Southern Knights need to do things differently from now on, says rugby chief Rob Moffat

Ex-Southern Knights head coach Bruce Ruthven watching their match against Heriot's at the Greenyards in Melrose last month (Photo by Paul Devlin/SNS Group/SRU)

A rethink is required at the Southern Knights following their second-bottom finish in rugby’s Fosroc Super6 Championship this season and wooden spoon in the sprint series contest that preceded it, according to their director of rugby, former Edinburgh head coach Rob Moffat.

Head coach Bruce Ruthven’s departure this week, reported in yesterday’s Southern, marks the start of that rejig as the Melrose-based semi-professional side look to raise their game.

“It was just time for a change, time for Bruce to move on and time for us to do something different,” Moffat told Borders Rugby TV.

“What we’re thinking is ahead to next year and how we can go better.

Southern Knights director of rugby Rob Moffat (Photo: Sammy Turner/SNS Group/SRU)

“What we can control is getting the best squad and best support group around it about the players to help us move on, but we are very appreciative of what Bruce has done. He worked very hard.

“Everybody knows that sport in general is not easy, and there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to Super6. It’s not easy.

“What we are about is giving youngsters a chance to play at higher level, and that is what Super6 does at the moment. That is what Bruce has done over the last nine months.

“If people look at the record, there are a lot of young players who have been given a chance.”

Former Melrose head coach Ruthven took charge of the Knights in January and went on to oversee one win and six defeats in the sprint series and two victories and eight losses in the championship, currently concluding with play-offs not involving the Knights this time round.

The 42-year-old was their second gaffer following their formation in November 2019, taking over from another ex-Melrose head coach, Rob Chrystie, now an academy coach for Edinburgh.

Explaining his exit, said to have been by mutual consent, he said: “Ultimately, there are a lot of constraints within the role which make it difficult to do the necessary work and a lot of unknowns about how the Super6 is shaping up for next season.

“I have some good opportunities in the near future so I’m going to explore them.

“I have enjoyed my time with the Knights.

“Everyone involved has worked very hard to establish a good platform for the players to showcase their talent, and in particular the young players that have formed a large part of the squad have performed well and I’m sure will be in contention for international honours with full-time pro contracts on the horizon.”

The Knights’ current coaching team also features ex-Scotland internationals Alan Tait, Ross Ford and Lewis Carmichael.

A new head coach is now being sought to follow in Chrystie and Ruthven’s footsteps.