Former Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw to step down as Urayasu D-Rocks boss \u2013 Gatland tipped for shock return<\/p>\n
Former Scotland captain\u00a0Greig Laidlaw\u00a0is set to call time on his stint as head coach of Japanese side\u00a0Urayasu D-Rocks\u00a0\u2013 and reports suggest\u00a0Warren Gatland\u00a0is in line to replace him.<\/p>\n
Join the\u00a0RUCK\u2019s WhatsApp community here<\/a>\u00a0and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0RugbyJP.com, Gatland \u2013 the ex-Wales and British & Irish Lions supremo \u2013 has been approached to take over from Laidlaw, who only took the reins last season.<\/p>\n Laidlaw, 38, won 76 caps for Scotland between 2010 and 2019, bowing out from international duty after the Rugby World Cup in Japan. He joined the Shining Arcs (as the club was then known) in 2020, before moving into coaching three years later.<\/p>\n When appointed last summer, Laidlaw became the youngest head coach in the league, succeeding South African Johan Ackermann. However, it proved a tough campaign \u2013 just\u00a0three wins from 18 matches\u00a0\u2013 with survival only secured via a nail-biting play-off win over Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi.<\/p>\n RUCK understands Laidlaw could be heading back to Scotland, potentially linking up with\u00a0Gregor Townsend\u2019s coaching team\u00a0for the Autumn Nations Series after defence coach Steve Tandy\u2019s switch to Wales.<\/p>\n If Gatland does get the nod in Japan, it would mark his first permanent gig since stepping down as Wales boss earlier this year following a 14-match winless streak. The 61-year-old Kiwi most recently acted as an advisor to Uruguayan side Pe\u00f1arol, helping them to the Super Rugby Americas title in June.<\/p>\n EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n On this day 10 years ago, England snatched the Rugby World Cup on Aussie soil. Let\u2019s dive into what those legends got up to since lifting the Webb Ellis.<\/p>\n 15. Josh Lewsey \u2013 The Everest Attempting Ex-Soldier<\/p>\n Full-back Lewsey was a British Army officer before turning pro rugby after just two years of service. When he hung up his boots in 2009, whispers floated he might return to the forces. Instead, he aimed higher\u2014literally\u2014attempting Everest, but a faulty oxygen apparatus stopped him 500 feet from the summit. Afterward, he jumped into finance at PwC and CitiGroup. But the rugby bug bit again, and in 2023 he returned as acting CEO of the Cornish Pirates before becoming Welsh Rugby Union\u2019s Head of Rugby. Fun fact: He\u2019s half Welsh, so this return was kind of homecoming.<\/p>\n 14. Jason Robinson \u2013 Wing Wizard & Sheep Farmer?<\/p>\n Robinson, cross-code star and scorer of England\u2019s sole try in the final, retired from rugby union in 2007 but never quite stepped off the pitch scene. He coached for the Rugby Football League and Sale Sharks, dabbled in sheep farming (yes, seriously), and even returned briefly to playing with a local team. These days he\u2019s focused on his own high-performance sports apparel line, \u2018Proskins.\u2019 Versatile on and off the field!<\/p>\n 13. Will Greenwood \u2013 Inside Centre with a Media Makeover<\/p>\n Retiring in 2006, Greenwood has arguably enjoyed a second career in the media spotlight. He writes columns, analyses games on TV, appears in adverts, and is a popular figure on the after-dinner circuit. But his biggest claim to fame now? Hosting\u00a0School of Hard Knocks\u00a0on Sky Sports, a show tackling social inclusion by using rugby to inspire youth in deprived areas.<\/p>\n 12. Mike Tindall \u2013 Royalty, Rugby, and Rowdiness<\/p>\n Tindall\u2019s best known to the general public as Princess Zara Phillips\u2019 husband, but he\u2019s still very much in the game, playing for Gloucester and coaching youngsters. His England career ended post-2011 World Cup\u2014marred by controversy after being fined \u00a315,000 for throwing a dwarf in a bar (a bizarre incident dubbed \u2018dwarf-gate\u2019). He now co-hosts the very successful The Good, The Bad and The Rugby Podcast.<\/p>\n 11. Ben Cohen \u2013 The 6\u20192\u201d Gay Icon & Dancing Star<\/p>\n Retired in 2023, Cohen had already founded the\u00a0Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation\u00a0to fight bullying, focusing heavily on combating homophobic abuse. His advocacy has earned him \u2018Ally of the Year\u2019 from gay magazine\u00a0Attitude\u2014pretty impressive for a 6\u20192\u201d ex-winger! He\u2019s also a fan favorite on\u00a0Strictly Come Dancing, proving his moves aren\u2019t limited to the rugby pitch.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE 2<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n