Frank Hadden
Encyclopedia
Frank Hadden is a Scottish
rugby union
coach
. He is a former head coach of Scotland
and Edinburgh Rugby.
Hadden replaced Matt Williams
and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School
1st XV after being appointed Head of Physical Education at the school in 1983. He coached several Scottish age-group teams before being appointed assistant coach of the Caledonian Reds in 1997. He was later appointed coach of Edinburgh Gunners (now Edinburgh Rugby) in 2000 prior to becoming the Scotland coach. He has since coached Scotland to notable wins over England
and France
in the 2006 Six Nations
and again winning the Calcutta Cup
against England
in the 2008 Six Nations
. He parted company with the national side on 2 April 2009 after a second consecutive disappointing Six Nations where they finished second bottom after winning just one match.
, Hadden was educated at the High School of Dundee
and the University of Strathclyde
, playing rugby for both. He attended the Carnegie School of Physical Education
in Leeds
(now Leeds Metropolitan University) to pursue a teaching career.
. He occasionally played in their 1st XV when the incumbent fly half, Ian McGeechan
(who later became coach of Scotland and the British and Irish Lions
) was away on international playing duty. Hadden also spent his youth playing for Dundee HSFP
, with his last match in 1987 on a tour of Ireland. Ironically Hadden came close to playing football, with trials with both Queens Park Rangers
and Forfar Athletic, as well as being offered a contract by Raith Rovers.
(MCS) in Edinburgh
. Hadden helped turn the school's 1st XV into a dominant force in Scottish schools rugby. During one four year period at the school he coached their team to 54 victories from 58 matches. In 1994 he was appointed coach of Scotland under-16s team. He continued to coach national age group sides until 2000.
Hadden's first appointment to a professional team was in 1997 as assistant coach for the Caledonia Reds
, one of the four new professional teams launched in Scotland. Hadden was included in the 1998 Scotland tour of Australia in the capacity of technical coach. However, when the Scottish Rugby Union
was forced to merge the Caledonian Reds with the Glasgow Warriors
during budget cut-backs, Hadden returned to teaching at Merchiston. While coaching the 1st XV he took them on to win The Scottish Schools Cup on a number of occasions. Along with rugby he was also an athletics coach at the school.
's Director of Rugby Jim Telfer asked Hadden to accept the role of head coach. In 2004, he became the first coach to take a Scottish professional team to the Heineken Cup
quarter-finals.
In April 2005 Matt Williams was sacked as Scotland coach after losing all but three of his 17 matches in charge. That month Hadden was appointed Scotland interim coach, leading Scotland to victories against the Barbarians
and Romania
. In 15 September 2005 Hadden was confirmed as Scotland
coach until the Rugby World Cup
in 2007
.
His first Six Nations game was a historic victory over France at Murrayfield
on 5 February 2006 by 20 points to 16. This was the first time since 1999 that Scotland had beaten France. He succeeded in generating confidence in the team that was lacking under his predecessor. Chris Paterson
said of Hadden's influence: "There is a confidence among the guys now and increased skill and belief in our handling... That's a testament to Frank and his coaching team."
The Calcutta Cup
returned to the SRU trophy cabinet on 25 February 2006 for the first time since 2000 after Hadden coached Scotland to victory over England
. The win was largely due to a defensive effort that saw 112 tackles made by Scotland, with only 6 missed.
Scotland finished third in the 2006 Six Nations, their best result since 2001. Their three wins in the 2006 Six Nations contrasting their sole win from the 2004 and 2005 tournaments. The turnaround was largely credited to Hadden, as the players available were nearly identical. Their win over France in the six-nations put Scotland eighth in the IRB world rankings. Their win over England then bought their rating to its highest point since rankings began. Under Hadden Scotland reached as high as seventh in the world rankings.
Hadden continued to coach Scotland through 2007, and coached them to the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Cup
where they were defeated by Argentina
. On 18 December 2007 the SRU announced that Hadden had signed a rolling contract to continue as Scotland coach until November 2008.
Hadden won the Calcutta Cup
for a second time on 8 March 2008, after a 15–9 victory over England at Murrayfield. Poor performances since then led to commentators and former players to call for Hadden's removal. He finally parted company with the national side on 2 April 2009 after a second consecutive disappointing Six Nations, and was replaced by Andy Robinson
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He is a former head coach of Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and Edinburgh Rugby.
Hadden replaced Matt Williams
Matt Williams (rugby coach)
Matt Williams is an Australian rugby union coach from New South Wales.Williams, a teacher by profession, started in coaching at club level with Western Suburbs in Sydney, Australia in 1991...
and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
1st XV after being appointed Head of Physical Education at the school in 1983. He coached several Scottish age-group teams before being appointed assistant coach of the Caledonian Reds in 1997. He was later appointed coach of Edinburgh Gunners (now Edinburgh Rugby) in 2000 prior to becoming the Scotland coach. He has since coached Scotland to notable wins over England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in the 2006 Six Nations
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
and again winning the Calcutta Cup
Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in the 2008 Six Nations
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
. He parted company with the national side on 2 April 2009 after a second consecutive disappointing Six Nations where they finished second bottom after winning just one match.
Background
Born in DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Hadden was educated at the High School of Dundee
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
and the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
, playing rugby for both. He attended the Carnegie School of Physical Education
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
(now Leeds Metropolitan University) to pursue a teaching career.
Playing career
While teaching at Guiseley School, he played rugby union for HeadingleyLeeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
. He occasionally played in their 1st XV when the incumbent fly half, Ian McGeechan
Ian McGeechan
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan OBE is a Scottish former rugby union player and coach. His nickname is "Geech".-Playing career:...
(who later became coach of Scotland and the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
) was away on international playing duty. Hadden also spent his youth playing for Dundee HSFP
Dundee HSFP
Dundee High Rugby are a rugby union team that play their home games at the Mayfield Playing Fields, Dundee, Scotland.The team was founded in 1880 by former pupils of the High School of Dundee, and currently play in the Premiership Division One, having been promoted from Scottish Premiership...
, with his last match in 1987 on a tour of Ireland. Ironically Hadden came close to playing football, with trials with both Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and Forfar Athletic, as well as being offered a contract by Raith Rovers.
Merchiston Castle School and Scotland under-16s
In 1983, Hadden was appointed Head of physical education and director of rugby at Merchiston Castle SchoolMerchiston Castle School
Merchiston Castle School is an independent school for boys in the village of Colinton in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has about 480 pupils and is open to boys between the ages of 8 and 18 as either boarders or day pupils; day pupils make up 35% of the school....
(MCS) in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Hadden helped turn the school's 1st XV into a dominant force in Scottish schools rugby. During one four year period at the school he coached their team to 54 victories from 58 matches. In 1994 he was appointed coach of Scotland under-16s team. He continued to coach national age group sides until 2000.
Hadden's first appointment to a professional team was in 1997 as assistant coach for the Caledonia Reds
Caledonia Reds
Caledonia Reds were a Scottish rugby union district team who participated in the precursor to the Celtic League and in two seasons of the Heineken Cup. They represented one of four districts of Scotland, covering the North and Midlands Caledonia Reds were a Scottish rugby union district team who...
, one of the four new professional teams launched in Scotland. Hadden was included in the 1998 Scotland tour of Australia in the capacity of technical coach. However, when the Scottish Rugby Union
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
was forced to merge the Caledonian Reds with the Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
during budget cut-backs, Hadden returned to teaching at Merchiston. While coaching the 1st XV he took them on to win The Scottish Schools Cup on a number of occasions. Along with rugby he was also an athletics coach at the school.
Edinburgh and Scotland
In 2000 a player revolt led to the removal of Ian Rankin as coach of Edinburgh Rugby. The Scottish Rugby UnionScottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
's Director of Rugby Jim Telfer asked Hadden to accept the role of head coach. In 2004, he became the first coach to take a Scottish professional team to the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
quarter-finals.
In April 2005 Matt Williams was sacked as Scotland coach after losing all but three of his 17 matches in charge. That month Hadden was appointed Scotland interim coach, leading Scotland to victories against the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
and Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
. In 15 September 2005 Hadden was confirmed as Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
coach until the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
in 2007
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
His first Six Nations game was a historic victory over France at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
on 5 February 2006 by 20 points to 16. This was the first time since 1999 that Scotland had beaten France. He succeeded in generating confidence in the team that was lacking under his predecessor. Chris Paterson
Chris Paterson
Chris Paterson is a Scotland internationalist who plays for RaboDirect Pro12 side Edinburgh Rugby. He is Scotland’s record cap and points holder with 109 caps and 809 points. Paterson is capable in a range of positions, including fullback, wing and fly-half. In recent years Paterson has played...
said of Hadden's influence: "There is a confidence among the guys now and increased skill and belief in our handling... That's a testament to Frank and his coaching team."
The Calcutta Cup
Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
returned to the SRU trophy cabinet on 25 February 2006 for the first time since 2000 after Hadden coached Scotland to victory over England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. The win was largely due to a defensive effort that saw 112 tackles made by Scotland, with only 6 missed.
Scotland finished third in the 2006 Six Nations, their best result since 2001. Their three wins in the 2006 Six Nations contrasting their sole win from the 2004 and 2005 tournaments. The turnaround was largely credited to Hadden, as the players available were nearly identical. Their win over France in the six-nations put Scotland eighth in the IRB world rankings. Their win over England then bought their rating to its highest point since rankings began. Under Hadden Scotland reached as high as seventh in the world rankings.
Hadden continued to coach Scotland through 2007, and coached them to the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
where they were defeated by Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
. On 18 December 2007 the SRU announced that Hadden had signed a rolling contract to continue as Scotland coach until November 2008.
Hadden won the Calcutta Cup
Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
for a second time on 8 March 2008, after a 15–9 victory over England at Murrayfield. Poor performances since then led to commentators and former players to call for Hadden's removal. He finally parted company with the national side on 2 April 2009 after a second consecutive disappointing Six Nations, and was replaced by Andy Robinson
Andy Robinson
Richard Andrew 'Andy' Robinson OBE is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He is currently the head coach of Scotland.Robinson played as an openside flanker for Bath, England and the British and Irish Lions...
.
See also
- Scotland national rugby union teamScotland national rugby union teamThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
- Six Nations ChampionshipSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
- Sean LineenSean LineenSean Lineen is a Scottish rugby player, originally from New Zealand. He has been awarded the freedom of the city of Edinburgh.-Early life:Lineen was born on December 25, 1961, in Auckland. He is the son of rugby player Terry Lineen....
- Edinburgh Rugby