In a reversal of his experience of last year when he was briefly recruited to the senior national team’s set-up, Carl Hogg will leave Scottish Rugby this summer once the Under-20 World Cup is over, to join the management team at the Ospreys.
The former international back-row forward was at the centre of a curious sequence of events last summer when he was asked to join the Scotland backroom team for last summer’s tour of the Americas at a time when the Murrayfield hierarchy was insisting that Dan McFarland would be held to his contract as the Scotland team’s forwards coach until the turn of the year, after he had been offered the job of head coach at Ulster.
In spite of his vast experience, having coached in the English Premiership with Leeds, London Welsh and Gloucester before a spell as head coach at Worcester Warriors, Hogg’s appointment was, as a result, generally seen as having been made on a trial basis.
However, it then emerged between the tour opener against Canada and Scotland’s shock defeat by the USA in the second of their matches that former Cardiff Blues head coach Danny Wilson had been recruited to the role in the longer term to replace McFarland, who was subsequently released just ahead of the new season.
Hogg was appointed Scotland under-20s head coach in the autumn and while the opportunity to join the Welsh regional side was clearly too good to turn down, he made it clear that he will see the job through with the group of players he has been working with since then.
“I’m excited by the challenges that lie ahead next season with the Ospreys, but I also understand my responsibility and loyalty to the Scotland U20 players to ensure this World Rugby U20 championship is as successful as possible,” he said.
“I am delighted to be joining the Ospreys and look forward to working hard and contributing towards the success of this Ospreys team. It is a fantastic opportunity to work with quality people, outstanding players and an organisation which shares the same values as me. Having operated as a coach in England for over 15 years, I am excited by the different challenges which lie ahead in the Guinness PRO14 and adapting to this multi-nation competition.”
Allen Clarke, head coach at the Ospreys, meanwhile made it clear that he believed Hogg's recruitment was something of a coup.
“I’m delighted that a person with the values and experience of Hoggy has agreed to join our coaching team," he said."For some time we've been looking for an additional quality coach to work with the forwards to complement the excellent work Duncan Jones does with the scrum. Hoggy will have specific responsibility for the lineout whilst co-coaching other aspects of the game. I've no doubt Hoggy's expertise together with that of the boys will take us to another level as we strive to become better in all facets of the game."
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