Murchie to depart at end of season

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JUNE 10: Warriors Coach Pete Murchie during a Glasgow Warriors training session at Scotstoun Stadium, on June 10, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

The 39-year-old – who recently became the first person in club history to record 100 matches as a coach in addition to reaching a century of appearances as a player – has overseen the club’s defence since returning to Scotstoun in March 2021, having cut his coaching teeth with the Scottish Rugby regional academies and Ayr RFC

Under Murchie, the club’s defence has become one of the leanest in the BKT United Rugby Championship, with only Leinster having conceded fewer points than Glasgow Warriors in the 2024/25 season to date.

A Guinness PRO12 champion in 2014/15 as a player, he was an integral figure in the club’s 2023/24 BKT URC title victory, with Glasgow conceding the fewest tries of any team in the competition across the course of the season.

Murchie’s success at Scotstoun saw him selected to oversee the defence for Scotland A during November’s victory over Chile in Edinburgh, the latest honour in a career that also saw him make 116 appearances for the Warriors as a player, alongside three senior caps for Scotland.

“I’m excited by the opportunity, but there are obviously mixed emotions,” Murchie told glasgowwarriors.org.

“I’ve been at the club for a long time both as a player and as a coach, and this is home for my family and I. When you have such an emotional bond to not only the club, but the city of Glasgow, it really does make it an incredibly tough decision to leave. It just felt like it was the right time on my coaching journey, and the right time as a family, to take up the opportunity.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and what we are as a club. The development of our defence over the last couple of seasons, where we’ve been consistently amongst the top defences in the URC, is testament to the work and buy-in from the players.

“I’ve loved working with this group, and I’ve loved seeing how this group has fought for each other. The desire to fight for each other and for this club was amazing to see, particularly in the playoff run last year.

“I’ve said this to the players, but I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with them, and knowing that I’ve got a couple of months left really narrows the focus – I love working with this group of players, coaches and backroom staff, and I want to finish my time here as successfully as possible.”

Head Coach Franco Smith paid tribute to Murchie’s contribution, saying: “From the first day I met Pete, it’s been a pleasure to get to know him and to work with him day in, day out – he has turned our defensive system into a truly world-class operation.”

“He is a young coach with a great amount of potential, and the opportunity to experience a different coaching and cultural environment will only serve him well in his professional development.

“We wish Pete and his family well in their move and we look forward to seeing how his development progresses.”

Managing Director, Al Kellock, added: “Pete’s contribution to this club across his time at Scotstoun, both as a player and as a coach, cannot be underestimated.

“I know how difficult a decision this was for him, but it is one that has been made with his family first and foremost in the decision-making process and we wish the entire Murchie family all the very best.

“We look forward to keeping in touch, and welcoming him back to Scotstoun anytime.”