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Four Scottish rugby figures—former Scotland captain Mike Blair, skills acquisition coach Euan Mackintosh, performance scientist Adam Hay, and head coach Clark Laidlaw—recently reunited in New Zealand. All four relocated from Edinburgh, Inverness, Yetholm, and Jedburgh to build careers in Southern Hemisphere rugby, with Laidlaw recently leading the Hurricanes to a Super Rugby title in his third season in charge.
From Scottish Roots to Super Rugby Title
Blair will return to Murrayfield on Saturday as the attack coach for the All Blacks. Speaking on the BBC’s Scotland Rugby Podcast, Laidlaw recounted the lunch meeting between the Scottish coaches, saying, “We were getting a bit of stick at lunch, the four of us talking Scottish.” Laidlaw’s Hurricanes side dominated their season, finishing top of the regular season table before securing knockout victories over the Brumbies (66-12), the Blues (57-21), and a 60-5 win against the Chiefs in the final.
Eight players from the Hurricanes were selected for Dave Rennie’s touring squad, a number that could have been higher without injuries. Now a New Zealand passport holder after 18 years in the country on and off, Laidlaw moved overseas at age 30 to work as a skills coach in Taranaki. He had previously worked for East Lothian Council while coaching local side Jed-Forest. Explaining his decision to leave, Laidlaw said, “I just thought there must be different ways to look at the game and different ways to look at life, really.”
Cultural Influence and National Ambitions
Before taking charge of the Hurricanes, Laidlaw enjoyed significant success coaching New Zealand Sevens, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games, gold at the World Cup Sevens, and silver at the Tokyo Olympics. He noted that living in New Zealand softened his personality, explaining that the Maori and Pacific Island cultures helped him become more understanding and empathetic while looking after young athletes who were away from home for the first time.
A decade ago, Laidlaw spent two seasons at London Irish and turned down offers from Leinster and Montpellier before returning to New Zealand. While his primary focus remains on the Hurricanes, he acknowledged that he would be open to discussing the Scotland head coaching position whenever Gregor Townsend steps down. Despite his long residency abroad, Laidlaw expressed support for his native country ahead of Saturday’s match against New Zealand, stating, “Scotland are definitely knocking on the door. I want Scotland to beat the All Blacks and I want the All Blacks to win every other game.”
Family Legacy and Ties to Scotland
Laidlaw also shared updates regarding his father, Roy Laidlaw, the former Scotland and British & Irish Lions scrum-half who earned 47 caps for Scotland and four for the Lions. Roy is currently living with dementia in a care home in Jedburgh, where he receives visits every week from his 1984 Grand Slam teammates John Rutherford and Keith Robertson.
Describing his father as safe and healthy, Laidlaw acknowledged the difficulty of living on the other side of the world while his family manages his father’s care. He noted that returning to live in Scotland at some point remains a potential option for his family’s future.
