There are reports in France that Gregor Townsend has already decided to depart Scotland when his contract expires following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Midi Olympique, a well-regarded sports publication in France, has reported that Townsend is one of several candidates who have applied for the position of attack coach on Fabien Galthie’s staff for the French national team.
Galthie, the head coach of France, is looking to fill the vacancy left by Laurent Labit, who will be joining Stade Francais after the World Cup.
According to the paper, Galthie had hoped to bring in Pierre Mignoni as the new coach, but Mignoni decided to stay on as the head coach of Toulon.
Gregor Townsend facts:
Throughout his playing career, Gregor Townsend represented a variety of clubs including Northampton Saints, Brive, Castres, Border Reivers, and Montpellier. He was also a versatile player, capable of playing various positions such as full-back, centre, and fly-half. Townsend retired from professional club rugby in 2007.
During the 1999 Five Nations, he scored a try against every team, becoming the first Scotsman to do so since 1925.
Townsend is not the only member of his family with a background in rugby. His brother, Craig, was also a player, and his son, Christian, has represented Scotland at the U20 level.
Townsend was awarded an MBE for his services to rugby in 1999.
The fly-half was chosen to be a part of the 1997 British & Irish Lions squad led by Sir Ian McGeechan. During the tour to South Africa, he played in two Test matches, helping the Lions to a 2-1 series victory.
Scotland hoping four players will swap nations for 2023 Rugby World Cup
We take a look at four rugby union players who could swap nations to represent Scotland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
#1. Ben Healy
- Age: 23
- Position: Fly-half
- Honours: Ireland U20
Healy will join Edinburgh this summer on a two-year deal.
The 23-year-old represented Ireland at under-20 level but qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents.
Healy has featured for the Irish province since 2019, amassing 275 points from 47 appearances.
“It’s clear how much they want to play. I’m looking forward to putting myself into a new environment and seeing how I go,” Healy told Edinburgh’s website.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Munster for their support over the last few seasons. I’ve loved every minute of my time playing with the club, but I felt now was the right time to take on a new and exciting challenge in Edinburgh.”