Ellon Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
Rugby union in Scotland is a popular team sport. Scotland's national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. The first ever international rugby match was played on 27 March 1871, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, when Scotland defeated England in front of 4,000 people. Professional clubs compete in the United Rugby Championship, European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, while the Scottish League Championship exists for over 200 amateur and semi-professional clubs, as does a knock-out competition, the Scottish Cup. The governing body, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), is one of the ten first-tier member nations of World Rugby.
The Scottish League Championship is the domestic rugby union league system within Scotland. Operated by the Scottish Rugby Union, the championship was founded in 1973 as the first formalised national league system within any home nations country.
Dalziel Rugby Football Club, formerly known as Dalziel High School Former Pupils Rugby Club, currently has a playing and social membership hailing from Motherwell, Wishaw, Bellshill and other parts of Lanarkshire, Scotland. Historically the club was closely associated with Dalziel High School in Motherwell from which it takes its name. A number of current players are former pupils of Dalziel High School. However, during the 1990s it was felt that the club should drop the "former pupil" tag and be known, in what was felt to be a more inclusive manner, as Dalziel RFC.
Sport in Aberdeen, Scotland is a major affair with Aberdeen being home to three Commonwealth Games swimmers and Aberdeen Football Club
Domestic club rugby union within Scotland remains a predominantly amateur sport; however, semi-professional and professional outfits have been created in recent decades to participate in cross-border competitions.
The Scottish Regional Leagues are the lowest levels of the Scottish rugby union system. They consist of three regions:
The Highland Alliance League, is a small rugby union competition participated in by clubs in the far north of Scotland. Together with the Grampian Alliance League, it is one of the few remaining leagues not part of the Scottish rugby union system, and therefore neither it nor its clubs are part of the Scottish League Championship structure.
University rugby union in Scotland is predominantly organised through BUCS, the British Universities Sports Association. Unlike in England and Wales, where a pyramid system of 4 regions and a Premier above exists, the Scottish system is separate. However, Scottish universities do receive places in the end of season knock-out tournaments which decide overall British champions. However, due to the small size of the divisions, some Scottish universities organise teams to play in regional or national leagues as part of the general Scottish league system for clubs, the Scottish League Championship. In addition, some universities organise University Saturday Leagues for their 2nd XV, or they organise informal friendly matches. The following universities have teams playing elsewhere in Scottish Rugby:
There are three organisations operating 2nd XV Leagues in Scotland. These are :
The Scottish Reserve League is the largest of the three organisations operating 2nd XV Leagues in Scotland. Originally all 2nd XV rugby union league matches were played under the auspices of the Scottish 2nd XV League, however in recent years a number of breakaways have occurred - clubs in the Scottish Borders forming their own Borders Championship, and clubs in Edinburgh and the Lothians the Edinburgh & Lothian 2nd XV League. A Caledonia 2nd XV League was established for 2005-2006 but abandoned without a game played, although a competition for clubs in the very north of Scotland - the Brin Cup - did go ahead. Moves are afoot to reunite the 2nd XV league system.
Highland Rugby Football Club is a rugby union amateur club from the city of Inverness that compete in the Scottish National League Division Two, the Highland Alliance League and the Caledonia Regional League. They have a number of teams taken from different age groups including micros and minis, S1 and S2, Under-15, Under-16, Under-18 and senior first and second teams. They play their rugby at Canal park in Inverness.
Aberdeen University Rugby Football Club (AURFC) is the rugby union team at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. The men's team play in Caledonia North Three; the women's team play in the university leagues.
Gordonians RFC are a rugby union team based in Aberdeen, Scotland founded in 1923. They take their name from the fact that they were originally the former pupils club for Robert Gordon's College in the city.
Aberdeen Wanderers Rugby Football Club is a Scottish rugby union club. It was founded in Aberdeen in 1928 as Aberdeen Engineers RFC, acquiring its current name in 1934.
Moray Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club from the city of Elgin, Moray that compete in the Caledonia North Two. Moray also have a 2xv that competes in the BT Caledonia 3 North League. Moray has a number of youth teams taken from different age groups including micros and minis, S1 and S2, Under-16, Under-18 team. They play their rugby at Morriston Park in Elgin, Moray.
The Women's domestic rugby union leagues in Scotland are organised in a similar vein to the men's domestic leagues: on a national basis for the top leagues and regional leagues below feeding into those leagues.
Garioch RFC is a rugby union club based in Inverurie, Scotland. The Men's team currently plays in Caledonia Division One. The Women's team currently plays in the Scottish Womens National One league.
Dundee University Medics RFC is a rugby union club based in Dundee, Scotland. The Men's team currently plays in Caledonia Midlands Two.
Aberdeenshire RFC is a rugby union club based in Woodside, Aberdeen, Scotland. The Men's team currently plays in Caledonia North Two. The Women's team currently plays in Caledonia North Regional League Division 1.