The Scotland women’s head coach Sione Fukofuka has left his role and will return home to Australia due to family and personal reasons.
Fukofuka took up the head coaching position in late 2025 and led them into the Women’s Six Nations earlier this year. During an injury hit campaign, the team won just one match versus Wales and finished fifth in the standings.
The departing head coach said: “I’ve had to make probably the hardest professional decision of my life to step away from the role as head coach.
“I approached Scottish Rugby and asked for a release from my contract under compassionate grounds. Effectively, the stress and the strain on my family, who are back in Australia away from me, proved too much to continue to on and to do this role the way it should be time.
“I can’t be away from my family for that amount of time and do the job the way it should be done.
“I was pretty direct and honest with David Nucifora, Andy Rhys-Jones and Gemma Fay and all three of them were fantastic in understanding that this is not a rugby decision.
“It has nothing to do with Scottish Rugby or the programme – in fact that is what made it so hard – and it’s everything to do with what my family are sacrificing and what I’m missing out on being at home and being a father and a husband, and the fact that we’re not now in a position for them to relocate and come and join me, which has changed the circumstances that were initially part of our plan when I signed on to undertake the role.”
Australian Fukofuka joined Scottish Rugby having most recently served as head coach of the USA women’s national team between 2023 and 2025.
Scottish Rugby’s performance director David Nucifora added: “I would like to thank Sione for his contribution to Scottish Rugby and, whilst we are disappointed to see him depart, we fully respect and understand the reasons why he has made this decision.
“During his time in the role, Sione showed great passion and commitment to the national team and the wider women’s programme at Scottish Rugby.
“Our priority remains supporting the women’s national team and women’s programme players and staff during this period, with work being done to ensure appropriate structures are in place ahead of the WXV Global Series along with long term recruitment conversations.”
Senior assistant coach Ioan Cunningham has also left Scottish Rugby to pursue new opportunities.
The upcoming home Vodafone Scotland WXV Series campaign – part of the wider WXV Global Series presented by Mitsubishi Electric featuring the top sides in the world – begins against the 2025 Rugby World Cup runners-up Canada on September 12 at Hive Stadium before welcoming New Zealand to these shores the following weekend on September 19 and then hosting Australia on September 26.
Scotland’s away WXV Global Series fixtures will take place against Australia on October 17 and October 23.
Sione Fukofuka is pictured – thanks to N50 Photography
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