Edinburgh Rugby hires Brad Davis and Tim Sampson to refresh coaching structures as the club looks to avoid another failed challenge for the play-offs
Published 15th Apr 2026, 20:00 BST. The club formerly known as one of Scotland’s two pro teams has taken decisive steps to change the environment around its head coach. After a campaign in which Edinburgh Rugby recorded just four wins from 14 league matches and appears poised to miss the play-offs qualification for the third time in four years, the governing body has opted to reconfigure the supporting staff rather than replace the boss.
That decision keeps Sean Everitt in place while the organisation fundamentally changes the people who work closest to the squad.
Those moves form part of a broader performance overhaul led by consultant director David Nucifora, supported by managing director Doug Struth and Everitt himself.
The reshuffle includes the scheduled departures of long-serving staff such as defence coach Michael Todd and backs coach Rob Chrystie, plus the voluntary exit of Scott Mathie, who will join URC rivals the Sharks in South Africa. The club has also signalled turnover among medical and strength and conditioning personnel as part of a comprehensive review of its coaching and performance functions.
Why the timing and who is responsible
The changes reflect a mix of frustration and faith. Scottish Rugby retained Everitt with a new two-year agreement in January, yet the board concluded that fresh assistants and a different performance architecture are needed to restore momentum. David Nucifora — a figure often operating behind the scenes — has driven recruitment toward Australia, preferring experienced candidates who can bring immediate structure. The message is clear: the organisation wants new voices in the room while maintaining continuity at head coach level, hoping a revamped backroom team will translate into better on-field cohesion.
New coaching arrivals from Australia
Brad Davis: defence expertise and wide-ranging experience
Brad Davis, 58, arrives with a long background that straddles both codes of the sport. A former rugby league player with clubs such as Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers, Davis switched to union coaching in 2006 and built a reputation as a defence specialist at clubs including Bath, Wasps, Ospreys and London Irish. He has also worked at Super Rugby level with the Queensland Reds and held roles with the Wallabies as an attack coach on occasion, giving him a broad tactical palette. His appointment is being presented as a heavyweight hire intended to tighten Edinburgh’s defensive systems and deliver structural improvements quickly.
Tim Sampson: attacking ideas and head-coach experience
Tim Sampson, 49, joins from the Southern Hemisphere route, most recently serving as senior attack coach with the Super Rugby side Fijian Drua. Sampson has prior head-coach experience with the Western Force and a spell as assistant with the Melbourne Rebels, so he brings both tactical creativity and leadership experience. The club expects Sampson to refresh an attack that features talented finishers such as Darcy Graham, Duhan van der Merwe and Wes Goosen but has struggled to manufacture consistent possession and quality chances.
Implications for squad building and immediate priorities
Recruitment, comparison and short-term targets
Edinburgh’s hierarchy is explicit that the first priority is smarter recruitment and clearer game plans. The club needs players who can link structured phases to dynamic finishing moves; in other words, creators who can feed the established wingers. The appointment of Davis and Sampson sits alongside the retention of forwards coach Stevie Lawrie in an attempt to balance fresh ideas with internal continuity. Observers will be quick to compare the work to neighbours Glasgow Warriors, who under Franco Smith have produced an expansive, high-scoring style that currently leads the United Rugby Championship standings.
If the new coaching duo can marry defensive discipline with inventive attack patterns, Edinburgh hopes to overturn a recent pattern of disappointment. There is little appetite for another season that falls short of expectations, and the restructuring signals both a warning and an investment: the club has chosen to change its supporting cast to try to unlock the potential of a squad rich in internationals. The coming months will test whether the fresh voices from Australia can translate into results and restore the club’s competitive edge.
