Diamond joins as Lead Rugby Consultant

Diamond will join Edinburgh Rugby on Monday 20 March and will work with the existing coaching team.

Diamond takes post as Edinburgh Rugby prepare for two vital away fixtures against Connacht and Leicester Tigers later this month, with both a place in the BKT URC top eight and Heineken Champions Cup Quarter-Finals still up for grabs.

On joining Edinburgh Rugby, Diamond said: “I’m really excited to take on this role until the end of the season. Edinburgh Rugby is a club with great tradition and history and provides an opportunity to coach in the BKT URC.

“From the outside looking in, Edinburgh Rugby is a club on the rise. The talent is there, the fanbase is there, while there seems to be a brilliant buzz around the city with the team moving into its new home.

“I’m really looking forward to linking up with Mike [Blair], the coaching staff and the players next week. There are still some massive games to come for the club, including a Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 tie at Welford Road. We have a really exciting challenge ahead of us and it’s one I’m relishing.”

A former hooker that played over 350 senior games for Sale Sharks, Diamond’s coaching career began at his hometown club in 2001.

Diamond was then appointed England Saxons Coach where he took the reigns for both the 2002 and 2003 Churchill Cup campaigns, before joining Saracens in 2004.

Following a successful stint as Russia’s Director of Rugby, which saw The Bears qualify for Rugby World Cup 2011, the former hooker returned to Sale Sharks in 2011.

Under Diamond’s tutelage, Sale Sharks qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup five times while lifting the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2019/20.

After stepping away from Sale Sharks in 2020, Diamond returned to professional rugby with Worcester Warriors in 2022 where he led as Lead Rugby Consultant, and then Director of Rugby.

Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director Douglas Struth said: “We’re delighted to welcome Steve [Diamond] to the club.

“Steve’s appointment provides additional leadership and insight for the club as we look to finish the BKT URC season on a high, while preparing for this month’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 tie against Leicester Tigers, with the opportunity to progress deep into European competition still very much alive.

“With over 20 years of coaching experience in professional rugby, Steve will also play a key role in setting up our pre-season preparations for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign, ready for a new Head Coach to arrive and hit the ground running.

“I’m sure all Edinburgh Rugby supporters will join us in welcoming Steve to the club as he arrives and assists with match preparations in just over a week’s time.”

Scottish Rugby Chief Executive Mark Dodson added: “This is an important time in the season, and we wanted to provide additional support and expertise to the coaching group in light of Mike Blair’s decision to step down at the end of the campaign.

“Steve’s experience speaks for itself and we see his interim role as strengthening further a talented coaching and playing group which still has a lot to play for and our focus on securing an improved run of results in the coming weeks.

“Edinburgh Rugby is an attractive club and we have had significant interest in the head coach role and Steve’s appointment also gives us some space to review our options in the coming weeks.”