A PIONEERING Borders coach has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Edinburgh Napier University.

Richie Gray, who is from Galashiels, has coached some of the biggest sides in rugby and American football.

The Borderer, who played rugby professionally with Caledonia Reds, landed coaching roles with the national rugby union sides of Scotland, South Africa and Fiji – as well as with American football giants in the NFL.

Alongside his coaching, Gray has spent years developing contact training methods and equipment designed to reduce the levels of collision injury and concussion among players through his company, GSI Performance.

The results of his work have been adopted by teams, governing bodies and kit manufacturers.

At the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on Tuesday (October 29), he was presented with an honorary degree for his pioneering work in sport.

Gray said: “I have always believed that if you are lucky enough to work at the top of your chosen profession, then you have a duty to leave it in a better place. You must make a difference and leave a lasting legacy.

“Where I wanted to make a difference was in the world of contact and collision sports on a global scale, especially within rugby union and American football – two sports with their own challenges, particularly relating to health, safety and player performance.

“Through my company, GSI Performance, I have coached with the top teams and players in both sports, re-written contact and collision coaching methodology, and created and innovated the world’s best technical training aids.

“I hope that as an ambassador for Edinburgh Napier University I can help inspire and support future generations in the sporting world.”

In a coaching career which began with the Border Reivers, Gray spent 12 years working in player development with the Scottish Rugby Union, followed by posts with the Springboks, French clubs Toulon, Montpellier-Hérault and Lyon, and with the national sides of Scotland and Fiji.

His training aids and pioneering tackling technique methods have been adopted by tens of thousands of coaches around the world, and GSI Performance now has partnerships with sports equipment giants Gilbert Rugby, Riddell, FieldTurf and Red Bull.

Gray’s expertise in collision and contact also led to roles with professional American football teams in the NFL, including the Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Presenting his honorary doctorate, Pete Laird, lecturer at the university’s school of applied sciences, said: “Richie is a small town lad who has taken on the giants of multinational businesses with his unique and original thinking.

“He has problem-solved and diversified his ideas. He has been innovative and entrepreneurial. He has been steadfast and committed.

“All these attributes are ones I recognise in the students and graduates before us today, and I can think of no better person to receive an honorary degree.”