Shaun Wane: Wigan Warriors boss to take role with Scotland

Departing Wigan Warriors head coach Shaun Wane will join Scottish Rugby as high performance coach later this year.

Wane has won five trophies during six years in charge of Wigan, having previously played for the club as well as Leeds and Great Britain.

"The Scottish way of playing the game is fast, highly skilled and positive," he said.

"That is something I want to contribute to, and help develop further.

"I see this as a fantastic opportunity to not only impart what I have learnt over my career in rugby league as a player and coach, but also to learn myself from union and look to support the excellent work already being done in Scotland."

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Wane previously visited Scotland training camps while the national team's head coach Gregor Townsend travelled south to spend time with the Warriors.

Townsend said: "There is a lot we can learn from Shaun in both the technical side of the game as well as wider aspects of coaching.

"The range of skills now needed across the pitch in rugby union, aligned with the style of play we are developing, means that all our players have to be able to pass accurately and deploy effective lines of running that will either hold defenders or find space.

"What Shaun brings from rugby league is immediately transferrable and will add real value."

Wigan owner Ian Lenagan says it is likely Wane's successor will come from Australia's NRL, but he is also looking at current rugby union coaches with rugby league backgrounds, such as Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards and Sale Sharks' skills coach Paul Deacon.