mens
Sevens
Craig Dods has left Scottish Rugby to join Rugby Canada’s coaching staff as the head coach of Canada’s men’s sevens and assistant coach of the men’s 15s.
Son of Peter Dods, mainstay of the greats Scotland 1984 Grand Slam team winner both British and Irish Lions tourist, was chosen from a long list of 70 applicants.
He comes to the role after serving as Scottish Rugby Specialist Skills Coach, GB7 Assistant Coach and as Scottish Rugby National Talent Coach.
He previously worked for Gala and Kelso in the Scottish Borders, as well as heading up the Hungarian women’s rugby program for several years, leading them to their best ever finish on the Rugby Europe Sevens circuit.
“I’m glad I joined rugby Canada at a pivotal time for the sport in such a proud and passionate rugby nation,” Dodds said.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to make an impact on the men’s sevens program as we aim for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and I am supporting Stephen Meehan as the U15 team looks towards the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027
“I see that Rugby Canada has elite, high-performance players who have the skill and desire to compete at the highest level of our game, both sevens and 15s.
“My family and I look forward to coming, meeting the players, coaches and seeing the impact the sport is having across the country.”
Shawn Bullock, Director of High Performance at Rugby Canada, added, “This position attracted over 70 highly qualified applicants from domestic and international backgrounds. Our selection panel conducted a multi-stage recruitment process, evaluating applicants against the position profile and the high performance requirements of the program.
“This involved two rounds of interviews designed to assess the coach’s expertise, leadership skills, technical knowledge and alignment with our program values and operating environment. We are excited to welcome Craig to our coaching staff with his experience and expertise in the 7s and 15s.”
