STEWART'S/MELVILLE have turned to one of Scotland's youngest coaches as they bid to regain top-flight club rugby status in the Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership next season.
Former Currie and Scotland under-18 centre Graeme Moffat has been enlisted to fill the post previously held by Grant Mackenzie who died last month at the tragically early age of 39.
It had already been decided that Mackenzie would step up to bec
ome director of rugby and the task of replacing him was underway when he died within weeks of being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
In Moffat the club have acquired the services of a 25-year-old who has dedicated himself to coaching since injury began to curtail his playing career.
Moffat says: "I have an appointment at hospital today for a further assessment of an injured knee but, rugby-wise, my thoughts are all focused on coaching, regardless of the outcome.
"That is where I see my future after starting out as a development officer with Currie for three years and spending the last two years as player/coach at Forrester where we gained promotion from National League Division Three before finishing third in Division Two.
"To assist I've been fortunate in persuading my old Currie colleague Andy Muir to take charge of strength and conditioning which is the area where he works on the staff at Telford College.
"Andy and I were students together as well as Currie team-mates and he'll bring a lot, both off the pitch and as a centre."
What is clear is that Moffat, whose national under-18 contemporaries include current Scotland back rower Ally Hogg, isn't letting the grass grow under his feet.
"Pre-season training started a fortnight ago and we'll keep building up to friendlies already arranged with Boroughmuir and Heriot's before the league kick-off against Peebles.
"Further helping our cause will be the arrival of, amongst others, former Sale Academy full back Ally Buchan, who was at St Andrews University with some of the current Stew/Mel players."
Already Moffat has started to draw on astonishing experience for one so young.
"I had a season as player/coach of Red Deer Titans rugby club in Canada, where we finished second in the Alberta League and that helped broaden my horizons.
"What has really helped me though is being exposed to the teachings of some really good coaches.
"Quite apart from the likes of Ally Donaldson, Graham Hogg and others at Currie I count myself fortunate to have been coached by (ex-Scotland hooker) Grant McKelvie when he was Edinburgh's development officer prior to becoming the SRU's senior performance development manager. Another bonus has been the way backs' coach Rob Moffat has allowed me to monitor the training at Edinburgh on occasions and all this I hope to put at Stewart's/Melville's disposal along with Andy Muir.
"Grant Mackenzie will be a hard act to follow and with Millan Browne and Graham Ellis moving on it's a changing of guard at Inverleith for all sorts of reasons."
Despite his relatively tender years, coaching-wise, Moffat is tipped to succeed by Muir, who said: "Graeme and I go back quite a long way and know how each other work. Getting into coaching was always one of my aims especially after an involvement for the Vail club in Colorado for a season. To be starting at Stewart's/Melville means coming in at a high level in Division Two but that will add to the challenge."
The full article contains 593 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
