Shade Munro
Scottish Rugby has confirmed Glasgow Warriors assistant coach, Shade Munro, will be the new head coach of the Scotland Women’s team.
Munro will move into the role over the summer and is charged with progressing the women’s national side in line with the forthcoming National Strategy for Women & Girls’ Rugby which is being developed by Head of Women & Girls’ Rugby, Sheila Begbie MBE.
The 48-year-old former lock, capped 7 times for Scotland, has worked his way up the coaching ladder since retiring from playing in 1997 and will bring 18 years of coaching experience to the role.
After coaching initially at club level with Glasgow Hawks, Munro moved on to Glasgow Warriors as assistant coach in 2002, was part of the Scotland coaching set-up in 2006 and, as head coach in 2013, helped Scotland A to victory over England for the 1st time south of the border.
Munro said: “I’ve got a lot of experience in professional rugby and I’m keen to bring that to the women’s game, to link the 2 and move the team on. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.
“The aspect I’m personally looking forward to is being in a position to head up the operation – to be a head coach of a national squad is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. This gives me the opportunity to do so and see how I can bring the skills I have into a different playing environment.
“I’ll be able to take stock of the women’s game and look at all aspects – from the club coaches to the strength and conditioners to the team itself – and working in conjunction with Sheila, to bring a different edge to the national team programme.
“I’ll be coming in with a blank sheet and no preconceived ideas so it’s a fresh start for the players as well as me.”
Scottish Rugby’s Head of Women’s and Girls’ rugby, Sheila Begbie MBE said: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Shade as our women’s national coach.
“He will support us to take the women’s game to the next level in Scotland as he has a wealth of knowledge and experience working within a high performance environment.
“Shade has had an outstanding career to date, most recently being part of the Glasgow Warriors success in the Guinness PRO12.”
“I’m sure everyone involved in women’s rugby in Scotland will be excited by Shade’s appointment and will see him as a very welcome addition to the women’s game.
“We would like to thank Jules Maxton and her management team for their significant contribution to the Women’s National Team programme over the past couple of years.”
Shade Munro Background:
Donald Shade Munro, born in Paisley in 1966, is a grandson of JM Bannerman, who was capped in 37 consecutive matches for Scotland (a world record at the time).
Shade played for Glasgow High / Kelvinside RFC throughout his club career, enjoying 2 stints in New Zealand. In 1987 he played for club side Greytown going on to represent the provincial team, Wairarapa Bush in a Ranfurly Shield Challenge. In 1997 he played for Te Puke Sports and again went on to represent the provincial team, Bay of Plenty, in 14 games.
He was selected for Scotland to tour New Zealand in 1990 but broke his leg playing for the national side against a West of Scotland International Select, an injury that kept him out of the game for 2 years.
Munro went on to win 7 caps for Scotland, making his debut against Wales in Cardiff in January 1994. His last Test also came against Wales, at BT Murrayfield 3 years later.
Following his retirement from playing, in 1997, he turned to coaching with Glasgow Hawks 2nd XV. He was then made Assistant Coach of the 1st XV, moving on to be Head Coach a year later, a position he held for the next 3 seasons before joining Glasgow Warriors as Assistant Coach.
Since then he has worked as the club’s forwards coach under head coaches Hugh Campbell, Sean Lineen and Gregor Townsend.
He was a member of the Scotland coaching team in 2006, under Frank Hadden, when the national side beat France, England and Italy. As head coach of Scotland A, he lead the side to their 1st win on English soil at that level, beating the Saxons 13 / 9 in Newcastle in 2013.
In addition to his time as a player in New Zealand, he returned to the country in 2013 as a recipient of the Macphail Coaching Scholarship, developing his skills further at the Canterbury High Performance Unit.
sru
Well done Shade Munro on getting the job, done good work over the years at Glasgow hopefully he can help improve Scottish Women’s Rugby.
Someone who has done the hard yards in coaching steadily working his way up the ranks after retiring as a player, for me the way it should be done rather than being fast-tracked into a head coaching position just because you were a great ‘talismanic’ player, e.g Martin Johnson etc.
Have to get some contributions for Pub night in early, something new to me, quite like them:
Enjoy her voice, good musician
Brandi Carlile’s take on an old classic:
@ Bullscot:
I love that woman’s voice…goosebumps.
Would love to see her do a live anthem like Flower of Scotland or the Welsh anthem before a packed Murrayfield or Millenium Stadium
10 @ nortie:
Hi nortie, ja a super voice would be great hearing her do an anthem like you say. Talking of Millenium we are going next year for 6 Nations game, first time for me really hope they have the roof closed as it will be an amazing atmosphere. One day you should try get here for some 6 Nations games, Murrayfield on match day is brilliant as you would have seen with the anthems and pipe bands on the TV and I think we will see the re-emergence of Scotland at international level during the next few years so it will be nice to go for more than just the atmosphere.
@ Victoriabok:
Hi VicBok some very good tunes
@ Bullscot:
Thanks man
Where are the others?
Loadshedding again?
Puma captain struck down with GBS
When first reading this I thought GBS had punched the guy
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/sa-rugby/news/150609/Puma_captain_struck_down_with_GBS
11 @ Bullscot:
Great stuff, those Welsh know how to sing.
I always wanted to sing Flower of Scotland, especially at Murrayfield….a couple of years ago during the June tests the Bokke took part in a sort of 4 nations against Scotland, Italy and I think Samoa or Tonga (I forget which one was the 4 team, but it was one of the Pacific nations)
But there was a double header at Loftus, Scotland v Italy and then Boks v the other.
I remember rushing out of Trademarx, dragging the wife along, to get to the suite before the opening game just so I could sing Flower of Scotland.
Not quite Murrayfield, but one anthem live off the bucket list
I will switch jobs with this guy 😆
13 @ Victoriabok:
Hope they don’t have load shedding, again
15 @ nortie:
Sounds great man, good on you these occasions give one goose bumps
Last one from me for tonight:
Gotta go, work calling someone has to do it, have a good one folks
@ Bullscot:
Cheers
Bullscot wrote:
Got over in 2008. Went to the Taffy game in Cardiff and the next week to Murrayfield.
Managed to work it into a “work” trip.
Was also invited to the England game of that tour but had already booked to fly out about 2 hours after the game ended, so thought better of it!
When in Edinburgh I got involved with a memebr of the SNP and we went out on the razz the night before the game.
Only got back to the hotel at about 4am, so as you can imagine it was aVERY long walk to the stadium the next day, and not too much partying after the game.
Scrumdown wrote:
Both v SA of course. Not 6N.
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