MARK ROBERTSON, the former Scotland 7s star and Olympic Silver medallist with Team GB, will join French giants Clermont Auvergne as a strength and conditioning coach in the summer.
The 34-year-old, who played fifteens rugby with Melrose, Border Reivers and Edinburgh, is currently a strength and conditioning coach in the SRU Academy structure and has worked regularly with the Scotland national team under Gregor Townsend.
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“Mark was our first choice,” said Sébastien Bourdin, the head of physical training of ASM Clermont Auvergne. “We are very happy and eager to work together. He will bring us a new approach and his experience on the speed, the frequency of the supports and the repetition of the intense efforts which are specificities of the rugby 7.
“The game that Franck [Azéma, Clermont head coach] puts in place for several seasons is based on movement, explosiveness and the speed of execution, which corresponds with what is asked of players in sevens. There are many similarities in the preparation and certainly also complementary approaches that we can integrate into our methods to continue to evolve.
“The international experience and the Anglo-Saxon culture are also additional assets for this future staff member who will take office as soon as the 2019-20 season resumes.”
“Anglo Saxon culture” – youch! Good appointment for Robertson though.