Gordon Macpherson

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Gordon Macpherson
Date of birth (1962-10-09) 9 October 1962 (age 61)
Place of birthGisborne, New Zealand
Height1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight102 kg (225 lb)
SchoolGisborne Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1993–1997 West of Scotland ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1983–1984
1985–1993		 Poverty Bay
Otago		 14
137		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1986 New Zealand 1 (0)
Coaching career
Years Team
1993–1997
1996–2003
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2009
2011–2014
2015–		 West of Scotland (player-coach)
Glasgow Warriors (Forwards coach)
West of Scotland
Sarasota Exiles
USA Hawks (Asst.)
Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians RFC
Atlanta Renegades

Gordon Macpherson (born 9 October 1962) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A lock, Macpherson represented Poverty Bay and Otago at a provincial level. He played a single match for the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, a test against France in 1986.[1]

He moved from Otago in 1993 to Scotland where he was player-coach for West of Scotland.[2] West of Scotland is an amateur rugby club based in Milngavie, near Glasgow. He was to marry a Scot and settle in Scotland.[3]

He became a forwards coach in Scotland. He became involved in coaching the Scotland 'A' side and also became forwards coach of the Glasgow Warriors, then Glasgow Rugby under Kevin Greene in 1996[4] (part-time), then full-time professionally under Keith Robertson in November 1997.[5] He stayed an assistant coach under subsequent Glasgow Head Coaches Richie Dixon and Kiwi Searancke.

Macpherson left Glasgow Warriors after Kiwi Searancke was sacked in April 2003. It was felt that the abrasive style that Searancke developed at the professional provincial club caused a rift between players and management.[6]

On leaving the Glasgow club he was appointed as the West of Scotland Head coach in June 2003.[7]

Macpherson then moved to the USA coaching an exile team in Sarasota, Florida in 2004.[8] He was to become the assistant coach to the USA Hawks.[9] The North America 4 rugby union league was replaced in 2009 by the Americas Rugby Championship and the USA Hawks folded.

Macpherson received his All Blacks cap at a ceremony in Gisborne, New Zealand in 2009.[10]

He returned to Scotland and became the new head coach for Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians RFC, another amateur club, for the 2011-12 season.[11] He stepped down from this role in 2014 when GHA announced a younger coaching team headed by former Glasgow Warriors player Peter Jericevich who, at 24, will take on the role as player-coach.[12]

On 7 August 2015 it was announced that Macpherson would be the head coach of Atlanta Renegades in the USA.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Knight, Lindsay. "Gordon Macpherson". New Zealand Rugby Museum. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Not a blow to West as Macpherson is let off". Herald Scotland.
  3. ^ "Glasgow Warriors - Nicol and Dixon want a Scottish coach". glasgowwarriors.com.
  4. ^ "HUBCAT: Record".
  5. ^ Jim Telfer (2005). Looking back... for once. ISBN 1-84596-062-9.
  6. ^ "Undermined from the beginning, Kiwi was never able to take flight Glasgow will look for Scot after learning the hard way". Herald Scotland.
  7. ^ "Glasgow Warriors - Gordon wants to set the standard". glasgowwarriors.com.
  8. ^ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
  9. ^ "Gainline.us".
  10. ^ "Rugby: Macpherson to receive All Black cap". odt.co.nz. 2 September 2009.
  11. ^ "GHA Rugby Club - Official Website - Former All Black to coach GHA next season". gharugby.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Getting a head start: Jericevich is coaching at just 24". Herald Scotland.
  13. ^ "atlanta renegades rfc home page". atlantarenegades.com.
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