Gary Parker leaves post as Scottish Women coach

THE Scotland Women rugby head coach, Gary Parker, is stepping down from his post with the national squad with immediate effect.

Parker, who took on the role 12 months ago, saw Scotland Women claim victory over France in the opening Six Nations fixture of 2010 and coached the team in the run-up to and throughout the recent Women's Rugby World Cup in Surrey.

Scotland Women moved up one place, to eighth, in the world rankings following the tournament.

In relinquishing his position, Parker said: "I've really enjoyed working with the players and the rest of the management team.

"I've worked with some incredibly committed people within the women's game and want to thank all those who supported me so well over the past year.

"The job of Scotland Women's head coach is as much about the development of the game of woman's rugby in Scotland along with the preparation for Test matches, an example being the Tuesday night training sessions we started over and above the international squad weekends to increase the players' skills and game awareness.

On his reasons for stepping down, Parker added: "I feel I have been unable to commit the required time to reach the high standards I demand of myself, and that the position requires.

"It's nothing more than a time management issue that has led me to make this difficult decision."

The post of Scotland Women head coach will be advertised on the Scottish Rugby web site at www.scottishrugby.org