Melrose’s Mike to step down as rugby director

A former president of the club, Mike has served as director of Melrose Rugby for more than 20 years.

Over that time, he has been instrumental in guiding various Melrose teams to huge successes, including four Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cup wins and many Sevens tournament accolades.

More recently, working closely with the SRU, he was hugely influential in bringing the new FOSROC Super6 franchise to the Greenyards, with the launch of the Borders representative side, the Southern Knights, in November 2019.

Both on and off the field, Mike has never failed to put Melrose at the top of Scottish rugby, thanks to his total commitment and dedication.

Although stepping down from his director roles, Mike will not be leaving the club completely. He will continue to work closely with the Southern Knights, supporting head coach Rob Chrystie.

In praise of Mike’s long-term commitment to the club, Melrose Rugby president, Douglas Brown, said: “We thank Mike for his remarkable support over the years, both on and off the field at the Greenyards.

“His time at the club has been one of the most successful periods of the club’s history. We wish him all the best in his new role with the Southern Knights and hope that he enjoys more time with his wife and family.”

Mike said: “Being the director of rugby at Melrose over the past couple of decades has been an honour. We are so fortunate to have an abundance of rugby talent, strong leadership, determination and passion in the Scottish Borders.

“It’s been such a joy for me to have been involved and to share in the many successes we’ve been fortunate enough to have had over the years. The launch of the Southern Knights has really excited me and I look forward to continuing my involvement with them as the semi-pro tournament builds credibility, support, and provides great progression opportunities for players.

“Now is the right time for me to step aside and allow others to enjoy the privilege of directing rugby at this wonderful club.”

Following Mike’s departure, for the start of the 2020-21 season, the role of director of rugby will be shared between Rob Moffat and Colin Meager.

Rob is one of the most respected and successful professional coaches in Scotland, bringing with him a huge wealth of experience, knowledge and a wonderfully positive attitude.

Colin is re-joining Melrose Rugby. He was instrumental in setting up the Wasps team and rugby ethos when he was previously director of youth rugby at the club.

He has been hugely influential in the current Melrose youth set-up, which continues to thrive and punches way above its weight in the youth section of Scottish rugby.

Rob and Colin have already started planning for next season and are reviewing everything from a blank canvas.

A commitment to supporting existing players and creating stepping-stone-opportunities for local youth talent are at the forefront of their plan.