Highland RFC

Last updated

Highland
Highland rfc logo.png
Full nameHighland Rugby Football Club
Founded1922;102 years ago (1922)
Location Inverness, Scotland
Ground(s)Canal Park
Coach(es)Davie Carson
League(s) Scottish National League Division One
2021–22Scottish National League Division One, 6th of 12
Kit left arm red hoops.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body redhoops.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm red hoops.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops red.png
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit
Official website
www.highlandrugbyclub.com

Highland Rugby Football Club is a rugby union amateur club from the city of Inverness that compete in the Scottish National League Division One. 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.

Contents

History

The club celebrated when they announced the appointment of a jointly funded development officer enabling the club to more actively grow rugby across all ages. The Canal Park Club demonstrated their commitment to the game, and the revised development structure, when they teamed up with Scottish Rugby and the Highland Council to fund the new post which brings thousands of pounds of investment into rugby in the area. Development Officers (DOs) are dedicated to recruiting and retaining rugby players, coaches, referees and volunteers in and around their local communities working continuously to create links between schools and clubs to maximise the opportunities to play rugby in their area. Their efforts were rewarded in the 2010–11 season when they were given the SRU club of the month award for November.

In 2020 Highland RFC launched a club lottery in association with Our Club Lotto which continues to help fund rugby development in Inverness. [1] Draws take place every Wednesday night with all profits reinvested into the club and prizes up to £20,000 available to be won. [2]

Sides

1st XV

The 1st XV have had a recent resurgence during the second decade of the 21st century, led by Coach Dave Carson, most notably winning the Scottish National League Division Three title in 2017–2018.

The 1st XV currently play in National Division one.

2nd XV

Highlands 2nd XV also known as the Raptors currently play in Caledonia Division 2 Northwest after successfully winning Caledonia North 3 in 2015/16. This was the side's second promotion in two years, after winning Caledonia League Division 4 North the year before.

During the 2010–11 season the Highland raptors became champions in the Caledonia Division 2 Northwest league although they could not be considered for promotion due to them playing as a second XV side. Due to this, Moray RFC progressed to the play-off stage for a chance at promotion to Caledonia Division 1 in which they triumphed over Aberdeen Wanderers. The Raptors however still got the chance to become Division 2 champions by playing Aberdeen Wanderers, a game in which they also achieved success.

Sevens

The club run the Inverness City Sevens. The club's sevens tournament was renamed in 2022. Formerly it was known as the Highland Sevens. [3]

Stadium

Canal Park
LocationInverness, Scotland
Surface4G, formerly grass
Construction
Broke ground1922
Built–1922
Opened1922
Renovated2017
Tenants
Highland RFC
(1922–present)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle Youth Development
(1994–present)
Clachnacuddin F.C.
(2020)

Loch Ness F.C.
(2020–2021)

The rugby club's ground, Canal Park, has been their home since their founding in 1922. Following their surge into higher levels of Rugby, their ground was upgraded in 2017 from grass to a 4G pitch, and the club house majorly improved upon. In 2020, local football club Clachnacuddin F.C., were put into a temporary groundshare agreement after a fire at their ground, Grant Street Park, on Christmas Eve 2019, in order to keep the Highland League running smoothly. On Clachnacuddin's opening game at Canal Park against Fort William F.C., they drew a crowd of approximately 700, which was a significant improvement on their usual attendance at Grant Street, however, Fort William won the game 1–0. [4] It was used for a second time against Forres Mechanics F.C., in which Clachnacuddin lost 3–2.

The ground is often used by the youth and reserve teams of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Notable players

Honours

Other honours

2015/16: 1st Xv Caledonia Shield Champions
2nd Xv Caledonia Division 3 North Champions
Andrew Findlater – Caledonia Leagues Player of the Season
Stevie Rutledge – Scottish Rugby Try of the Season
London Irish mini festival shield winners

2014/15: 2nd XV Caledonia League Division 4 Winners
1st XV 2nd place in Caledonia League 1

2013/14: 1st XV Caledonia North Division 2 Winners – undefeated season
1st XV Caledonia Bowl Winners
1st XV National Bowl Winners
Rory Cross – National Bowl Final Man of the Match

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Football League</span> Association football league in Scotland

The Scottish Highland Football League is a senior football league based in the north of Scotland. The league sits at level 5 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Scottish Professional Football League.

Stirling County RFC is a Scottish rugby union club based in Stirling. The club plays its home games at Bridgehaugh. It runs a number of sides. The professional men's side competes in the Super 6 as the Stirling Wolves, the women's side competes in the Scottish Womens Premiership.

Aberdeen Grammar School FP RFC, also known as Aberdeen Grammar, are an amateur rugby union club based in Aberdeen, Scotland. They currently compete in the Scottish National League Division One. The club plays its home games at Rubislaw in the city's west end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillhead Jordanhill RFC</span> Rugby team

Hillhead Jordanhill Rugby Football Club (HJRFC) is a Scottish rugby union club based in Glasgow, Scotland. HJRFC has roots going as far back as 1904 with the formation of the Hillhead Sports Club, however, the rugby club as we know it today was founded in 1988 with a Women's section added in 1995, they have played at their current home ground, Hughenden in the West End of Glasgow since then. Despite their name, the club is not located in either Hillhead or Jordanhill, although the pre-merger clubs did have historical links with these areas. Hughenden is located in Hyndland beside Great Western Road.

Annan Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The men's side play in West Division One, the women's side play in Scottish Womens National One.

Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians Rugby Football Club, often abbreviated to GHA and colloquially referred to as G-HA!!, is a rugby union club based in the Giffnock area of East Renfrewshire, Scotland. The club plays its home matches at Braidholm and currently competes in the Scottish National League Division One, which is the second tier of Scottish club rugby. GHA competed in the premiership from 2019/20 until the 2022/23 season which saw them being relegated to National League Division 1.

The Scottish National League Division Two is the third tier of the Scottish League Championship for amateur rugby union clubs in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of St Andrews RFC</span> Scottish rugby union club, based in Fife

The University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club is an affiliated member of the University of St Andrews Athletic Union in Fife, Scotland. The club runs four men's and two women's teams, which play in the university leagues.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish National League (rugby league)</span> Football league

The Scottish National League was first played for in 1997 under the name The Scottish Conference before changing to its current name the following season and is the top tier domestic rugby league club competition in Scotland. It was renamed the RLC Scottish Premier between 2007 and 2011 and formed a division of the Rugby League Conference competition.

Howe of Fife RFC is a rugby union club based in Cupar, Fife, Scotland. It was founded in 1921, and they play in blue and white hoops. The men's first XV team currently competes in Scottish National League Division Three, the women's XV - known as Howe Harlequins - plays in Scottish Womens National One.

Gordonians RFC is a rugby union team based in Aberdeen, Scotland, founded in 1904. They take their name from the fact that they were originally the former pupils' club for Robert Gordon's College in the city. The team currently fields two squads. 1st XV currently compete in the Scottish National League Division 2, the third tier of Scottish rugby. The 2nd XV is nicknamed the "Jolly Boys" and compete in the Caledonia North 2 league. The club also runs a youth division known as the Gordonian Pelicans.

Falkirk Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Falkirk, Scotland. They currently compete in Scottish National League Division One, the second tier of Scottish club rugby. The club play their home matches at Horne Park.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moray RFC</span> Rugby team

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.

Grangemouth Stags is a rugby union club based in Grangemouth, Scotland. The men's side currently compete in Caledonia Division One, the women's side currently compete in Scottish Womens Midlands & East One. The club play their home matches at Glensburgh Park.

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.

Inverness Craig Dunain RFC is a rugby union club based in Inverness, Scotland. The Men's team currently plays in Caledonia North Region 3.

RAF Lossiemouth RFC is a rugby union club based in Lossiemouth, Scotland. The Men's team currently plays in Caledonia North Three.

Strathclyde University RFC is a rugby union club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club operates a men's team and a women's team. Both currently play in the university leagues

References

  1. ↑ "StackPath". www.highlandrugbyclub.org. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Highland Rugby Club – Play our online lottery to help us raise funds!". Our Club Lotto. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "Highland Sevens / Inverness City Sevens". 10 June 2019.
  4. ↑ Clachnacuddin: The fire-hit football club longing to return home, BBC Scotland News, 31 January 2020
  5. ↑ "Inverness Craig Dunain Sevens". 29 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "Aberdeen Sevens". 28 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "Stornoway Sevens". 13 June 2019.
  8. ↑ "Lochaber Sevens". 11 June 2019.
  9. ↑ "Orkney Sevens". 8 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "Clarkston Sevens". 7 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Caithness Sevens". 7 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Ross Sutherland Sevens". 7 June 2019.
  13. ↑ "Moray Sevens". 7 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "Kirkcaldy Sevens". 7 June 2019.
  15. ↑ "Mull Sevens". 8 June 2019.
  16. ↑ "Kirkcaldy Sevens". 8 June 2019.
Sources
  1. Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN   0-904919-84-6)
  2. Highland RFC Website
  3. The Inverness Courier – Rugby News
  4. Highland RFC Facebook Page
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.