32 - 24

Edinburgh statement: The appointment of Steve Diamond

10 Mar 2023

(Photo by Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)

Edinburgh have confirmed that Steve Diamond has joined as lead rugby consultant until the end of the current season. Head coach Mike Blair last month signalled his intention to step away from that role at the end of this campaign and the Scottish URC franchise have reacted by bringing in Diamond, the former Sale and Worcester director of rugby, to oversee things across the next few months.

It was Thursday when RugbyPass exclusively reported that Diamond would be joining Edinburgh with immediate effect and the club corroborated this story with Friday afternoon’s confirmation that the coach was indeed moving to the URC after years of service in the Gallagher Premiership in England.

A statement read: “Edinburgh Rugby has today appointed Steve Diamond as its lead rugby consultant, with the former Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors director of rugby joining until the end of the 2022/23 season. Diamond will join Edinburgh Rugby on Monday, March 20, and work with the existing coaching team.

Andy Farrell gives honest opinion on Scotland’s ability this Six Nations tournament

Video Player is loading.

Current Time 0:00

Duration 0:00

Loaded: 0%

Stream Type LIVE

Remaining Time 0:00

Andy Farrell gives honest opinion on Scotland’s ability this Six Nations tournament

“Diamond takes post as Edinburgh Rugby prepare for two vital away fixtures against Connacht and Leicester Tigers later this month, with both a place in the BKT URC top eight and Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals still up for grabs.”

Diamond said: “I’m really excited to take on this role until the end of the season. Edinburgh Rugby is a club with great tradition and history and provides an opportunity to coach in the BKT URC. From the outside looking in, Edinburgh Rugby is a club on the rise. The talent is there, the fanbase is there, while there seems to be a brilliant buzz around the city with the team moving into its new home.

“I’m really looking forward to linking up with Mike, the coaching staff and the players next week. There are still some massive games to come for the club, including a Champions Cup round of 16 tie at Welford Road. We have a really exciting challenge ahead of us and it is one I am relishing.”

Edinburgh Rugby managing director Douglas Struth added: “We are delighted to welcome Steve to the club. His appointment provides additional leadership and insight for the club as we look to finish the URC season on a high, while preparing for this month’s crucial Champions Cup Round of 16 tie against Leicester with the opportunity to progress deep into European competition still very much alive.

“With over 20 years of coaching experience in professional rugby, Steve will also play a key role in setting up our pre-season preparations for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign, ready for a new head coach to arrive and hit the ground running. I’m sure all Edinburgh Rugby supporters will join us in welcoming Steve to the club as he takes charge of match preparations in just over a week’s time.”

Scottish Rugby CEO Mark Dodson said: “This is an important time in the season, and we wanted to provide additional support and expertise to the coaching group in light of Mike Blair’s decision to step down at the end of the campaign.

“Steve’s experience speaks for itself, and we see his interim role as strengthening further a talented coaching and playing group which still has a lot to play for and our focus on securing an improved run of results in the coming weeks. Edinburgh Rugby is an attractive club and we have had significant interest in the head coach role and Steve’s appointment also gives us some space to review our options in the coming weeks.”

Boks Office | Episode 37 | Six Nations Round 4 Review

Cape Town | Leg 2 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series 2025 | Full Day Replay

Gloucester-Hartpury vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 36 | Six Nations Round 3 Review

Why did Scotland's Finn Russell take the crucial kick from the wrong place? | Whistle Watch

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Latest Features

LONG READ

2025 Lions' selection: An idiot's guide

Andy Farrell's coaching team will be announced this week and every fan is compiling their perfect squads, Lions fever is upon us

LONG READ

Scotland's senior players 'have gone to a different level' in quest for top-three finish

Scotland have not finished in the top half of the Women's Six Nations for 20 years but coach Fraser Brown believes it is a realistic target.

LONG READ

How to solve a problem like Welsh rugby

Fighting fires at every level, Welsh rugby is in a rut and there doesn't seem to be any easy escape routes

Comments on RugbyPass

PT 38 minutes ago

Antoine Dupont undergoes surgery on injured knee ahead of long absence

The truth can sometimes sting a bit, so I fully understand your delusional take on it. Also, I'm sure you'd be aware of the list of opposition players Irish players have injured with this? To be clear, I don't believe the Irish players are trying to intentionally injure opposition players, certainly not. But they are reckless in a lot of their ‘clearing out’ maneuvers and tactics, therefore causing injuries to opposition players. I suppose they don't do it at training so they don't injure each other, but it really does appear to be repetitive aspect of their play.

So, why don't you get some batteries for your noddy train & go play for a while.

7 Go to comments

raymond bailly 39 minutes ago

Waratahs snap losing streak against ill-disciplined Brumbies

Crypto recovery is real but you have to be careful of who you are dealing with in recovery your funds back, i was a victim of stolen funds. While trying to recover my money back i also got scammed by a telegram hacker, i thought i had lost it all, a friend of mine told me about Reclaim Pros and i decided to give them a trial, to my greatest surprise, i contacted the recovery firm and i gave them my case details, they helped me recovered my funds within 48 hours. I contacted them via m@il FundReclaimpros *@ * protonm@il *com They are very real and reliable.

0 Go to comments

Michael Davenport 43 minutes ago

Crusaders prepare for 'dangerous in all elements' Chiefs game-breaker

I was recently scammed out of $53,000 by a fraudulent Bitcoin investment scheme, which added significant stress to my already difficult health issues, as I was also facing cancer surgery expenses. Desperate to recover my funds, I spent hours researching and consulting other victims, which led me to discover the excellent reputation of Capital Crypto Recover, I highly recommend their services to anyone who has fallen victim Contact Number +1 (336)390-6684 email Capitalcryptorecover @ zohomail. com

9 Go to comments

BH 56 minutes ago

'There's a lot of rugby knowledge': David Havili's reasoning behind in-form backline

Your hatred for ALB is borderline trolling at this point. He’s proven himself at test level for years.

Ennor is done and dusted. Too injury prone for years and years. Proctor is a better choice.

26 Go to comments

BH 1 hour ago

'There's a lot of rugby knowledge': David Havili's reasoning behind in-form backline

Tele’a scored some wonderful tries on the end of year tour against England and Italy and played well against Ireland.

Reece is the liability at test level - he was shown up big time against France.

26 Go to comments

PS 1 hour ago

Antoine Dupont undergoes surgery on injured knee ahead of long absence

What you're asking for is an explanation for why the officials and citing officials don't make the same judgements on specific incidents as you do. What explanation can be given other than something along the lines of “the incident wasn't judged to have met the criteria for an illegal tackle”? What other explanation do you expect? Refs now give explanations for why an incident is judged to be illegal and why an illegal action may result in a card. If a card, or a penalty is not awarded. The only explanation possible is that there's no evidence of foul play. A coaching team can (and often do) seek clarity from the officials and WR on specific incidents in a game and they are free to share the outcome of such questions with fans. You should turn to the French coaching team for answers. The French coaching team should have raised any concerns in the appropriate channels instead of publicly accusing players of intentionally trying to injure another player. This incident has left a very sour taste and created a lot of bad blod

7 Go to comments

JH 1 hour ago

Fijian Drua secure star flyhalf Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula on new deal

Given he’s from Christchurch, the Crusaders are probably kicking themselves a bit.

4 Go to comments

JH 1 hour ago

Sky Sports commentator on why Wallabies players are outplaying All Blacks counterparts

““Rieko Ioane has struggled to find form in Super Rugby. We know what he can do at Test level, on the wing I’ll add that”

Exactly, and that was years ago now. Rieko is a liability with a seriously limited skillset, especially for a 13. Frankly, every opponent is outplaying him. He’ll still make the ABs though, every player over 50 caps will, because we don’t drop ‘leadership group’ players apparently.

7 Go to comments

PS 1 hour ago

Antoine Dupont undergoes surgery on injured knee ahead of long absence

I agree with your last sentence. In addition, I would like to add that I also wish you a speedy recovery from whatever made you write the first two sentences.

7 Go to comments

Poorfour 2 hours ago

Antoine Dupont undergoes surgery on injured knee ahead of long absence

I’m not looking for special treatment for anybody. If anything, I’m looking to dispel the perception that some teams are treated more leniently than others.

For instance, compare the tackle that ultimately earned Owen Farrell from the RWC warm ups with the one that only earned Eben Etzebeth a YC from head contact with Atonio in the QF. I have yet to see any reasonable justification for why two near-identical incidents (with Farrell’s if anything having the greater mitigation) produced totally different judgements.

Rugby has a long and inglorious history of dismissing these incidents without providing any explanation - remember the spear tackle on BOD on the 2005 Lions tour?

If Beirne wasn’t reckless, then he and Ireland should have nothing to fear, but the game benefits from having a clear explanation of why.

7 Go to comments

Chiefs Mana 2 hours ago

Sky Sports commentator on why Wallabies players are outplaying All Blacks counterparts

She’s talking more about individuals, i couldn’t agree more with you though from a team perspective.

Aussies also have the motivation of a Lions series to fuel them through and a lot of wide open spaces in the WB team.

7 Go to comments

LauraLorenzo12 3 hours ago

Ma'a Nonu secures Top 14 return aged 42

I was on the brink of losing my marriage, but thanks to the intervention of Dr Oniha, our relationship is now stronger than ever. My partner and I had been experiencing irreconcilable differences, and our love had begun to fade. We tried counseling, but nothing seemed to work. Desperate for a solution, I turned to Dr Oniha. With their guidance and powerful spell casting, our marriage was transformed. The love and passion that once seemed lost have been rekindled. We communicate better, and our bond is now unbreakable. I am forever grateful to Dr Oniha for saving my marriage. Their expertise and genuine concern for our well-being are truly remarkable. If you're facing similar challenges, don't hesitate to reach out to Dr Onniha. Their spells are potent, and their love and care for their clients are evident. My marriage is now filled with joy, laughter, and understanding, all thanks to Dr Oniha.

CALL/Whatsapp number: +16692213962

7 Go to comments

RedWarriors 3 hours ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

“There has been a university brain drain for many decades (at least since the 90s) so I'm not sure if overly relevant. Most talented youth players are identified at school and then provided a development contract with Ulster which requires them to stay in Ireland. I don't know of any young players who left to go to university and then were awarded professional rugby contacts to an English/Scottish team.”

Ok thanks, that clears that up.

43 Go to comments

RedWarriors 3 hours ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

“I would also be surprised if there are many kids going “across the water” to schools. It is a long time since I taught and coached rugby in Ulster, but I am still in contact with family and lads I coached…have not heard any of that mentioned.

What I have heard is that a significant number now to to Uni. outside Ireland. In my day it was Queen’s or Trinity, a few to UCD.”

Apologies, you are correct, I was thinking about Universities! I had heard that amore students were being educated outside of Ireland but mixed that up with fee paying schools. Would this affect potential rugby careers or would promising rugby players tend to stay in Ireland?

Wider question but I’ve often taught sevens was the way to break kids more generally into rugby. Say for example, Ireland had a successful 2023 RWC. Volume of rugby playing population could be quickly expanded via sevens then building pathways for promising looking 15s players etc.

43 Go to comments

HANNAH87 3 hours ago

Brendan Fanning: 'The problem with the good times in this country is we expect them to roll on forever.'

If you are able to work from home, you will have plenty of time for yourself, so you will be able to do things on your own. COPY HERE➤➤ RichJob2.com

On any given day, you will find time.

3 Go to comments

RedWarriors 3 hours ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

Another sign in Munster was Castletroy winning Junior and Senior Cups in same year maybe 15 years ago. Castletroy is a public schools (not fee paying) and it was a double first for a non Cork/Limerick private school or somewhere like Rockwell (where my Dad went).

He won the Senior Munster Cup when he was there. As a snapshot at what it was like in the 50s: he claimed a Cork team used to win most years then (Presentation College I think) as a victory celebration they used to kick the Cup down St Patricks hill (notoriously steep hill in Cork City Centre). The year Rockwell run, Presentation had paper marche-ed the cup back together from the previous years kick down St Patricks Hill. They assumed their guy would be the guy lifting the cup and he knew to be careful. With the shock Rockwell victory my Dad got to lift the cup and there was no gentleness only ecstacy. Unfortunately, he lifted so hard the two lugs detached and he hoisted the lugs in the air with the cup staying put. Presentation got the last laugh there!

Not sure if prez still kick it down Patricks Hill, maybe O’Gara would know!

43 Go to comments

Js 4 hours ago

Sky Sports commentator on why Wallabies players are outplaying All Blacks counterparts

Slow and steady builds for sustainability. Why burn out too soon? I agree with Wilson that Aussie players are trying to prove a point but our ABs don’t need to burn themselves out within the early stages.

7 Go to comments

RedWarriors 4 hours ago

'Ulster, though no one wants to admit it, isn't much more than a development province right now.'

Connaught has a population of 0.5 million and 1/14th of Ireland’s total population. They are building an exciting, strong, young team. We have no issues. What exactly is Munster’s issue? Is it injury or is something else? As I suggested a tweak to the centralized contracts to rebalance funding might help. As for Ulster, the playing pool needs to be expanded. Leinster has 3 million people, Ulster has 2.25 million but there is no comparison to the amount of players, systems and the Leinster academy. This is not explained by IRFU favouring Leinster players.

Leinster supply a lot of Ulster players as you imply and were it not for that Ulster would Ulster be in worse straits?

There is no magic wand here. I will put it plainly, Ulster needs to push rugby out beyond the traditional few schools that play. It probably needs the IRFUs help with that potentially with an Ireland wide plan to develop the sport.

Others have noted that an infusion of quality coaches would go a long way.

Perhaps the IRFU needs to look at helping the other provinces develop and listen more to their needs.

43 Go to comments

berttaantila 4 hours ago

Crusaders prepare for 'dangerous in all elements' Chiefs game-breaker

How iBolt Cyber Hacker Tracked, Traced, and Recovered My Crypto Investment

Hello, My names Bertta Antila.

I was one of the select few who made cryptocurrency investments in the hopes of making a sizable profit. Regretfully, I invested in a platform that was just looking to steal from me, aside from the profits that were promised, I lost everything in my wallet. I had thrown away every cent I had put in it. Then i found ibolt cyber hacker, a cryptocurrency recovery specialist,they assisted me in getting my money back from these false investors when i thought it was all over. My money was recovered by ibolt cyber hacker. I sincerely appreciate their assistance, I recommend ibolt cyber hacker service.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mail: ibolt @ cyber- wizard . com

Call/Text-whatsapp: +39, 351..105, 3619

Homepage: www . iboltcybarhacker . com/

9 Go to comments

RedWarriors 4 hours ago

Antoine Dupont undergoes surgery on injured knee ahead of long absence

Rugby incident, happens scores of times in a game. Dupont wasn’t even hit with much force, Beirne just clears him and force is added from behind from Furlong.

We can’t have special treatment for France just because their star is the one who gets unlucky.

There is already a lack of clarity around actual Written decisions and how they differ from bans.

For example, Mauvaka the official written decision states Mauvaka to have made a ‘reckless’, ‘deliberate’, shot ‘to the head’ of a ‘player in a vulnerable position’ on the ground. That’s a high level entry ban of 10 weeks. However, the press release did not show ‘reckless’ or ‘vulnerable player’ ticked alloweing Mauvaka to enter at the 6 match mid range.

No. France have been abusing the system for years, recently spreading disinformation about the Ringrose ban in order to undermine confidence in the process.