Carlisle’s long search for a new coach is finally over and the Warwick Road club have landed something of a coup.
They have persuaded 56-year-old former Scotland international star George Graham to come out of retirement and take on the Head Coach role.
The Warwick Road club had first advertised at the end of last season after Matt Shields announced he was stepping down, and their initial choice gave backword before the appointment was officially announced.
Work has gone on since then to find a new man in time for the start of the 2022/23 season and Graham, who lives in Carlisle, seems the perfect fit. He hadn’t originally applied for the job but Carlisle have managed to persuade him to take over.
The former prop started his playing career for Stirling County in 1981, before 10 years later moving to Carlisle to switch from rugby union to rugby league. He played for Carlisle Border Raiders for five years, starting in 1991.
Graham said: “It was obviously a completely different skillset from rugby union. I had no idea about different things like not pushing in the scrum, not competing in rucks – it was very strange.
“We had good coaches and really good players and to this day have remained friends with them and they helped me along. It was a very enjoyable time. It made me a better player. It took me 17 years to get my first cap (for Scotland), but it was certainly worth it.”
In 1997 he won his first cap for his country, in his first year playing for Newcastle Falcons and went on to appear 25 times for Scotland up to 2002.
He played a total of 128 games for the Falcons and had a career packed with highlights. They included winning the Five Nations with Scotland and the top English Rugby Union League with the Newcastle Falcons.
After retiring from an illustrious 23-year playing career, he spent 17 years coaching with Hawick, Gala twice, (where he coached them to a Scottish Cup win) Petrarca Padova in Italy and the Scotland national team as an assistant to Frank Hadden between 2005 and 2008.
During his last coaching role with Hawick, covid robbed him of the chance to take Hawick into the promotion playoffs, after turning round a side who were heading for relegation two seasons previously.
He stepped down from the Hawick role into retirement in March 2020. However he has been persuaded to help Carlisle, where his four sons George, Gary, Greg and Guy, have all represented the club, to take on the challenges of playing level 6 rugby in the North East and Cumbria, after an extensive period playing in the North West.
He said: “I want to see the people in this city and the broader area get behind the players and the club. The players are already showing great commitment and endeavour in preseason training.
“It’s been a tough few years in the rugby community and the first day of this season, the 150th year of the club, is day one of the next 150 years. Everyone has an opportunity to play a part in that.”
Director of rugby Jimmy Goode said: “To bring someone of George’s calibre to Carlisle RFC is a massive achievement for the club.
“Having had the pleasure over the years of working with all George’s sons during their rugby journey with us to now be given the opportunity to work with George adds to my many happy years at the club.”
