Scottish Rugby

Smith to pass on knowledge to Scots

ESPN Staff

Wayne Smith guided the Chiefs to the 2012 Super Rugby crown © Getty Images Enlarge Players/Officials: Wayne Smith Tournaments/Tours: RaboDirect PRO12 Teams: Edinburgh | Scotland | Worcester Warriors

Former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith will journey to Scotland in October to spend a week with Edinburgh and then the Glasgow Warriors.

Smith will observe Michael Bradley's methods at Edinburgh before then journeying to their Scottish rivals Glasgow and overseeing Gregor Townsend. The news comes after Townsend flew to New Zealand earlier in the year to see Smith's Chiefs in action and learn from their off-field approach.

Smith's time in Scotland will also include four "invitation-only workshops to coaches at various levels of the professional, age-grade, club and school game during his fortnight stay", according to the Scottish Rugby Union.

He was part of the All Blacks' set-up that scooped the 2011 World Cup and was mooted as a possible cog in England coach Stuart Lancaster's backroom staff. But he opted to stay at the Chiefs and led them to the 2012 Super Rugby title.

Smith said: "I'm really excited to visit Scotland and share some ideas. I have Scottish heritage and have always cherished touring here in the past with the All Blacks.

"Every coach has different thoughts on how to play the game and hopefully my Antipodean ideas will stir some interest! In my experience, every time you share an idea, you get a few back. From that perspective, I'm sure we'll have some great conversations over the two weeks and we'll all get something from them."

Graham Lowe, Scottish Rugby's director of performance rugby, added: "We are delighted that Wayne will be spending time with our pro-clubs but for us it's also important that those who are coaching in our clubs and schools have the opportunity to hear his ideas and get the chance to chat around best practice in one of the key areas of the game - the breakdown."

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