Paisley Rugby Club prepare for tough tests
Paisley Rugby Club know they’ll have to be at their best when they return to competitive action next month.
The Anchor side will face teams from the tier above them this season after Scottish Rugby decided to merge West Division 1 and West Division 2 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
That will see the Paisley side take on Garnock, Kilmarnock, Irvine and Cumnock in the newly named Tennents Light West Competition 1.
They will also take on East Kilbride, Wigtownshire and Strathaven from an opposing group.
The fixtures have now been announced, with Paisley finally returning to competitive action on Saturday October 31 with the 1st and 2nd team’s away to Kilmarnock and Strathaven respectively.
Club captain Euan Stuart revealed that the entire squad was delighted to have something to target after months of inactivity.
He told Express Sport : “We are delighted that the fixtures have been announced and it finally gives us a light at the end of the tunnel.
“The boys haven’t played since March, so it has been a long, old road to where we are today.
“Credit to all the boys, they have worked extremely hard since pre-season started in July and we are the fittest as a squad I’ve seen in a long time.”
Paisley have recruited well over the pre-season period, with five new signings coming in to bolster the 1st squad.
Pre-season training started back in July and the players have worked extremely hard to build on a mid-table finish in West Division 2 last season.
With nothing to lose this season and games against teams from a higher division every second week, Paisley will be looking to test themselves against the best and push on to what will hopefully be a successful West Division 2 Campaign in season 2021/22.
Stuart added: “It’s brilliant to have recruited five new players with experience of regional and national rugby and push the standards we expect to another level.
“The existing squad from last season have upped their game massively and it’s very competitive for places in the 1st and 2nd squad.
“The fixtures bring up some tough games, but we feel this is a great chance for us to test ourselves against better teams that we would normally face.
“The chance to take some scalps along the way will stand us in good stead for West Division 2 in 2021/22.”
It has been a long, old road to where we are today