Townsend to remain Scotland boss to 2027 World Cup

Gregor Townsend wants another chance to progress through the World Cup group stage

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has signed a contract extension that means he will remain in charge for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

With the 52-year-olds current deal expiring in April next year, there had been speculation recently that Newcastle Red Bulls were looking at the Scot as a potential director of rugby.

But Scottish Rugby will announce on Wednesday morning that he is staying.

With his first Test as coach coming in the summer of 2017, Townsend is already Scotlands longest-serving international coach in the professional era.

And, of those still in position, he is the longest-serving tier-one coach in the world. He has overseen 94 Tests, winning 53, losing 40 and drawing one, the epic 38-38 at Twickenham in 2019.

With four games at Murrayfield in the autumn - the United States, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga - Townsends 100th Test as Scotland coach will come in the second round of the Six Nations in February - against England in Edinburgh.

He has achieved some notable victories in his years at the helm, a first win in Paris in 22 years, a first win at Twickenham in 38 years, four Calcutta Cups in a row for the first time since 1970 and four wins in five Tests against Australia.

Scotlands capacity to play scintillating rugby has had its reward in that the contingent of Scots selected for British and Irish Lions tours has risen sharply since Townsend took over.

In the five tours pre-Townsend, Scotlands representation in the original squad numbered three, three, two, three and two.

In the two Lions tours since Townsend became national coach, eight Scots were original picks on each of them, plus a battery of others called up during the tour, mostly notably under Andy Farrell in Australia this summer.

Ben White, Darcy Graham, Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Gregor Brown all saw game-time on tour, White especially.

Scotland have improved on Townsends watch, but there is nothing tangible to show for it and, while it is hard to gauge these things, there is definite support out there for an overhaul.

Eight years - which is now set to become 10 years - is a mammoth innings and his critics have grown over time.

Those Scotland fans who have been seeking change would have been hopeful of Glasgows Franco Smith stepping into the role of national coach. There is a feeling among that group of supporters that the team has stagnated under Townsend in recent seasons.

For all of the fine one-off wins, Scotland have never properly challenged for a Six Nations title, with just two third-place finishes under Townsend in eight attempts and an average finishing position of fourth.

The team has become hugely entertaining on its best days - hence the remarkable number of sell-outs at Murrayfield - but there has not been the depth of squad and consistency to contend.

Townsend took them to a record high of fifth in the world, but following on from their defeat to Fiji in Suva in the summer, they now rank eighth.

He has also failed at two successive World Cups, exiting in the pool stage in Japan in 2019 and again in France in 2023.

Unquestionably, making up for such disappointment is part of why Townsend wants to stay on. That, and never having gone to the wire in the Six Nations, will leave him with a feeling of unfinished business.

The World Cup draw takes place in December and this time around it will feature six groups of four teams, with the top six in the world rankings heading up each group.

That is good news for Townsend as he seeks to get out of a group for the first time.

In France in 2023, they suffered a horror draw when pitched-in with South Africa (the holders) and Ireland (at the time, the world number one), with only the top two qualifying.

Even with a world ranking of eight, in the new 24-nation format, Scotland could not be landed with a similar pool of death in Australia.

They would be seeded second in the group, with the two top countries, plus the four best third-place teams across all groups, making it to the last 16 knockouts.

That is a friendlier landscape for Scotland and a more appealing one for Townsend.

Now that his future is secure, the planning begins for the autumn, the marquee Test being that visit by the All Blacks on 8 November.

Townsend has had two cracks at them as coach, a five-point loss in 2017 and an eight-point loss in 2022.

In 32 Tests, Scotland have drawn two and lost 30 against the All Blacks.

If history was made at Murrayfield, those who oppose his reappointment might just fade away.