New deal on the cards for Gregor Townsend – Daily Business

Scottish Rugby is set to hand Gregor Townsend a contract extension which will see the head coach lead his team into the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

The 52-year-old has been in charge since 2017, with his current deal running until the spring of 2026.

The Scots head to New Zealand and Fiji on their upcoming summer tour during which time discussions over Townsend’s position will take place.

Scottish Rugby chief executive Alex Williamson says he expects those talks to be “really positive” as he gave his backing to the head coach continuing in his role with a third World Cup on the horizon.

Townsend suffered group stage exits at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups but Williamson said: “I am going on the summer tour so we are going to have plenty of time to have conversations and that sense of having continuity is going to be important for us.

“I thought we saw a lot in the autumn and then going through the Six Nations. If we cast our minds back to Australia and South Africa, if we think about the way that we played, in particular against England and France, I think that we were tiny differences away from wins in very big games and I think that we should be excited about that.

“The feedback from the players continues to be really strong in terms of the quality of the camp and the coaching and I think we should be optimistic for the way that the men’s national team can perform going into this very challenging summer tour and then into the autumn.

“I think that the conversations with Gregor are going to be really positive.”