Edinburgh Rugby has named Louise Dalgliesh as Head Coach of its women’s team, ahead of the 2026/27 Celtic Challenge season.
Dalgliesh joins Edinburgh Rugby from The University of Edinburgh, where she served as Head of Performance for Women’s Rugby, and succeeds Claire Cruickshank, who has moved into a new role as Scottish Rugby’s first Women’s National Academy Manager.
The appointment lands at a significant moment as Edinburgh Rugby prepares to field a squad that blends emerging Scottish talent, including Alex Stewart, Molly Poolman, Hannah Ramsay and Hannah Walker, with the return of established internationals Coreen Grant, Elis Martin, Chloe Rollie, Leia Brebner-Holden and Emma Orr; a mix that reflects the growing interest and competitive talent on show in the Celtic Challenge.
Dalgliesh won 67 caps for Scotland and represented her country at the 2006 and 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cups, before moving into coaching. She has since coached Japan at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) in New Zealand, held Assistant Coach and U23 Performance Coach roles at Premiership Women’s Rugby side Sale Sharks, and most recently led the Scotland Women U20 programme through the Six Nations Summer Series, helping develop several players now representing Edinburgh Rugby in the Celtic Challenge.
On her appointment, Dalgliesh said: “This is a role I’m hugely proud to be stepping into. I’ve absolutely loved my time at The University of Edinburgh and taking on this position feels like a natural next step.
“I’ve been part of this city’s rugby fabric for a long time, in one way or another, and I already know so many of these players from BUCS and the national pathway. That gives me a real head start, but it also makes this exciting for a different reason – I get to keep building with players I’ve already seen grow.
“Women’s rugby is on the rise, and Edinburgh Rugby are right at the front of that push. I can’t wait to get started.”
Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director Douglas Struth said: “We’re really excited to appoint Louise. She brings a huge amount of experience across the international game, PWR, BUCS Super Rugby and the pathway here in Scotland, and she’s the right person to lead our women’s programme into this new era.
“This is a squad bursting with talent – young, up-and-coming players standing shoulder to shoulder with returning internationalists – and with attendances climbing at Hive Stadium, you can see for yourself that women’s rugby is very much on the rise in the Scottish capital.
“We’re hugely thankful to The University of Edinburgh for their support in this transition, and we can’t wait to welcome Louise to the club.”
Scottish Rugby’s Head of Women’s Performance and Pathways Andy Rhys-Jones added: “Following an extensive recruitment process, we are pleased to appoint Louise as Head Coach at Edinburgh Rugby.
“She is someone who brings an excellent blend of coaching expertise and a passion for developing players. Throughout her coaching career, she has demonstrated the ability to build high-performance environments while helping individuals reach their potential.
“Having worked across the international game, in PWR and across the pathways in Scotland, she has a great understanding of the landscape and the players who she will be working with at Edinburgh. Ahead of what will be an exciting Celtic Challenge season, with several new additions in the squad, we are excited to see the impact she will have at Edinburgh Rugby.”
