Tom Philip takes up reins at Haddington

Philip is just 28 but has spent the past six years since he quit professional rugby due to a serious back injury developing his coaching, both in rugby skills and strength and conditioning.

Philip came through the Edinburgh/SRU academy and made his international debut against Wales in Matt Williams’ first match as Scotland coach. He played in all five Six Nations Championship matches as a 20-year-old but suffered a serious knee injury on tour in Australia and, also his by a chronic back problem, was never to return to the Test stage. However, with other interests in sports journalism, cage fighting, sports conditioning and Rugby League, he has kept himself fit and retained a keen passion for rugby.

He was backs and conditioning coach at Edinburgh Accies when they were promoted to Premier One and impressed Haddington with his desire to take on the top role at the former Premier Three, now Championship East club.

Club President Andrew Cunningham said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Tom who brings an outstanding pedigree. The appointment comes as the culmination of a two-month review of our rugby set-up, followed by a selection process which drew from a hugely impressive list of candidates.

“This is part of our goal to regain and maintain our position in the upper echelons of Scottish rugby. Our interview panel was greatly impressed by the passion and enthusiasm Tom brought to the table, and the freshness and clarity of his thinking. We will be working with Tom to complete our coaching team and hope to make further announcements on the coaching and playing front shortly.”

Philip was up against a number of very experienced club coaches, some also former internationalists, from as far afield as South Africa and New Zealand who answered the club’s advert in The Scotsman for a new head coach to guide a new era at Neilson Park.

But his recent background in pro rugby appears to have won through as is becoming popular around the game. Esher, recently relegated from the English Championship, yesterday appointed former England and British Lions centre Ollie Smith as their new head coach, with Toulon second row Kris Chesney, who is still playing in France, as his assistant for next season.

Philip insisted that it came down to ambition and the fact that he is keen to use his experience of professional standards to help Haddington back to the top level of club rugby.

“I am delighted to find a club whose ambition and philosophy matches mine,” he said, “and I look forward to restoring Haddington to their rightful position in Scottish rugby. This is just the step I was looking for in my coaching career.”

Cliff Livingston, Haddington’s vice-president and former player and coach, further explained the attraction of Philip.

“As Andrew said, it was part of the independent review carried out,” he said, “and a lot of the feedback we got was that we needed a new coaching structure where the head coach would take charge of the whole senior level at the club, and drive it, which is what Tom will do.

“He is young and we accept that he’s learning the trade as a coach and so inevitably there will be mistakes along the way, but he’s very enthusiastic, has some great ideas from his time in pro and international rugby, and from his recent runs in Rugby League, that was impressive.

“The fact that we have a young squad and a great youth system with over 250 youngsters now, also means that they can identify with him and certainly most remember Tom as an internationalist, so we’re hoping that will help to get the best out of them.

“We’ve taken this tack before, reviewing the club and bringing in new coaches, like Ian Barnes and Gary Callander, and they freshened things up. That’s what we need now because we are ambitious and want to be back in the top league.”

He added: “It’s a great opportunity for Haddington and for him, and while we have a three-year plan we know this may be a stepping stone back to the pro game for him. But the more successful he is the more successful we are so it could be an exciting combination.”