Fraser Murray

I went to Abertay with a clear vision to get a degree in Strength and Conditioning because I worked as a personal trainer for three years before university. I chose to study in Dundee because the living cost was cheaper. I am glad I went to Abertay, it’s what you make it - so the more you engage, the better you’ll be. The lecturers were more than willing to help you along the way. I remember one of my first inductions for the course was from Dr Ross Lorimer who told us to aim high. He asked us what we wanted to do at the end of this and at the end, he told us that was all good, but don’t be afraid to aim higher. That really stuck with me because I’m ambitious by nature and I was focused on what I wanted to do.

I’ve really enjoyed every job I’ve done but my current role is fresh, it’s a challenge and the lifestyle is great out here. It’s the dream job, but I would eventually like to have another lead role somewhere in the UK and be Head of Performance somewhere. I might look into academia and becoming a lecturer when I’m older. I enjoy the education side of coaching and I’m a Coach Educator for World Rugby. At the moment I enjoy coaching, I want to see the boys excel here at the club and finish my masters in Strength and Conditioning. Who knows where we’ll go from there!

Primarily I am responsible for the athletic development for the First Team of Biella Rugby Club in Italy. This means getting players faster, fitter, stronger and making sure they’re peaking at the right time. We typically split the squad into groups of four and focus on different attributes like speed or strength and power. I support the team on game day, along with the coaches. I’m also responsible for ensuring that younger players coming up have a clear programme and development pathway in place for them to transition into the main team should their rugby be good enough.

Before my job at Biella Rugby Club, I worked for the Scottish Rugby Union where I travelled a lot looking after different teams. It was a really fun job with a strong network to learn from and bounce ideas off. With a year left on my contract, I threw my name in the hat for different jobs outside of the Scottish Rugby Union to get more experience and the opportunity to work at one club rather than several. The job at Biella came up and I had a Skype interview for it. I flew out to the see the city and the club, and I fell in love with the people and the facilities. It has everything you want, and the Head Coach really values strength and conditioning so that made me decide to come out here.

View the BSc (Hons) Strength and Conditioning course