“Some people would say Scotland is too small to be able to compete on the world stage. That was the same thing Ireland said to me.”
These are the words of Scottish Rugby’s new performance director David Nucifora, who is largely credited with Ireland’s recent success in the game.
During his 10-year reign as performance director at the IRFU, the men’s team rose to the top of the world rankings and won four Six Nations Championships, including two Grand Slams. He also presided over the women’s team’s Six Nations victory in 2015.
Now the Australian is hoping to repeat its decade of dominance in the Irish Sea.
“When I ended up in Ireland I really had no intention of doing anything else,” the 62-year-old said.
“But I had a number of conversations with John McGuigan (Chairman of Scottish Rugby Limited) and we had similar views about the game and where it could go.
“I was convinced there was an opportunity to do something here because I have had a lot of involvement with rugby in this part of the world.
“The lure of helping to reshape something that I believed had a very high ceiling was attractive to me. So, I jumped at the opportunity to get involved.”
The former hooker has been tasked with providing a “roadmap” for the next decade of Scottish rugby player development for the duration of his two-year contract. He will also assist the SRU in appointing a permanent successor.
“I’ve been out here on the field for the last five weeks and I’m really encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Nucifora said.
“I think there’s a lot of potential. There are a lot of things that can be attacked much earlier and try to make some reasonable quick fixes.
“I certainly don’t have a magic wand, but I see that the structures and the raw materials are here to work. I look at it in a very positive light and believe we can achieve some really good things. Can.”
David Nucifora helped Ireland reach the top of the world rugby rankings during his 10-year tenure with the IRFU.
The men’s national team will return to action against Italy in their first match of the Six Nations in February.
When Nucifora was asked about Scotland’s chances of winning the tournament, he replied: “Scotland are a team that is difficult to beat at any time.
“You look at last year, they had some good wins, and they lost some games so they’re probably disappointed. It’s about continuity, and to achieve that, you have to have a cohesive system.
“You can’t just select the national team. You have to look at the whole parcel and go: ‘Okay, how do we improve this? How do we support what’s underneath it to make sure they are at their level? Be the best all the time?
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