Scotland rugby international from Inverness, Lindsey Smith, joins coaching staff for first ever Glasgow Warriors women's team
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
An Inverness woman has been named on the coaching staff for the first ever Glasgow Warriors women’s team.
Both Scottish professional rugby teams are entering sides into the Celtic Challenge – a cross-border women’s club rugby competition – for the first time in the new year.
Starting this year, sides from Scotland, Wales and Ireland faced off in a round-robin format in a competition designed to help player development.
After featuring one team from each nation in 2023, it will expand for its second iteration in 2024, with both Edinburgh and Glasgow entering teams to represent Scotland.
With preparations full steam ahead, Glasgow have now confirmed their coaching team – including Invernessian Lindsey Smith.
Smith played 42 times in the front row for Scotland.
Making her international debut against Spain in 2011, the former Hillhead Jordanhill prop is one of three performance development coaches at regional training centres in Scotland, and has worked for Glasgow Warriors before as their community manager.
Smith will be working under head coach Chris Laidlaw, the son of former Scotland scrum-half Roy.
Laidlaw worked as Scotland men’s attack coach for the 2023 Six Nations, and is another of the performance development coaches at the women’s and girl’s regional training centres.
The coaching team will include two other Scotland internationals – Fraser Brown and Megan Kennedy.
Brown currently plays for the Warriors with 55 caps to his name, having become a fixture for club and country since his club debut in 2013.
Tight-head prop Kennedy helped Stirling County to their first ever Premiership title this year, and is also Glasgow’s account manager.
The final coach is Stuart Lewis, the Warriors’ community manager and head coach of the University of Strathclyde’s women’s rugby programme.
Laidlaw said: “It’s a real privilege to be head coach of the first Glasgow Warriors women’s team.
“The potential of the group is exciting, and I’m really looking forward to working with all the players, management and Glasgow Warriors backroom team throughout the competition as we look to add to the legacy and history of this great club.
“We are excited about the challenges that lie ahead and we’ll be working hard to be competitive across all the games during this season’s Celtic Challenge.
“I’m also excited to be working with a strong group of coaches that I know are passionate about developing this team and women’s rugby in Scotland, and we’re all looking forward to getting out there and introducing ourselves to the Warrior Nation.”
