Scotland Sevens reappoint Gemmell head coach

The SRU has announced that Scotland Sevens’ most successful coach, Stephen Gemmell, will lead the side up until the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer.

Gemmell replaces Phil Greening, who vacates his position as Scotland Sevens head coach and programme manager.

“I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the international Sevens team again, it’s a massive honour," said Gemmell.

“With the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to coach this team, on home turf.” 

After a slow start to the season, the Scots showed improvement under Gemmell at the last two rounds of the HSBC Sevens World Series in New Zealand and the US, twice reaching the Cup quarter finals and enjoying notable wins against Fiji and England.

This season the bottom three-ranked core teams after round eight in Glasgow will need to try and re-qualify for that status in a tough qualifying competition to be played out with five other regional qualifiers from Hong Kong as part of the Marriott London Sevens, the final round of the Series.

Currently, the Scots lie 12th in the Series standings, only one place above that relegation danger zone, so Gemmell will be demanding even more of them in Hong Kong on 22-24 March - where they face pool matches against Portugal, England and Samoa - and then at round seven in Tokyo the following weekend.

“The last two tournaments have shown the potential that we have within this squad, but we need to have greater consistency in our performances going forward, to keep improving."

Gemmell previously coached the squad between 2006 and 2010, leading them to nine Cup quarter-finals and two semi-finals, as well as sixth place at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and ninth at the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai, where they lifted the Plate.

SRU chief executive, Mark Dodson, said: “We welcome Stevie back into the role as head coach of our national Sevens team. He has a great track record in the abbreviated game and he helped the team do really well in the last two World Series events.

“Stevie will be working with the existing management team and we wish them all the best for the next two tournaments in Hong Kong and Tokyo as well as the run up to Glasgow 2014.”