The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Local teams embrace ‘new’ philosophy
Rugby: Clubs digest SRU grand plan as new season gets under way
Is this the kick-off of the last season of club rugby as we know it?
The SRU’s grand plan to make the club game wholly amateur again – and enforced amateur – is still being digested for the clubs that broadly approved it at the AGM last month, but for most of the Midlands hopefuls in 2017-18 it’s reality already.
Loyalty to the club that brought you up and geographical convenience are still the main draws. Our clubs have invested what little cash they have in youth development, a policy that has already borne fruit at Howe of Fife and is starting to do so at Dundee High Rugby.
With Howe’s relegation from National One last season – sparking a coaching overhaul at the club – Dundee are once again the senior outfit in the region.
Their fourth-place finish in NL One last year was a significant achievement given injury woes, and a fixture schedule hammered by the weather.
Plugging the gaps with youth and fielding a team stocked with players under 23, Colin Sangster piloted the team to five wins in their last six, averaging more than 40 points a game in the process.
Maintaining that momentum won’t be easy, particularly with a visit to Gala next week.
High open tomorrow with a home fixture against Falkirk who flattered to deceive last season and finished a place below their Mayfield hosts.
High have kept the policy of bringing in youth, still underpinned by co-coach Alan Brown anchoring the scrum.
Phil Godman has come on board to take the backs while Duncan Leese, a product of the school and Dundee Eagles, is the new captain.
Howe ended an era when Garry Horne and John Lathangie stepped down after taking the club from regional leagues all the way to National One.
Chris Martin, who in the Howe tradition joined the club in primary school and played through to the first XV, is the new young head coach, with Dougie Gray and Ryan ‘Reggie’ Milne moving from Dundee High as his assistants.
Across the Tay is as much ‘overseas’ as you’ll get at Howe, however, and it remains an entirely homegrown enterprise.
Howe were in action last week with a youthful team taken to extra-time by Kirkcaldy in the first round of the BT Cup.
As the schedulers tend to do, the same two clubs face off at Beveridge Park in their league opener tomorrow.
The Blues only wilted last week with injuries in the extra period and will fancy their chances with home advantage.
There have been back-room changes at Beveridge as well, Mark Henderson taking a director of rugby role with Quinny Sanft still the lead coach, and there’s a feeling a good mix of youth and experience with the customary Blues aggression and commitment could take the club places this year.
Perthshire remain in National League Three and their youth programme continues to provide quality for the club, with Rory McKay continuing in that role despite stepping down from coaching the first XV.
They take on a resurgent Gordonians, back in the National leagues after several seasons of regional rugby, in a home opener at the Inch.
Regional leagues got under way a week early, and Glenrothes’ handsome home victory over Dunfermline hinted that they might challenge for promotion. They have a long trip north to Caithness, while Dunfie host Alloa, who romped to an 80-point rout against Banff.
With nine teams making up the Caley League this year, there will be bye weeks with Harris unable to build on last week’s 24-0 shutout of Grangemouth.
Restructuring has resulted in more reserve teams going into Caley Three, but the score imbalances that have plagued the league loomed again with Hillfoots rattling in three figures against Madras last week.