The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Ross Sutherland ready for historic day
Ross Sutherland will take centre stage tomorrow when the club makes its first appearance in a national final at Murrayfield to face Wigtownshire in the National Bowl.
Club president John Scott says it will be a proud day for the club.
He said: “After 30 years of playing for the club, coaching and now as president, this is a very special day. I am so proud of what we have achieved on and off the field.”
It will also be a day to remember for club captain Ali Kennedy when he leads out a team that will include his brothers Murray and David, both of whom have captained the Invergordon side in recent years.
He said: “Leading the team out in a final surely gives me the bragging rights in the family but it will be a great thrill for us all.”
The key player for the Naval Grounds team is stand-off John Mann, who is the club’s leading points scorer.
He said: “We have done well to the final.
“We have had some tough games along the way, including a last-minute to get win against Aberdeen University in the Regional Bowl Final.
“We’ll be giving it our best shot but most of all we intend to enjoy the day.
“We will be taking a big support down with us, though it means an early start for them as the game kicks off at 10am.”
The club has a lot to live up to and will be following in the footsteps of its most famous player Duncan Macrae, who won nine caps for Scotland in the late 1930s and played in the team that won the Triple Crown in 1938, beating England at Twickenham in the final game.
Ross Sutherland’s opponents will be an unknown quantity for the northerners, but it is noted they won the West League Division 3 by 25 points, only losing one game in the process.
“We’ll be giving it our best shot but most of all we intend to enjoy the day”