Edinburgh appoint Solomons and Scott in coaching roles

Image caption, Alan Solomons

Edinburgh Rugby have appointed former Springboks assistant Alan Solomons as their new head coach.

He will be joined by Stevie Scott, whose work as interim head coach has been rewarded with the role of full-time forwards coach.

Edinburgh finished third bottom of the Pro12 last season, leading to the exit of head coach Michael Bradley in March.

"This is a very exciting role at a club which has a huge amount of potential," said Solomons, who arrives on 9 August.

"The ambition and desire of everyone involved with the club to do whatever it takes to build its success, and the plans being put in place to achieve that, are very impressive.

"I'm very much looking forward to arriving in Edinburgh, teaming up with Stevie Scott and meeting the challenges head on."

Solomons was assistant coach during South Africa's record run of 17 victories, which included an unbeaten Tri Nations success in 1998 and record wins over Scotland, France and Wales.

It was during this time that he coached the Western Province to successive Currie Cup Premier division finals, winning the first of those deciders in 1997, while he also took the Stormers to the Super 12 semi-final in 1999, before beginning an impressive three-year term at Ulster in 2001.

Ulster reached the knockout rounds of the Celtic League every year Solomons was at the helm, twice made the Celtic Cup final - lifting the trophy in 2003 - and enjoyed a three-year unbeaten home record in the Heineken Cup.

He was employed as a high performance consultant for the IRB from 2007 to 2011 before taking the Eastern Province to three successive Currie Cup division one finals, winning the Cup in 2010 and 2012, and lifting the IRB Nations Cup under the guise of shadow international side, the South Africa Kings.

He was then appointed director of rugby with the Southern Kings for their maiden Super Rugby season before securing his move to Murrayfield.