Chiefs follow?