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The Team

Club XV Coaching Set Up Finalised

Club XV Coaching Set Up Finalised

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Gary Heatly talks to Club XV Head Coach Bruce Ruthven about his new coaching team

Head coach Bruce Ruthven will be working with forwards coach Gordon Smith, specialist skills and conditioning coach Conan Sharman, assistant forwards coach Ali Marsh and team manager Stan Buchan.

Ruthven said:“I am delighted with the team we have put in place for what is shaping up to be an exciting season with the team with lots of big matches to play.

“It is great to get Gordon on board because he is a very experienced coach.

“In his playing days he played for Melrose in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a prop and then moved to the back-row when he played in Christchurch, New Zealand, for five years.

“He then coached in New Zealand for a long spell and lived there for over 30 years.

“He has been back over here for six months and his vast knowledge and versatility as a forwards coach will really help me out.

“Gordon also knows what it means to have a strong culture within a club.

“It is great for myself and the club that Conan will be involved with us.

“He has been around Watsonians for many years now, knows a lot of the players and will have the time to work with smaller groups of players on specialist skills.

“Ali has shown a real keenness to learn as a coach and working with Gordon will really help him along.

“Stan is like the rudder of the ship, has been involved with the club for many years and the job he does behind the scenes and on matchdays is invaluable to Watsonians and will be to me going forward.”

Pre-season training is set to start on July 9 with the Club XV campaign getting underway in late August.