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ISLE OF MULL WIN CLUB OF THE MONTH AWARD Posted: 19/Oct/07 ------------------
Last month Mull won all five of their matches in the Scottish Hydro Electric West Regional League’s third division. They are second in the table with 23 points, having collected try-scoring bonus points in three of those games. In addition to the league performance, the club also had a clean disciplinary record last month. “That’s wonderful news. It’s great for a club out in the so-called wilderness when someone remembers you,” Mull secretary Duncan Swinbanks said on being told that the club had won the award. “Things are going really well here, especially in developing the game.” He also paid tribute to the support the club has had from Kenny Murray, Scottish Rugby’s Development Manager for the area. The Isle of Mull 7s is a well established and popular end-of-season tournament in Scottish rugby. In May this year the tournament attracted 16 men’s teams and 10 women’s. The Club of the Month selection panel also took into account Mull’s energy and enterprise in growing the game on the island. A recent example was a Tag Rugby Roadshow (Tag is a non-contact form of the sport), a venture which was followed up with a series of satellite Tag clubs being set up throughout the island. Mull are enthusiastic supporters of the Argyll and Bute youth rugby gatherings. The club send teams no matter the distance they have to travel off the island to those monthly events. In addition, two Mull players are in the Glasgow under-16 training squad. Anna Crampin, partnership manager for Scottish Hydro Electric, said: “We are proud to support club rugby because of teams like the Isle of Mull who thoroughly deserve the recognition of a national award after the hard work of their players, supporters and volunteers.” The award was presented to the club at Scottish Hydro Electric’s shop in Tobermory this afternoon (Friday 19 October). The club of the month honour for the island club follows Tobermory High School’s double success in the Martin Currie Festival of Rugby at Murrayfield during the IRB sevens in June, when island youngsters achieved the unique double of winning the S1 mixed Tag event and the fair play award. That success was a rewarding follow-up from the venture of setting up Tag clubs around the island. The success of Mull’s youth section, ably led by Fergus Whyte, has also allowed the island’s Tobermory High School to join with the mainland Oban High School in fielding combined teams in the Bell Lawrie Scottish Schools Cup under-18 and under-15 competitions. All that rugby development work on the island is supported by the club’s Isle of Mull lottery, which raises around £20,000 per annum. The Scottish Hydro Electric Club of the Month competition will continue throughout the season. Nominations should be sent to Scottish Rugby no later than the last day of each month. * * *Pathway System We started the Pathway system at the end of last year and carried it on into this season. The Pathway is all about stepping up a level of rugby from school or club rugby to represent Argyll and Bute, where if they get through that they go onto trials for Glasgow at their age group. For the last seven weeks we have had training in Oban and played three games two in Glasgow one in Oban, Out of a squad of 22 Mull had 14 boys in the squad which in itself is fantastic. The first game we were against Dumbartonshire Dragons. Final score was 12-12 which was a good draw as Dumbartonshire had a pick from 8 clubs and 6 schools.The second game was against Lanarkshire Eagles where we lost 42-16 but they had pick from 12 clubs 10 schools, and we won our last game against Glasgow Owls 47-19 for the boys to finish with a win which was a great result. As a result of the last seven weeks we have, in all, seven boys going for trials in Glasgow - two at U/17 level Dougie Swinbanks and Scott Mcoll, with 5 at U/16 level - Lewis Watt, Sean Mcphail, Tony Haunschimt, Finlay Carmichael, and Sean Black. All these boys will have two training session in Glasgow with S.R.U. coaches and if they get through they go onto play for Glasgow district which would be fantastic for Mull rugby, the High School and the Island. We are hopeful that we will get at least 5 boys in the age group of U/15, although we are still waiting to hear as it is the S.R.U. coaches who decide. All in all think we should all be proud of what these boys have achieved so far in their rugby on Mull and join with the Club and Senior team in wishing them all the very best!! * * ***** Message from Derwyn **** Fixture Secretary and Legend As some of you will know, there is a larger shortage of referees this week than we have had for some time. As a result some referees have had to be moved from one fixture to another in some cases leaving the first fixture without a referee. There are around 700-800 licensed referees in the West of Scotland area but less than 10% of that number are available for Saturday allocation. Some clubs provide more than one referee for the Saturday pool while others provide none, in some cases these being the clubs looking for a 1st xv, 2nd XV and U18 referee on the same day. This situation could be solved by each club producing one referee for Saturday afternoon. If not there will be more and more matches without referees in the future. Clubs are the only source of referees fro allocations. Those who do not provide referees at all should make every effort to do so; if referees have to be rationed then there is a Bible quotation which may be invoked "To them that hath shall be given; from them that hath not shall be taken even that which they have". Clubs have also been asked to indicate they have contacted their referees at least 72 hours before the kick off by 'green dotting' the game on ABW.. This is done by going to the fixture details and ticking the appropriate box. If rationing has to take place late in the week, then clubs who have not green dotted the referee showing they really need her/him may lose out in a reallocation. The situation is grim; there has been an explosion of fixtures in recent seasons caused by the arrival of new clubs, regionalisation of national and 2xv leagues and the National Cup competition and an increase in the number of U18 fixtures . This is greatly to your credit; you have grown your playing membership and created these extra fixtures. However you will also have to help to grow the number of referees available for allocation on a Saturday or all your efforts may be fruitless in the long term if games are cancelled for want of a referee. One more referee per club is all we ask -the problem would then be solved. Please have this discussed at your next Committee meeting. Regards, Raymond M Healy Hon Secretary and Allocation Secretary, WRRS Derwyn *** training every WED 7.30pm *** |
