DUNFERMLINE Rugby Club's new head coach has set his stall out to make them both fun to watch and successful.
The McKane Park outfit have announced that Gavin Emerson had taken on the role with the men's first XV, replacing Stuart Brown, who stepped down from the position in April.
Having led the team to a runners-up finish in last season's Tennent's Caledonia Region League Division One, Brown, who was named as Scottish Rugby's Volunteer of the Season for the Caledonia Midlands region in recognition of the time and effort he put in to provide training for up to 80 players a week, decided to retire from the role.
That led the club to invite applications to succeed him in the hotseat and Emerson, 36, has been identified as the man to step in.
A former second-row and number eight, he began his coaching career in 2013 with RAF Lossiemouth, with whom he honed his skills both as a player as well as on the sidelines.
During his 15-year-long career as a survival equipment specialist, Emerson played with the RAF first XV and coached some of their teams to competitions in Cyprus and America, while he also brings a wealth of experience from working in Fife at Glenrothes and, most recently, Howe of Fife, who he took to third place in Tennent's National League Division Three in the 2021/22 campaign.
Emerson, who works for Scottish Rugby as their youth and schools programmes officer, which supports the development of rugby programmes for young people, will have overall responsibility for the men's performance rugby at Dunfermline.
He will take charge of the first XV's training and matchday duties, as well as having overarching responsibility for the second XV, and is clear in the vision he has for the club moving forward.
"I am delighted to be taking up the new head coach position at Dunfermline," he said. "The player base and volunteer group within this club are focused and driven, and to have the opportunity to help shape and develop a group who are keen to progress is really exciting.
"I am looking forward to building relationships with remaining senior coaches and adding to the team where required to provide the player group with the best possible coaching experience.
"I have a lot of passion for the sport and for developing players, and I have great ambitions for this club, in particular for the first XV. There's a good balance of experience and backgrounds and I'm looking forward to getting to know the players and their strengths better so we can mould that into making Dunfermline both good fun to watch and, most importantly, successful."
Dunfermline Rugby Club president Kevin Storie added: "Now we have returned to fielding three competitive men’s teams, it is clear there is no shortage of passion for the sport in Dunfermline.
"As the club continues to develop, increase its senior player base and grow its connection with the local community, it was vital to find an individual who could build on the excellent foundations laid down by Stuart Brown and support the enormous work put in by the many coaches across the club.
"I believe Gavin will be an excellent fit, not only for the inclusive ethos of our club, but for our collective ambitions to become better and contend with some of the best clubs in the country."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here