Public figure biography
Edinburgh and Newcastle battle in a lively pre-season friendly, with lots of young players on show. Newcastle prevail 28-26, while Glasgow’s youngsters feature for Warriors in a separate warm-up. Edinburgh experiment with new coaches and a faster defensive line, but Ulster’s win boosts their confidence ahead of URC.
Northern Ireland midfielder Shea Charles has joined Fulham for £30m, becoming the country’s most expensive player. Former international Stuart Dallas backs Charles and teammate Ethan Galbraith for Premier League success, while NI boss Michael O’Neill has built the side around him.
Edinburgh Rugby has appointed former Ireland youth coach and ex-Dallas Jackals coach Tim Hodge to join Sean Everitt’s backroom team on a two-year deal, with the URC season set to begin on September 25. The club has also retained Stevie Lawrie and added Tim Sampson and Brad Davis to reshape the attack and defence units.
The Scottish FA has appointed Tony Docherty as Under-21 head coach with Steven Naismith as his assistant. The move aligns the youth pathway with the senior team as Sebastien Pocognoli takes charge of the senior squad. The pair will lead the Under-21s initially, with plans to rotate coaches across age groups and support club growth and Talent ID initiatives.