Kelly Brown to coach Canada in June

Canada will take their cues from an unusual source this summer with the confirmation that former Scotland captain Kelly Brown has been appointed defense coach for the all-important June test series and World Cup qualifiers. While the soon-to-be 35-year-old boasts an extensive playing record, his coaching experience has thus far been confined largely to Saracens Academy having only brought the curtains down on his playing career in the last month. Brown shared the field with Canada winger DTH van der Merwe during the 2009-10 Pro 12 season, his last with Glasgow Warriors before moving to the Aviva Premiership with Saracens in London.

Brown’s professional career saw him spend six seasons in his native Scotland split between the now-defunct Border Reivers and Glasgow Warriors before signing with Saracens in 2010, where he has remained since. Primarily a blindside flanker, he won 64 caps for his country between 2005 and 2014, captaining the team on 14 occasions and attending the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. During his time with Saracens he was part of three Premiership final wins, one Anglo-Welsh Cup winning season, and back-to-back European Champions Cup title campaigns.