Blair RFC to play Murrayfield!
Last-minute victory sees them in final
Blairgowrie Rugby Club have made club history and secured a place in the final of a national competition which will see them play at the home of Scottish rugby, Murrayfield, in April.
In the latest in a string of firsts for the club, the team won their BT National Bowl semi-final game against Strathendrick RFC on Saturday in the dying seconds of the match.
The victory means that the lads from Blair will be heading to Edinburgh for the final on April 22, and are keen for as many supporters as possible to make the journey south for what is the biggest game in the club’s history.
President of Blairgowrie RFC, Fraser Bissett, said: “Everyone in the community has really got behind us, which is great. Even people who have not really been interested in rugby before have been sending us congratulatory messages.
“It’s great for the town as well to have something positive to support and rally behind, and hopefully it will be good for the club too and encourage more people to join.
“Everyone enjoyed the game on Saturday, we put on a good event with a barbecue and family entertainment and of course the game itself.
“We’re hoping everyone can make the effort to get down to Murrayfield, we have got four buses booked at the moment but obviously we will book more if there is demand.
“It’s unchartered territory for us but we’re looking forward to it. Just getting there is a massive achievement.”
He added: “Peter Duncan and I started playing for the senior club in 1999 so it has taken us 18 years to get to where we always dreamed of being.
“I have watched the video of the match-winning try at least 100 times since the weekend and to not be ahead for the whole of the game and to come through in the last few minutes and get the win at the end of the day is just amazing.
“It’s a fantastic achievement for the club. I don’t think at the start of the season anyone could have predicted what we have managed to achieve.
“We won our tens tournament in August, we won a game 175-nil, we won the regional bowl final and now we have won the semi-final and are off to play in the final in Murrayfield stadium next month - it’s been a good season.
“The coaches are making us work really hard but without that kind of relentlessness I don’t think we’d be where we are just now.”
See pages 18, 19, 35 and 36 of this week’s Blairie for more pictures from the game and a full match report.