Oban pupils take part in Warriors Championship
PUPILS from Oban High School competed in the 2018 SP Energy Networks Warriors Championship at Scotstoun last week.
The Oban pupils were joined by girls and boys from St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, Largs Academy, Falkirk High School and Balfron High School as the first round of action got underway at the home of Glasgow Warriors.
Competing
Each participating school in this year’s SP Energy Networks Warriors Championship has S1 and S2 level boys’ teams competing as well girls’ team.
The first day of action saw Oban High School run in 42 tries, winning five games.
They just missed out on a semi-final place after Balfron High School won eight of their matches. as an under-15s
All the pupils enjoyed a coaching session with a number of Glasgow Warriors players, including Greg Peterson as well as Scotland Women rugby stars Helen Nelson, who comes from Glencoe and Deborah McCormack.
Peterson said: ‘What I love so much about rugby is the camaraderie with my teammates.
‘Every time we step out on the field we have fun and these players are able to experience exactly that by playing for their schools.
‘I started playing at under-5s level for Norths Pirates Junior Rugby Club in Sydney and watching today brings back great memories.’
McCormack, part of the Scotland Women’s side which beat Ireland in Dublin earlier this month, added: ‘It’s great to see the ever-increasing numbers of girls playing rugby and it shows that women’s rugby is getting more accessible at such a young age.
Reward
‘For me rugby is fun but challenging. If you put in the hard work you get a lot of reward back.’
Glasgow Warriors head coach Dave Rennie spoke to the Oban High School pupils at the end of qualifier one and had a message to all the players competing.
He said: ‘Most of my friends I met through rugby so I would urge the players to keep playing rugby for that reason; you can make friends for life. It’s a great team sport.’
He continued: ‘The SP Energy Networks Warriors Championship is a brilliant concept.
‘The fact you field three teams including a girls’ side gets so many more youngsters playing the game.’
At the beginning of this season Glasgow Warriors announced a landmark three-year partnership with SP Energy Networks which saw them become the club’s official community partner.
SP Energy Networks, which operates across central and southern Scotland, is working with Glasgow Warriors on a wide-range of community initiatives, including the SP Energy Networks Warriors Championship.
Twenty-five schools from across the west, central and southern Scotland will take part in the tournament.
The 2018 champions will take home the SP Energy Networks Warriors Championship trophy and brand new rugby kit for their school.