Gregor Townsend has defended his decision to take on a part-time advisory role with Red Bull, insisting the move will “energise” him rather than detract from his duties as Scotland head coach.
Townsend, who recently extended his Scotland contract through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, has agreed to spend up to 30 days a year working on Red Bull’s global rugby strategy. The Austrian energy drinks giant, which recently entered the sport through its investment in Newcastle, is expanding its footprint in high-performance rugby.
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The move sparked criticism in Scotland, with some questioning whether Townsend could balance both roles while preparing his team for November Tests against the United States, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga.
But the 52-year-old was quick to downplay those concerns when he named his latest national squad this week.
“Yeah, look, everyone’s got their opinions,” Townsend said. “It’s something that obviously I talked about with Scottish Rugby, and the benefits that we saw in the role.
“In my own time, I’d like to learn from other sports and other organisations. This gives me an opportunity to do that, but it’s not going to be something that I’m focusing on the next few weeks, because that’s going to be the Scotland job.”
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– AFP
Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
The post Townsend fires back at critics over Red Bull job appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Gregor Townsend has defended his decision to take on a part-time advisory role with Red Bull, insisting the move will “energise” him rather than detract from his duties as Scotland head coach.
The post Townsend fires back at critics over Red Bull job appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
