Vern Cotter extended his Scotland contract until 2017 in a major show of faith from the Scottish Rugby Union yesterday, ahead of the World Cup.

The head coach presided over a disappointing first Six Nations campaign as Scotland lost every game.

However, the SRU has announced it has extended his initial deal by a further year, three days before Scotland start their World Cup warm-up campaign against Ireland in Dublin.

Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson said: “When we recruited him, he was the outstanding candidate for the role and that view has not changed.

“The work he is doing with our young, talented squad of players has taken the team forward and we can now deliver continuity for the national team well beyond the Rugby World Cup.”