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Throughout the season Aberdeen Grammar Rugby have engaged with 12 different school environments, these include 3 academies, 8 primary schools and 2 coeducational schools being St Margarets and The International School of Aberdeen. The catchment academies have engaged in curricular and extra-curricular sessions throughout the year and participated at various levels of organised competition, with Aberdeen Grammar School having nearly 50 participants involved in Scottish Rugby competitions and friendlies through the year. Cults Academy have also played in 10 organised fixtures at U14 and U16 level against schools in Grampian and the Highlands. The over 40 participants across the age groups engaged well and won the Cup competition at U16 level and the Bowl at U14. Harlaw Academy pupils have also have the opportunity to link up with Aberdeen Grammar pupils at U14 level to play in fixtures.
At primary school level Aberdeen Grammar Rugby have delivered rugby in 7 primary schools, with all P4-P7 pupils in those schools receiving at least 4 weeks of curricular rugby. During these sessions players experience contact skills, handling and small sided games to best set them up should they transition to playing at club level.
Within the club, our boys pathway has expanded to now include U18 boys for the first time in nearly 10 years and we continue to offer regular rugby opportunities for all boys from P1-S4. Across the youth boys teams we have once again seen more players playing rugby more often, whether in formal competition or friendlies. These boys teams are led by a fantastic group of very engaged and qualified coaches who have also attended in club CPDs throughout the season with the delivery from senior head coach Justin Taljaard, DoR Kevin Burnett and senior coach Stuart Corsar.
Our minis and micros sections continue to be a welcoming and exciting place to be for rugby in the city. Again, led by a fantastic group of coaches, our target over the next season is to maintain a good number of volunteers, whether as coaches or to help organise fixtures and festivals, to help continue to build our youngest teams and provide players with opportunities to play rugby.
The club is also proud to say we have made the step into offering opportunities for female players in the game at youth level from S1-S4 and have formed a small group of girls who we will continue to offer rugby to and encourage as many interested players to join. To help build these player numbers we aim to continue our partnership with St Margarets School for Girls where in the last year, every pupil from year 6 to year 13 experienced curricular rugby.
Liam Buchan, Development Officer, Aberdeen Grammar Rugby.