Nicol to coach Currie

Andy Nicol has been leading Glasgow this season

Former international captains Andy Nicol and Todd Blackadder are to lead the new coaching team at Currie next season.

Nicol, the last Scotland captain to hold aloft the Calcutta Cup in 2000, will be the new head coach for the BT Premiership Division 1 club.

His assistants will be former All Black and current Edinburgh captain Blackadder, plus former Malleny Park favourite and Scotland A stand-off Ally Donaldson.

Blackadder, who was allocated to Currie in the draft of players for this season's Integrated Tournament, was unable to play for the club through injury but still made a considerable impact.

These appointments illustrate our desire to press for the game's top prizes

Currie director of rugby Iain Russell

His involvement will be flexible as his Edinburgh duties will come first.

Overseeing the coaching team will be Graham Hogg, the club's assistant director of rugby.

Nicol, who is leaving Glasgow, said: "I'm very excited at the prospect of working with the players and everyone connected with the Currie club.

Todd Blackadder will continue with Edinburgh

"It will be great to meet up with Ally Donaldson again. We played alongside each other on the Scotland tour to the South Pacific, dare I say it, 10 years ago and now we have a chance to work together in a coaching environment."

Iain Russell, Currie's acting director of rugby, said: "These appointments illustrate our desire at Currie to not only cement our position among Scotland's top clubs but to press for the game's top prizes next season.

"Our ability to attach coaches of such calibre is testimony to the previous good work of Bruce Macnaughton and Kevin Barrie."