Scottish Rugby has appointed Dr Douglas Hammond as its new chief medical officer following the departure of the long-serving Dr James Robson, who stepped down after 33 years at the end of the Six Nations.

Hammond, who has 15 years experience working in elite sport across rugby league, cricket, football and rugby union, joins from England Rugby League where he has been head doctor since 2021. He previously spent eight years with the RFU working across a variety of medical services to the mens, womens and Under-20 teams, and has also served as team doctor for Sale Sharks and English Championship side Stoke City.

Hammond said: “To become the Chief Medical Officer for Scottish Rugby is not only exciting, but humbling. The job encompasses all that I have worked towards and allows me to use the entirety of my skillsets.

Dr Douglas Hammond has been appointed the new chief medical officer of Scottish Rugby.

“As a Chief Medical Officer, the ability to create improvement and advancement across the whole sport appeals to me. This job involves being responsible for making all rugby environments medically high performing, and at the same time as safe as possible.

“The skills I have gained from working within professional and international sport for the last fifteen years, I believe, stand me in good stead to be able to manage the wide-reaching role of Chief Medical Officer.

“As well as aiming to produce the best elite medical environments, topics which will be high on my agenda will be brain health, mental health, and player load.These are ever more relevant and topical with each month that passes, and we will strive to enable rugby union to maintain itself as a magnificent spectacle to watch and play, as well as being both safe in the short, and long term, for those involved.”

Scottish Rugby appoints new chief medical officer following departure of Dr James Robson

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