Scotland have confirmed that Gregor Townsend will remain in his role as head coach until the end of the 2027 World Cup after his new deal had been widely reported.

Townsend is already Scotland’s longest-serving coach of the professional era, but the new deal will see him spend a decade at the helm, having taken over from Vern Cotter in 2017.

The former British & Irish Lion’s contract with Scotland was due to expire after the 2026 Six Nations, where he will reach his 100th game in charge, and he had been linked with the director of rugby role with the ambitious Newcastle Red Bulls.

Instead, he will remain with the national team in what is a double-coup for Scottish rugby, with Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith also committing to the club until 2028. 

“Being the Scotland head coach is a massive honour for me personally, a true privilege,” Townsend said. “The opportunity to coach my country at another Rugby World Cup is exciting and I am hugely motivated to help the team perform to its potential.

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“Over recent years I have been really encouraged by the progress the team has made and the depth we have built in a number of positions. The experiences from our Summer Tour and also the Lions Tour will add an extra layer to our group. Having 12 players out on the Lions tour was tremendous for Scottish rugby and the players.

“It’s going to be an exciting build up period to the World Cup with the potential of a new competition for our summer and autumn fixtures in 2026 as well as two Six Nations Championships for us to attack. And, this November we have a cracking run of home fixtures, which will include celebrating the centenary of our national stadium when we take on New Zealand. This occasion will underline the importance we place on connection to our supporters and our history.

“I understand tickets have been selling well and that shows how much the nation are behind the players. There is a real belief within the squad that they can achieve special things and I can’t wait to work with them again to help make this happen.”

Scottish Rugby Performance Director David Nucifora added: “Gregor is one of the most well-respected coaches in world rugby. The strength that this continuity of appointment brings in addition to the increased high-performance resources being made available places Scottish Rugby in a strong position leading into the next Rugby World Cup.

“He has built an impressive squad with increased depth across a number of positions that is now coming into its prime regarding international experience.

“We are excited about what is to come from the men’s national team in the coming years and Gregor is the best person to take them forward.”

Scottish Rugby CEO Alex Williamson said: “Having toured with the Scotland squad this summer I witnessed first hand the impressive culture that Gregor has developed and saw how connected and motivated the playing group is. That cohesion will be vitally important for the national team to be successful in the future.

“We have an exciting group of players which Gregor has nurtured, and I believe he is the right man to drive us forward, with full support of the Scottish Rugby Limited Board.

“The strong ticket sales for our matches at Scottish Gas Murrayfield demonstrate how engaged the nation are with Gregor’s team and the way they play rugby. We are excited to see the relationship with the fans continue to develop this autumn, where the team have the opportunity to achieve results that will propel them into next year’s Guinness Six Nations.

“I have talked in the past about the importance of continuity in our men’s coaching environments, both because we believe we have excellent individuals in our structure and because it allows us to embed our high-performance reorganisation with coaches who are already fully committed to this critically important and substantial investment. I look forward to seeing Gregor and the men’s national team being early beneficiaries of the changes.”