Matty Douglas quits as Hawick head coach ahead of sacking at end of rugby season

Hawick head coach Matty Douglas and backs coach Graham Hogg, right, celebrating after winning last March's Scottish Premiership play-off final against Currie Chieftains at home at Mansfield Park (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group/SRU)

His exit follows the 28-year-old being told last month by officials at the Mansfield Park club that he was going to be given the boot, along with forwards coach Lewis Bertram, in the summer despite overseeing the Greens’ most successful campaign since 2002.

Both that announcement itself, given Douglas’s track record, and its timing – just weeks before their Scottish cup semi-final at home to Currie Chieftains this Saturday, with a potential final to follow on Saturday, April 27, in Edinburgh, and premiership play-off final hosting the same opposition on Saturday, May 4 – came as a shock to the outgoing gaffer and fans of the club.

Bertram, formerly head coach at Peebles, has also stood down.

Scott MacLeod during a prior stint helping out with coaching at Hawick (Pic: Stuart Cobley)

Backs coach Graham Hogg, elder brother of former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg, is to take over as interim head coach until the end of this season despite a question mark hanging over his future too, having been told his role, along with that of Hawick Force coach Matt Landels, is “under consideration”.

Ex-Greens Scott MacLeod and Roddy Deans have been drafted in to assist Hogg, 36.

Former Scotland international MacLeod, capped 24 times between 2004 and 2011, is currently a specialist lineout coach with English Premiership side Newcastle Falcons and Deans is director of rugby at Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School.

Both have prior experience of coaching at Hawick.

Roddy Deans playing for Hawick against Glasgow Hawks in 2012 (Pic: Neil Hanna)

Gary Muir, brother of club captain Shawn Muir, continues as director of rugby.

A spokesperson for the club said: “As part of the ongoing rugby review and the announcement made by the club recently with regard to their coaching team, Hawick would like to issue the following update.

“Following the decision communicated to the club last week by Matty Douglas to tender his resignation with immediate effect from the position of head coach, Lewis Bertram has now confirmed that it is also his intention to step down from his role as forwards coach, also with immediate effect, a decision conveyed to director of rugby Gary Muir.

“Hawick would therefore like to announce that Graham Hogg has agreed to step in as interim head coach for the remainder of this season as the club strive to secure victory in the premiership play-off final and retain the Scottish cup.

“The club are also delighted to confirm that Graham will be assisted in working with our squad over the coming weeks by Scott MacLeod and Roddy Deans, both of whom will bring considerable knowledge and expertise to the table.

“The club are extremely grateful to Graham, Scott and Roddy for stepping up to the challenges presented by the remaining games as the club and players strive for further silverware.”

Douglas’s departure is understood to have been sparked by disquiet among players, revealed by a survey carried out last year unbeknownst to him, despite having led them though last season undefeated and almost repeating that feat this time round, having only lost once this campaign, away to Marr in September by 24-5.

He’s also just finished leading a South of Scotland squad featuring ten Hawick players to their first national inter-district championship title win for over 20 years.

The Greens are currently on course for their first trophy treble since 2002, having secured their 51st Border League title at the weekend, thanks to Kelso’s 28-17 win at Gala.