Former Wallabies and ACT Brumbies assistant coach Nick Scrivener is going back to where it all started, signing a two-year deal to return to the Tuggeranong Vikings almost 30 years his playing debut.
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Scrivener has been signed to fill the void left by Western Force-bound Tim Sampson, who will take over the defunct Super Rugby club for the Indo-Pacific Rugby Championship.
The Vikings moved quickly to sign Scrivener less than a week after Sampson's departure, pouncing to boost their John I Dent Cup preparation.
Scrivener will be the Vikings' first grade coach and director of rugby for the club, but the role is not linked to the vacant coaching job of the Canberra Vikings for the National Rugby Championship.
Scrivener started playing for the Vikings as a teenager and has since been around the world as a coach, the latest stop a stint at Toyota Verblitz as Jake White's backs coach.
He was preparing to take a "coaching sabbatical" but will instead leave Canberra on Friday to help the Vikings on a 10-day pre-season trip to Singapore.
"I didn't really have any plans. I've been going and coming back to Canberra for a fair while now with different jobs, it worked out that this was the right time to come back," Scrivener said.
"Viking Park is about one minute from my house. I've always kept ties with the club."
Scrivener started playing for the Vikings in 1989 and was part of the club's breakthrough premiership in 1994. Since then, the Vikings have won 13 premierships, including five of the past seven.
Since then he has worked for the Brumbies and Wallabies as an assistant coach, had stints in Scotland and Japan and is now back in Australia.
"I don't feel pressure. What I do know is the Canberra club rugby is strong, it always has been," Scrivener said.
"I've been helping out at training with Vikings and then [Sampson] got offered the job. It's all happened pretty quick but I'm looking forward to it."
Vikings president Brendan Allardyce said: "One door closes and another opens. The whole club has been a little flat with the pending departure of Tim (Sampson) but are now thrilled and buzzing to have Nick Scrivener come on board for the next two seasons.
"Scriv is a proud Vikings man so it's an extra bonus to bring in one of our own, who is a favourite son. Everyone is aware of his reputation and success at the highest levels so to secure him as our club coach for the next two seasons is a major coup."
