Scotland coach Vern Cotter to join Montpellier for season 2017/18

Scotland coach Vern Cotter has, as was widely anticipated, found himself a post with Montepllier in France's Top 14 from the end of the current season when his contract with Murrayfield expires.

Vern Cotter has previous experience of managing in the French Top 14 with Clermont. Pic: TSPL

Cotter was controversially replaced by Glasgow boss Gregor Townsend just a few short months ago despite taking Scotland to within a whisker of the World Cup semi-finals in 2015, losing to Australia in the last minute thanks to a incorrectpenalty.

Cotter made his name in France, first as a player and more recently as the head coach of Clermont, who he led to the Top 14 Championship in 2010 after innumerable failures in the final. He moved to Scotland in 2014, one year later than expected after the Scottish Rugby Union failed to inform Clermont of their signing and the club duly held Cotter to his contract rather than release him one season early.

The current Montpellier coach, World Cup-winner Jake White, is leaving the club to make way for Cotter. What is less clear is just how many of the South African counterparts that White signed are leaving with him.

After failing to make much of an impact in the Six Nations to date – two wins in ten attempts – Cotter has one final season of Six Nations rugby to make his mark in Europe before a return to the club game.