Former Zimbabwe rugby youth international Michael Todd has been named as Edinburgh’s new defence coach and will join up with the capital club later this month.
The 32-year-old, who has been in the equivalent post with the Queensland Reds for the past two years, is currently working with Australia ‘A’ in the Pacific Nations Cup competition. He will replace Calum MacRae, who left for Benetton last month, in Mike Blair’s coaching team at the DAM Health Stadium.
“I’m very excited to join Edinburgh Rugby, which has such a rich and long history,” Todd said in a press release issued by his new employers. “I can’t wait to get started and contribute to the team and the club.
“I’m really grateful to Mike [Blair] for allowing me the opportunity to work with him and his team. I can’t wait to work alongside the coaches who are doing an incredible job. I’m just so keen to get started and help contribute and develop a team that is on the rise.
“My young family and I are so excited to come over and fully immerse ourselves in the culture and experience as much as we can in Scotland. I have lived in a few different places around the world but this will be the first time for my wife and daughter to live somewhere outside of Australia – we can’t wait.
“It’s always daunting stepping into a new environment and challenge but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. A new league brings new challenges and learnings, while the Heineken Champions Cup is the pinnacle of rugby in the Northern Hemisphere – who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Todd was born in Harare and represented Zimbabwe at age-grade level before moving to Queensland, Australia in 2009.
He played as a forward at university, then embarked on his coaching career in 2013 when he was hired by the Reds as a performance analyst. He worked in that role with Munster in the 2014-15 season then returned to the Reds as a senior analyst. In 2020 he was promoted to defence coach.
“We are absolutely delighted to have been able to bring someone of Michael’s expertise into the club,” Edinburgh head coach Blair said. “It was a lengthy process to make sure we got the right man and we believe that the knowledge he holds, his growth mind set and his desire to improve individuals within a defensive system, will fit our environment really well.”