Mallinder to step down as performance director

Scottish Rugby's performance director Jim Mallinder will step down from his role in June 2024.

Appointed in 2019, Scotland's men and women's teams have climbed the world rankings during his tenure, while many of the women's side have moved from amateur to full-time contracts.

However, Mallinder has come under fire in recent months as the Scotland under-20s side has fallen down the rankings and suffered some humiliating defeats in the process.

In August, he admitted to being "concerned" by the under-performing pathway system and said the union "needs to do better" in developing young talent.

Scottish Rugby took the decision to mothball the under-20s set-up for financial reasons during the Covid pandemic, a decision which Mallinder admits in hindsight has damaged Kenny Murray's squad.

Speaking to Scottish rugby, the 57-year-old said: “I’ve pretty much gone back-to-back in jobs from Premiership director of rugby to the RFU to Scottish Rugby and so I’ve decided to stop, take a pause, before looking for something new.

“As anyone working in elite sport will tell you, there are a lot of time and travel commitments, so I’d like to spend some time at home once this role ends.

“I’ve hugely enjoyed Scotland and contributing to the successes our teams have had and we have worked hard to improve areas which could be better.

"Since arriving I’ve been hugely impressed with how our teams perform and the results we can achieve against larger rugby nations."