New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm hoping to help waken up ‘sleeping giant’ and lead them to promotion

New head coach Iain Chisholm is hoping to lead Peebles into rugby’s Tennent’s National League Division 1 in his first season in charge, describing the third-tier outfit as a sleeping giant long overdue an awakening.
New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm at the Gytes (Photo: Stephen Mathison)New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm at the Gytes (Photo: Stephen Mathison)
New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm at the Gytes (Photo: Stephen Mathison)

The Gytes team finished ninth out of the 12 teams making up Tennent’s National League Division 2 last time round, with 51 points from 22 games, 44 off top spot, so Chisholm, previously attack coach and occasional player at Melrose as well as being rugby development officer there, is all too aware of the size of the challenge ahead but is eager to embrace it.

The 32-year-old’s previous clubs include Jed-Forest, Glasgow’s Cartha Queens Park, Edinburgh Academical, Biggar and Highland, so promotion would bring him up against no fewer than three of his old sides, assuming none make the move up to the Tennent’s Premiership at the same time or head in the opposite direction.

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“I really am looking forward to it,” said Chisholm after taking over from Lewis Bertram, now coaching at Hawick.

New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm with club captain Neil Hogarth (Photo: Stephen Mathison)New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm with club captain Neil Hogarth (Photo: Stephen Mathison)
New Peebles head coach Iain Chisholm with club captain Neil Hogarth (Photo: Stephen Mathison)

“I see a lot of potential, not just in the playing group but at the club as a whole.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to, and I spoke to a few different people I knew had been involved at Peebles once they got in touch about the role, and they all said the same thing – it’s a sleeping giant, both on and off the pitch.

“Commercially and marketing-wise, they could be massive as they’ve got a real captive audience there.

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“Playing-wise, the first and most important thing we need to do is get players fit.

“I know Lewis struggled for the last few seasons with injuries, so my main priority over the next few weeks is making sure the players understand the type of game we’re trying to play and that they’re in condition to play that game, and that’ll be achieved through a good block of skills training and conditioning.

“We’ve made a really good start and I think people are excited about making a clean break.

“Looking at their games, and I watched about three or four before all their injuries hit, and there’s some really good stuff. It’s just about bringing a bit of detail into that and maybe giving a bit of clarity on roles.

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“I think they tried to run a bit too much last season when the kicking game is key.

“I am really excited to see what this group can achieve, and the goal is obviously to get into National 1 because the benefits are there to see – you get loads of Friday-night games, which frees up the weekend for a lot of boys, and we’d be playing at some amazing grounds.

“Part of aspiring to be in National 1 and aiming for the Premiership in three to five years would be making sure we’re in a position to keep our own players as being in Nat 1 is way more attractive than being in Nat 2.

“It’s about developing a mindset where we take a real siege mentality into every away game but at home we’re really focused on ourselves.

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“We don’t have access to the analysis platforms that National 1 and Premiership clubs have, so our focus over the next wee while is just on us – what’s our game shape, what’s our game model, what’s our philosophy?

“We want to aim to be as professional as possible, and if we can get even a smidgen of that, it’ll be a success for us.”

Chisholm, of Lilliesleaf, intends to carry on playing at Peebles but possibly increasingly sparingly.

“I’m a utility back, so I’m able to play right across the back-line, but the more I’ve got into coaching the less I’ve had that itch to play, but every now and again it still comes,” he said.

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“It’s been more a case of fitting in where I’m needed of late.

“If there’s been a long-term injury or something like that, I’ve just fitted in until that player was ready or someone else came in, and I’m OK with that. I want to take that role at Peebles as well. I am going to play a wee bit.

“I think I’ve been averaging nine or 10 games a season for the last four or five seasons.

“Playing isn’t my priority, but I still enjoy playing.”

Neil Hogarth is carrying on as captain this coming season, with Murdo Anderson and Greg Raeburn as vice-captains.

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