Following the departure of Sione Fukofuka, Dave Butcher has been named Scotland women’s interim head coach.
Butcher joined the coaching team earlier this year and is a former Scotland men’s age-grade cap.
He grew up in Balloch and Middlesbrough and has played and coached in a number of different places around the world in recent years. Before joining up with Scotland he was most recently working with the Canada women’s team and helped get them to last year’s Rugby World Cup final in England.
Passing on the baton, Fukofuka said: “Dave is a fantastic human and he is so invested in this group as individuals and also in the team itself.
“He is a first class individual and his experience across both men’s and women’s rugby and being in positions of leadership will hold the team in good stead and, most importantly, he understands the group.
“He knows where we wanted to take the team and what the WXV campaign means so it’s really important that he’s in that role to support the team as they go into those games.
“I have full confidence that with the support of the other coaches who will be coming in to join that they’ll be able to create a really strong unit that will prepare the team well and set them up for success.”
Fukofuka mentions the other coaches who will be coming in to join Butcher and, with the Australian and Ioan Cunningham now away and Claire Cruikshank now national academy manager with the governing body, only one of the four coaches who were involved during the Women’s Six Nations will be part of the upcoming campaign.
Butcher’s three assistants for now are Chris Laidlaw, Tom Luke and Robbie Fergusson.
It is a return to Scotland for Laidlaw who previously served as head coach of Glasgow Warriors women and as assistant coach with the women’s national team during the 2023 Women’s Six Nations.
Laidlaw will initially join on secondment from Harlequins before returning to the London club and later joining Scotland’s coaching staff on a permanent basis.
Luke joins Scotland from English club Bristol Bears on secondment for the WXV Global Series.
Fergusson, the former Scotland GB Sevens men’s player, is now Glasgow Warriors women’s coach and will be with the national team for the WXV Global Series.
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.
Dave Butcher is pictured – thanks to Scottish Rugby
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