Could 'brand new trainset' Newcastle turn Townsend's head?

Former Scotland women's captain Lisa Martin says a prospective move to Newcastle Falcons could appeal to Gregor Townsend.

The current Scotland men's head coach's contract expires in April 2026, but he has been linked with a move to English club Newcastle Red Bulls to become their director of rugby.

"It's definitely something that you'd think would turn his head a little bit," Martin told the BBC Scotland Rugby Podcast.

"It's something different, it goes back to a bit of full-time coaching again for him because in the international set-up, you don't really do much hands-on coaching.

"I suppose you look at Scottish Rugby at the minute, there's just a massive kind of bottleneck in terms of coaching, we've had coaches having to move on elsewhere because there is nowhere else for them to go further up the set-up.

"I think it would be a sensible thing from a wider perspective to maybe encourage Gregor to look at other options but I suppose it's down to him.

"Is he wanting to continue his project with Scotland and try and get the success that we've all been talking about that this generation needs and expects to have?

"Or is it time to cut your losses and say I've done what I can, let's move on and let's see what can I do with a brand new project and create a new legacy within Newcastle Red Bulls?"

With the next edition of the men's Rugby World Cup taking place in 2027, BBC Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English believes Townsend may want another crack at that competition before he moves on.

"He can't stay forever," English added. "I think the SRU were planning that he was going to stay until the World Cup and then there'll be a parting.

"But Newcastle is a very interesting project and if he is on the list, I could see why that might have appeal.

"It's a brand new trainset. It's a fantastic opportunity day-to-day at a club with low expectations but big budget. That would appeal to most coaches.

"But Townsend has said constantly his love of this job. This is not only a job to him, it's a kind of way of life."