Carnoustie Rugby Club

🏉 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK! 🏉

Here’s what’s happening 👇

📅 Tuesday
🏉 Over 18s & Over 35s training,
🚶‍♂️ Walking Rugby is back 🙌.
⏰ 6:30pm
📍 High School

📅 Wednesday
🏉 Minis — all ages P1–P7
⏰ 6:30–7:30pm
📍 High School

🏉 Midis U14s, U16s
⏰ 6:30–8:00pm
📍 High School

📅 Saturday
Clean up day.
⏰ Kicking off at 10am
👉 Check out our other post for all !

Game day
U16s vs Montrose at home 12.30am KO
Come and watch.

📅 Sunday
Piglets 10.30am to 11.00am
Micros U8s 10.30am to 11.30am
U12s, U10s 10.30am to 12.00
U14s 10.30am to 12.00
📍 High school

❤️

Making Clubland Great Again… 1 post at a time…

Happiness is Egg Shaped in

Perthshire Rugby The Amateur Rugby Podcast Bottom of the Ruck Fill Your Boots

🤔

⚠️ Long post warning. ⚠️

Hopefully with future posts shedding more light, suggesting solutions and providing support. This is not a mud sling and isn’t intended to be a pile on and target blame at anyone.

Comments are welcomed if they are,
✅ sharing happy memories of clubs, team mates and events,
✅ offering suggestions and positive comments (more of these to come from me in future)
Or
✅ praising work of clubs who are coping with the current situation and you are sharing stories that could help those in need. (more of these to come from me in future)

I don’t often do it, and I promise normal service we be resumed soon with some solution focused suggestions and comments. This is a bit of moan, grump, rose tinted spectacle look back at the past.

I AM NOT CASTING BLAME. The situation is tough and there is NO silver bullet. Like any cultural shift, it is in the small, everyday behaviours by a passionate minority who grow and make an impact on their immediate circle. It doesn’t happen in a one swipe grand gesture of government policy.

Get to the point Bruce…

It makes me sad to see so many posts of games being called off, clubs being unable to fulfil fixtures and/or withdrawing from the leagues. 😔

🏟️ International stadiums are selling out with a single ticket for ONE game costing the same as a year long membership to a rugby club, TV viewing is enormous (on about 6 different platforms, with subscription feed adding up to the cost of a year long membership at a rugby club) and we are continually being told that we are ‘growing the game’ and ‘reaching new audiences’. (This will feature in future posts and is a HUGE gripe of mine). 💰
I’m not sure we can justifiably say the adult club game for men is growing / thriving / reaching new audiences. ❌

I grew up in the Borders.

I left school in 1997. 🏫

The Scottish Border towns had rugby (sport in general, I think cricket and football can say the same) at their core. A lot has changed in my adult life. I’m really sad to say that 6 clubs are no longer functioning in leagues.

👉 St Boswells (I spoke at their dinner after they won the Shield in 2015)

👉 Gala YM (I played for the YM)

👉 Gala Star (legendary nights out at the Star Bar)

👉 Hawick YM (at one point they were in the 2nd division!!! ONE BELOW HAWICK!)

👉 Hawick Trades (illustrious alumni, including Colin Deans)

👉 Walkerburn (142 years old!)

In numbers… 🔢
That’s a minimum of 90 fewer adult male rugby players, 6 fewer head coaches, 6 fewer assistant coaches, 3 fewer referees, 6 fewer rugby committees, 6 fewer bar staff, 6 fewer end of season nights out, 6 empty club rooms, 12 empty changing rooms, 6 away game bus trips on a Saturday…

I’m not sure these can return fully (some still tour and play Vets and have social events), but as functioning clubs, it feels like they won’t be back. If I was to meet a politician and argue the case for supporting club rugby I would make the following points -
✳️ the club game is good for the economy - spending money on buses, employing people (bar staff, first aider, physio etc) buying beer at the club and then heading into town for more and a kebab and a taxi home, buying boots & equipment, membership fees, match tickets, social events, tours…
✳️ Improved physical and mental health
✳️ Club rooms proving event facilities and filling empty spaces in towns

🥱 I could go on. We can’t just throw the responsibility at a governing body. It’s like complaining about the government. Local action is needed. Volunteer workforces are needed. BELONGING is needed.

We MUST find ways to save who/ what remains. Not as teams. But as clubs. One team clubs are teetering on the edge every season. 💣

When I met a heap of good guys from Glasgow in 1998, they played for Glasgow Southern. When I spoke to an old boy, he said he played for Clarkson. Both gone. Dundee HSFP and Morgan Academy merged to create Dundee Rugby. Harris have gone. In the last week Glasgow Raptors and Broughton FP (over 100 years old) have pulled out their leagues and Forrester have made plea for players. 🙏

I hate to sensationalise… but the game is at crisis point. 🆘

We need to take action. I am trying to help and I’ve spoken to a number of clubs reps in various capacities about a varied of topics. There are individuals, groups and clubs trying to make an impact. There’s no easy fix and WE MUST STOP TALKING ABOUT BACK IN OUR DAY and how THE WORLD HAS CHANGED! It has, and it’s not changing back (it’s changing forward) and it’s not helping to continually chant this to those who are keeping the lights on. We must adapt or die. One of the BIGGEST issues is self interest.

More to come. I have ideas. Some clubs are getting right. Some clubs are thriving. We can learn and we can help each other. If we don’t, we won’t have anyone to play against.

🥇 first plea… JOIN YOUR LOCAL RUGBY CLUB! The membership benefits are amazing. It’s like buying sausages from the local butcher rather than the supermarket. The money and impact stays local. Tastes better too. 😋

Happiness is STILL Egg Shaped in

🏉 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK! 🏉

We’re SO excited to be back this week as we kick off a brand-new season, with all our age groups returning to training! 🎉

Here’s what’s happening 👇

📅 Tuesday
🏉 Over 18s & Over 35s training
⏰ 6:30pm
📍 High School

📅 Wednesday
🏉 Minis — all ages P1–P7
⏰ 6:30–7:30pm
📍 High School

🏉 Midis
⏰ 6:30–8:00pm
📍 High School

📅 Saturday
🚗💰 Car Treasure Hunt Fundraiser!
⏰ Kicking off at 6pm
👉 Check out our other post for all the details!

📅 Sunday
📝 Registration Day
⏰ 10:30am–12:00pm
📍 High School

Registration is for all age groups, including Piglets! 🐷🏉

This year, we’ve moved to digital registration forms, which you can complete in advance through Heja. If you need a hand, don’t worry — we’ll be there to help on the day!

We can’t wait to see everyone back on the pitch and get the new season underway! Everyone welcome 💪🏉❤️

Rugby club fundraiser this Saturday 22 August 🏉🙌🏼❤️

🚗💨 READY FOR A ROAD-TRIP ADVENTURE? 🏁
​Gather your sharpest co-pilots and buckle up for the Carnoustie Rugby Club Car Treasure Hunt! Test your clue-solving skills, explore the local area, and compete for some fantastic prizes.

​Event Details:
​Date: Saturday, 22nd August
​Time: 18:00 start
​Starting Point: Black Slab Car Park
​Entry Fee: £15 per car

​Every penny raised goes directly to supporting Carnoustie Rugby Club 🏉, so round up a carload of family or friends and join the fun!
​Space is limited on the night—tag your team in the comments below, start revving those engines, and let us know you're coming! 👇✨

​

Any Mini/Midi players able to help do a quick club leaflet drop on Thursday

Well done to our over 35s today Carnoustie Old Boars playing against Blairgowrie RFC 🐗🏉