Head Coach Peter Horne will depart the Ayrshire Bulls, having been appointed Skills Coach of Glasgow Warriors. He returns to his former club after an impressive six-month period at the helm of the Bulls.
He becomes the second Bulls Head Coach to be elevated to a role with the Warriors, joining Peter Murchie on the coaching staff.
No back has made more appearances for the Warriors than Horne’s tally of 182, with only Chris Fusaro, Ryan Wilson and Rob Harley ahead of him in the all-time rankings.
The move sees Horne return to the club with whom he spent the entirety of his professional playing career, the Howe of Fife product having made his debut in Glasgow colours off the bench against Ulster back in March 2009.
Equally adept at inside centre as he was at both fly-half and full-back, his consistently high-quality displays made him a key component of the squad that won the 2015 Guinness PRO12 in unforgettable fashion back in 2015.
Horne’s form in a Glasgow shirt also earned him international recognition, running out on 45 occasions in the dark blue of Scotland, including in both the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Having initially joined the Bulls as an assistant coach for the 2021 FOSROC Super6, Horne was appointed as the club’s Head Coach ahead of the 2022 Sprint Series, guiding his team to third place in the overall standings.
He joins Murchie, Nigel Carolan and Al Dickinson on the Glasgow Warriors coaching team for the new season, with a Head Coach to be appointed in due course.
“I’m delighted to be back at Scotstoun,” Horne told glasgowwarriors.org.
“As soon as I’d stepped away from playing, I had the goal of getting back into the pro game as a coach as soon as I felt ready. When this opportunity came up, it was a no-brainer. I’m so invested in this club and the city that it was an easy decision. I want to help this club back to where it belongs and back challenging at the top of the table.
“We’ve got a great group of coaches and I’m fortunate to have a great relationship with the guys that are here. I’ve obviously played with Murch [Pete Murchie] for years, and I worked really closely with Nigel [Carolan] both as a player and then coming in to help out towards the end of the season, too. They’re both just great guys to sit and talk about rugby with, and I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can from both of them.
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone down at Ayr, because it’s a fantastic club and they’ve been the ideal introduction to coaching for me. I couldn’t have been luckier. I want to thank all the boys, as well as Billy McHarg – he bought into everything I wanted to do with the squad, and I feel like Ayr is a club for life for me now. I’ve got a lot of special memories and I want to wish them all the best for what comes next.
“I genuinely believe this Glasgow squad for 2022/23 is one of the most talented groups of players this club has had. There’s a great mix of young, Scottish talent, experienced heads and some exciting new arrivals, and there are all the raw ingredients to make something special happen at Scotstoun”.
Horne’s last act at Millbrae will be to coach the ‘West’ side in Saturday’s Pro-Alignment fixture featuring the brightest sparks of the FOSROC Super6 Sprint Series. The match kicks off at 13.30 in Alloway and is £5 entry, with U18s going free.
Ayr Rugby thanks Pete for all of his commitment over the past year and wishes him all the best with the Glasgow Warriors.