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TEAMtalk...President’s WelcomeWelcome to season 2013/14. I trustall the volunteers, without whom cluband schools rugby couldn’t survive, haveenjoyed what has been the best summerfor years. Players, coaches and officialswill have been able to go home withouttheir kit covered in mud after pre-seasontraining!Some 149 clubs participated in the RBS Rugby Force weekend, themajority in glorious sunshine. I enjoyed my visit to Cartha Queens Parkwith four Glasgow Warriors players including British Lion Stuart Hogg. Iknow my own club, Selkirk, had a full day of activities including rugby forall ages of player culminating in a pre-season highly competitive ‘friendly’against Ayr as well as painting the changing rooms. RBS RugbyForce isa great way to get all the members and supporters of a club together tolaunch the new season.The British & Irish Lions tour had highs and lows from the perspectiveof our four representatives. Stuart, Richie, Sean and Ryan will havegained considerable insight into the players from the other home unionsand have realised that they are not unbeatable. I’m confident they willinspire their fellow Scottish players to produce some terrific winningperformances in the Autumn Tests and Six Nations.Glasgow Warriors had a successful season last year and Scotstounis a great venue. A full house inspires the team and will ensure theychallenge for the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 and the semi-finals ofthe Heineken Cup. Edinburgh Rugby have strengthened their coachingteam and management as well as recruiting some exciting new players.I’m confident that they will move from strength to strength, especiallywith the encouragement of their loyal and growing number of supporters.Please come along and make some noise at Murrayfield.It’s very early in the season, so clubs and schools are still finding theirfeet and getting back into the rhythm of training nights and matches.Last season 66 clubs attended the Club Sustainability Workshops heldaround the country. These workshops highlighted the importance ofclubs aiming to be key assets to their community, using their facilitiesfor activities to attract new members and potential volunteers, therebygrowing the club.NewsScotland Women Walk the WalkTwo good causes benefited from Scotland Women’s internationalists stepping up to themark this summer.Stand-off Lisa Martin, centre Laura Steven and prop Beth Dickens were asked by some ofScotland’s women MSPs to lead off Edinburgh’s MoonWalk on 8 June.Lisa said: “It went really well, we were up on stage with ForthOne’s Grant Stott speakingabout why we were there and also went back to help warm up everyone, which wasamazing!“We did the 6.6 mile new MoonWalk with MSPs Jackie Baillie Siobhan McMahon and DrewSmith. It was an amazing experience and definitely something we plan on doing again.”Meanwhile south of the border flying the flag, Scotland Women flanker Tess Forsbergwas asked by pupils from the local school at her current base in Newbury to join in theircharity relay team.Tess said: “Year 8 at St Bartholomew’s School and I did an hour of relays to raise moneyfor Newbury & District Cancer Care Trust. They were very happy I could join in and evenasked if I want to coach their girls’ rugby team!”Lisa, Laura and Beth with MSPs Jackie Baillie, Siobhan McMahon,Drew Smith and fellow walkersWe need to grow the numbers of players moving from under-16 tounder-18 to college and adult rugby by clubs forging close linksbetween the schools and colleges in their community. We lose too manyplayers from clubs when they retire from playing. Keep them involved asGolden Oldies, referees, coaches and volunteers helping the minis andon match days. A club is much, much more than its first XV; it needs tobe a key social asset to its members and in its community.Happy days - let’s enjoy our rugby, grow the game and grow our clubs.Donald MacleodPresidentScottish RugbyTess and her relay squadP2.TEAMtalk...TEAMtalk is produced by the Communications & Public Affairs team.Got a story for the next edition? Please contact Isobel.irvine@sru.org.ukAT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

Gala Days for Connor and Calum!If it’s June it must be Gala season and two young Scotland fans showed theirsupport for their country at this year’s round of parades.In Prestonpans, Gala Queen’s consort and Preston Lodge mini ConnorOrphant ensured his whole week had a Scotland theme, with a packedMurrayfield Stadium recreated in his front garden.Eleven-year-old Connorexplained: “Everyonepicks their favouritething for their weekand mine is rugby. Myneighbour, my mumand dad all helped meto make the displays. Ittook about a week asthe main rugby playerwe made was 10ft 3inches and we had tocut it out of wood, thenpapier mache it all andthen paint it.“On Gala Day, the pipeband I play with turnedup as a surprise. Theyplayed for me in thegarden and then madea guard of honourand played HighlandCathedral – it was justlike Murrayfield!“I love my rugby and it keeps me fit. I started playing in primary 1 because itwas lots of fun and my friends also went. My dad used to play rugby too – heplayed with Chunk for the Scotland under-16s.“My favourite player is Richie Gray – he’s amazing, really strong, tall andhas brilliant hair. I would love to play for Scotland so I’m going to reallyconcentrate hard on my rugby at the high school.”Meanwhile, cross country in Kirkliston, Murrayfield also appeared in CalumGilmore’s Gala garden!Calum’s dad said: “Every year we have a Gala where the new Primary 1 pupilsdecorate their garden in a theme of their choosing. Calum chose Murrayfieldas he truly loves the place. We have been to a number of internationals nowand a few Edinburgh games. Despite me being Irish he is staunchly Scottishand blasts out Flower of Scotland with great gusto!“His favourite visit to Murrayfield so far has been the Scotland victory overIreland last year, with my brother and his two sons, one of whom suffersfrom an auto muscular condition and was so well looked after it made a bigimpression on Calum.”Using his dad’s cameraphone, Calum took pictures of his friends and family,these were then pasted into an A4 document and 100 copies printed outwhich were glued onto MDF to make the sides of the stadium. Head shots ofhis closest friends were then stuck on to Scotland and Ireland rugby shirt cutoutsas the players, the pitch was painted and posts made out of bamboo.Loads of Edinburgh Rugby flags made the players’ tunnel from his archway tothe pitch!Dad added:“Calum alsowrote a messagefor the judgeswho go roundall the houses,telling them howmuch he lovesMurrayfield...wedidn’t win or getplaced, but Calumsaid it didn’tmatter as heloved the stadiumsoooooo much(his words!).”Just for the RecordThe essential handbookto your season, RugbyRecord, is out now. Clubshave already received theirallocated complimentarycopies – should any morebe required, please contactus atfeedback@sru.org.ukSCOTTISH RUGBY RECORD 2013-20142013-2014RUGBY RECORDCover: Caithness take on Mackie in their opening fixture of the season atMillbank, the posts they won from Murrayfield in the background. For the fullstory, see scottishrugby.orgLog on to www.scottishrugby.org or follow Scotland on@ScotlandteamP3.

Regional Development Manager roundupHighlandsShowing the increased standard across the region, the Highlanders under-16s squad was made up of players from Orkney, Caithness, Ross Sutherland,Highland, Moray, Lochaber and Stornoway.Mark Sinclair from Orkney, Jack Floydd from Caithness, John Clark and JamesMurray both from Highland are the latest young players from the region totake part in Scottish Rugby’s Modern Apprentice programme. Over the comingseason they will not only be working towards their qualification but contributingto the development and growth of the game by delivering rugby sessions inlocal schools and running events for young players.Meanwhile a great success for girls’ rugby in the region is the selection ofHeather Davis (Grantown Grammar) in the Scotland 7s girls’ under-19 squadWarriors take on AberdeenGrammarJackson then held a q&a session,with opportunities for autographsand photos, and the trip finishedwith a practice match betweenAberdeen Grammar and Warriors,Glasgow running out comfortable53-0 winners.Aberdeen Wanderers received£25,000 in the second round ofCashback Facilities funding towardsdrainage for their pitch. The work hasnow been carried out and it’s hopedthey’ll be back on to the pitch bynext spring at the latest. Meanwhile Deeside RFC received £10,000 towardsfloodlighting at their new pitches in Banchory with work ongoing.Twenty players from the north-east were involved in the regional specialist skillsprogramme over the summer, the seven sessions including one with ChrisPaterson, Eddie Pollock and Hugh Campbell. Players were nominated throughinvolvement in regional and national programmes in season 2012/13 andsessions were delivered in Aberdeen by P1 coaches and players as well asScottish Rugby and joint-funded staff.The Highlanders under-16 Pathway team that took on their Central counterpartsfor the Sainsbury School Games in Manchester – Caitlin Harvey (CaithnessRFC) is in the extended training squad.George Byers, the Women’s and Girls’ Coaching Co-ordinator for Highlands andIslands, has been busy arranging development days where girls of all abilitiesjoin forces to receive quality coaching and play rugby. The sessions are heldmonthly between September and April (excluding December and January) – formore info contact George at girlsrugby.highlandsislands@gmail.comGrampianRyan Wilson and Duncan Weirvisiting Moray RFCGlasgow Warriors’ pre-season training included a trip to Aberdeen with RyanWilson and Duncan Weir visiting Moray RFC while Fergus Scott and Jack Steelewent along to Deeside RFC where both clubs were running summer camps. Anopen training event at Rubislaw was followed by coaching sessions, from northeastdevelopment staff and Warriors players, for over 100 local players fromP4 upwards. Al Kellock, Stuart Hogg and local boys Chris Cusiter and RuaridhThe Central Crusaders under-12 girls’ team celebrates success at the EmiratesAirline Glasgow 7s Festival of RugbyCentralA number of Central clubs took part in a sevens’ festival of rugby as part of theHSBC Sevens World Series weekend at Scotstoun at the beginning of May – andit was the newly formed Central Crusaders under-12 girls that led the way bywinning their competition on their first outing. The team was a composite fromclubs and schools across the region, playing under the banner of MonklandsGirls.Following the success of the S1/2 key national themes festivals, the Centraldevelopment team will be running the same programme next season. Moreinformation will be circulated direct to the coaches but dates for the diaryare: 8 September 2013 (tackle) Grangemouth; 6 October 2013 (0ffload)Hillfoots; 3 November 2013 (ball presentation) Alloa; and 16 February 2014(handcatch) Strathendrick.The skills development camps for under-14 and under-15 players will again runnext Easter however, to help the young players, the Central development teamunder the guidance of Gary Mercer (Regional Academy Coach) will be offeringmonthly sessions at regional hubs as a follow-up to the camps.Finally we would like to welcome Stewart Milne, the new development officerfor Falkirk & Grangemouth, who joins the team with a wealth of experienceas former Kelso development officer and, most recently, as regional academycoach for WRU in North Wales.P4.TEAMtalk...AT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

Pro Teams - Edinburgh RugbyThe start of the new season is almost upon us and, as the players enter thefinal stages of preparation for the new campaign, we take a look at whatEdinburgh Rugby have been up to this summer to ensure a year-round fix forrugby fans.The club have made a bigpush this summer to be asactive as possible in thecommunity, with summercamps back by populardemand.One initiative taken by theclub was the volunteerweek, which saw the players,coaches and backroom staffoffering their services to localorganisations and charities.Some serious fence painting during thesquad’s community weekIn association with Forth Oneradio, the club were keen togive something back to thecommunity which supportsthem each week come gameday.During the course of the week the black’n’red army were painting fences,clearing up rubbish and varnishing benches all in aid of local causes. Onelocal organisation, the Big Issue charity, even challenged the squad to a oneoffrugby match!The team jumped at the chance to play with and against employees andbeneficiaries of the Big Issue in what was an inspiring day for all.The Viss can’t miss? Tim’s given the slip by a Big Issue player at thebig Touch challengeThe big story to come out of Murrayfield involving rugby matters during theoff-season, however, was the appointment of experienced South African, AlanSolomons, as new head coach.New head coach Alan Solomons takes thechair during August’s Edinburgh RugbyOpen EveningThe former Springboksassistant coach, whosteered the Barbariansto wins over five toptier nations (England,Scotland, Wales,South Africa and NewZealand) and ledclubs to silverware inboth the northern andsouthern hemisphere,will spearhead a top-ratecoaching team including Stevie Scott, whose work as interim head coach wasrewarded by a full-time assistant (forwards) role.Edinburgh Rugby managing director, David Davies, was delighted with theappointment of “such experienced, respected and passionate coaches.”He added: “I’m confident they will provide the foundations for our long-termobjective of becoming a force on the domestic and European stage.”Greig Tonks and Matt Scott launch the Edinburgh Rugby kits,with new sponsor BT SportAnother key signing made by Edinburgh Rugby in the off-season was thecontract extension of last season’s Player and Player’s Player of the year, GreigTonks.The former Northampton Saints full-back signed for the capital city club inthe summer of 2012, and had a fantastic debut season, starting all but twopossible matches for the club (26/28 games) before earning his first seniorinternational cap on Scotland’s 2013 summer tour of South Africa.One player who may line up alongside Tonks this season at Edinburgh, isscrum-half, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne who returned from 13 weeks in New Zealandas part of the Macphail Scholarship.The prestigious scholarship (now in its ninth year), offers the most promisingyoung Scottish talents the opportunity to further their rugby development byimmersing themselves in New Zealand rugby and culture.With previous winners including Grant Gilchrist, Roddy Grant and HarryLeonard, Hidalgo-Clyne will be hoping he can follow suit and prove himself tobe a regular in years to come.Season tickets for the 2013/14 are still on sale and the club are extendingan invitation to all fans to what is sure to be an action-packed year.Edinburgh Rugby’s new matchday announcer Forth One’s DJ Boogie,flanked by Ewan McQuillin and Chris AuldP6.TEAMtalk...AT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

Pro Teams - Glasgow WarriorsIt’s been a busy summer with 14 Glasgow players on Scotland’s tour to SouthAfrica and three on the Lions victorious tour of Australia.“I’d like to be successful here. It was areally exciting prospect to beable to come back and I’m gladI’ve had the opportunity to dothat.”Tyrone Holmes and Richie VernonThe returning Lion - and his pal Stuart HoggStuart Hogg, Sean Maitland and Ryan Grant made their Lions debuts, whileTim Swinson, Peter Murchie, Peter Horne, Fraser Brown, Tommy Seymour, AlexDunbar and Pat MacArthur all won their first Scotland caps.Now the focus is very much on the build-up to the forthcoming season, withthe new campaign kicking off at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday 6 Septemberagainst Cardiff Blues.In the Heineken Cup theWarriors were drawn withdefending champions Toulon,Cardiff Blues and Exeter Chiefs.There has been an additionto the Warriors coachingteam with former Ayr headcoach Kenny Murray joiningas assistant coach, alongsideShade Munro and Matt Taylor.BT Sport have been announcedas the club’s new mainsponsor as part of a four-yearpartnership with ScottishRugby, while there’s beenrecord season ticket sales, withmore than 2,200 membershipsalready snapped up.A number of new players havechecked into Scotstoun thisKellock and Weir have designs on the new kitsummer, including Argentineinternational centre GabrielAscarate, Fijian-capped propJerry Yanuyanutawa and South African-born flanker Tyrone Holmes, who alsoqualifies to play for Scotland.Returning to Glasgow after a two-year spell with Sale Sharks is Scotland capRichie Vernon, who spent four years in Glasgow before moving to the EnglishPremiership.The 25-year-old said: “It feels great to be back, in a lot of ways it feels like I’venever left. Not too much has changed but it’s good to be back and I’m excitedto be here.“I have some unfinished business at Glasgow, having spent four years here thelast time. It feels like my hometown club.The Warriors’ kids summer camp was a sell-out, with more than 130 childrenattending the three-day camp at Scotstoun. Players such as Mark Bennett,Gabriel Ascarate and Jonny Gray were all on hand to provide coaching.The squad travelled to the north-east of Scotland for a two-day training campin Aberdeen, which included a kids coaching session involving a number oflocal rugby clubs.As part of the trip to Aberdeen a Glasgow Warriors XV played AberdeenGrammar in a practice match at Rubislaw. The Warriors came out on top in a53-0 win, ahead of further pre-season friendlies against Harlequins and ExeterChiefs.Warriors go wild at the summer campFun and games with Niko at Warriors’ open dayLog on to www.scottishrugby.org or follow Scotland on@ScotlandteamP7.

ClubsStart-of-Season SpecialRBS RugbyForce was rolled out across the country in mid-August as 149 clubsbrought their community together to whip their clubs into shape before the start ofthe 2013/14 season. Scotland players helped with the workload – and mucked inwith some hands-on coaching – at a number of clubs, as you can see here:Argyll & Bute and Oban Lorne:Sean Lamont battles with the overgrownundergrowth at the clubs’ ground in Oban, whileScotland Women internationalist Laura Steven linesup with Oban Lorne women’s team.Cartha Queens Park:Giving the clubhouse an internationalfinish were Jonny Gray, Stuart Hogg,Pat MacArthur, Ruaridh Jackson andMark Bennett.Forrester: Young playewith Scotland winger Tim VBrown, while Scotland WomJohnston tackle clearing thego to Scottish Rugby’s YouTGreenock Wanderers: Scotland internationalistsSean Maitland and Richie Vernon, along with Glasgow Warriors’Colin Gregor and Scotland 7s’ Neil Herron put the Wanderersyoungsters through their paces.Newton Stewart: Alex Dunbar returned to the southwestof the country, along with Warriors team-mate TommySeymour and Scotland 7s players Struan Dewar and JamesJohnstone as they put their kicking game to the test.CrieStrawas outRugby’sScotlanAndrewHoustonand gamprizes atP8. TEAMtalk... AT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

Ellon: BritishLion Ryan Grant andWarriors’ team-mateMoray Low give a lift tothe northern paintingteam while Scotland 7splayers Alex Glashan,Michael Maltman, andMark Robertson werebusy with the brushelsewhere in Ellon’sclubhouse.rs at Forrester were put through their pacesisser and his Edinburgh team-mate Tomen’s players Louise Dalgliesh and Stephanieclub grounds.To see footage from the day,ube channel, ScottishRugbyonline.Montrose: Further north, Edinburgh’s MattScott and Scotland 7’s internationalist Michael Fedolooked on as Chris Dean crept up on a Montrosemini. Thankfully, Chris Paterson was on hand tolend support.Edinburgh Accies: In the Capital, Accies played host to Edinburgh’s summer signing,Jack Cuthbert, under-20 starlet Callum Black, and Scotland internationalists Megan Gaffneyand Geoff Cross who said: “RBS RugbyForce is a great way for the institutions to give back tothe community and grow the game in Scotland.ff &thearn: The sunto welcome EdinburghRoss Rennie plusd 7s’ James Fleming,Turnbull and Johnwho joined in the funes and presented thethe end of a great day.Selkirk: Greig Laidlaw was on hand to help theminis at Philiphaugh, alongside Edinburgh Rugby’s LeeJones and Scotland 7 twins Lewis and Gregor Young.RBS and Scottish Rugby want to rewardeven more great clubs, volunteers andtries in season 2013/14.Each month we collate nominations forRBS Club, Club Volunteer and Try of theMonth, with some fantastic prizes and PRon offer for the winners.Get involved and nominate those clubsand people you know are doing a top jobat www.scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/nominations.Log on to www.scottishrugby.org or follow Scotland on@ScotlandteamP9.

RefereesThe referee team is looking forward to some very competitive rugby in thecoming months. There are a number of challenges ahead for us all, not leastgetting used to the new scrum engagement procedure being trialled worldwide.Members of the department have been going global themselves over thesummer, and tell us about their travels…Andrew Macpherson in South AfricaThe pitches of Stellenbosch were Andrew’sstomping ground this summer“In the midst of the warmest summer Scotland has seen for years, I set off forthe winter sun of Cape Town to spend a week on the IRB’s Talent OptimisationProgramme, held annually at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport. Theprogramme is an opportunity for coaches, strength and conditioning officials,referees and coaches of referees to spend the week learning and sharing ideaswith each other with a view to taking that back to their own country and upskillingothers.I was there to learn about coaching referees and was allocated refereesfrom Brazil and Portugal to work with during the week. We listened to guestspeakers such as Nick Mallet, Craig Joubert and Rasmus Ankersen who sharedinformation on international rugby, match preparation and talent identificationand development. Additionally each of the referees officiated at the inter houseleague matches at Stellenbosch University.The programme has helped me to think of new ways to coach referees inScotland and allowed me to share that information with colleagues so that wecan work together in order to keep improving our officials.”Neil Paterson inRomania“Held in Bucharest in earlyJune, this was my thirdNations Cup and it involvedthe host nation Romania,Russia, Argentine Jaguarsand Emerging Italy.The referee manager wasNigel Whitehouse and theassessor was Les Peard,both from Wales. TheNeil Paterson refereed Argentine Jaguarsagainst Emerging Italyreferee team was made up of a Uruguayan ref, Joaquin Montes, and a latereplacement from Italy, Claudio Blessano – Jason Jaftha, from South Africa,called off with a back injury shortly before the tournament.Appointments for day one left me with the tie between Argentine Jaguars andthe Emerging Italy team – in heavy rain, with poor kicking and handling errors, itwas definitely a game to endure rather than enjoy.The IRB have started using Fairplay, an athlete assessment system that wasnew to all of us. From a refereeing perspective it had gone well, with goodaccuracy at the tackle and at the scrum and the IRB guidance of touch to settime of 1.30 seconds achieved.On game day two, I had Russia v Emerging Italy, a game that I’m sure I’ll neverforget. Again this was played in heavy rain, with the Italians coming througheventually in a closely-fought game. Late in the second half, however, I hadto bring all players off the field for 20 minutes due to a thunderstorm and alightning strike on the floodlights. Not something that happens too often and anew experience for me. It was a good learning point in concentration, though,as the last 12 minutes after the restart were the most intense, free flowing andexciting of all the games.Having done my two games in the opening two days of the tournament, Iwas reserve referee for the third day so the pressure was off. This was thecompletion of a very long season with a long time away from home but it wasnonetheless successful and enjoyable.Bob Easton, Kevin White, Bob Nevins, Adrian Graves andAlex Pratt – RWC 7s Moscow 2013The tournament was held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at the end ofJune with 16 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams taking part. Along with theScotland men’s team, match officials from Scotland were also involved.Bob Nevins in MoscowWeather conditions in Moscowproved challenging“With Adrian Graves and I selected to go to Russia, Kevin White a referee at theevent, Alex Pratt assistant referee for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 7s and BobEaston as Technical Zone Manager for the men’s tournament, it outlines thehard work Scottish Rugby’s referees department is putting in to its officials.Arriving at the hotel in Moscow we were allocated rooms with an official fromanother country as a roommate, to help team bonding, and the days leadingup to the event were filled with technical meetings, pool sessions and anorganised tour down the River Volga to Red Square and the Kremlin.Game day 1 arrived and as we entered the 85,000-seater stadium, it suddenlyhit me what I was about to embark on over the weekend; it was a humblingfeeling and to run out for your first game in the tournament was mind-blowing.The event ran very smoothly, apart from a thunder and lightning storm duringthe semi finals, with New Zealand eventual winners in both men’s and women’sevents.Outstanding memories of the whole experience would be meeting a great groupof officials from all over the world, making new friends, the hospitality of theRussian people, and the honour of representing Scottish Rugby at a world cuptournament – for which I’d like to thank all the officials I have worked with overthe years for helping me to reach this pinnacle in my career.”P10. TEAMtalk... AT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

PerformanceScotlandThe squad ended theirquadrangular summertournament in SouthAfrica with ten newcaps and a third-placefinish, after a grindingdefeat to Samoa, a braveperformance against thehosts and a last-minutewin over Italy. While themain body of the squadModel players Visser and Hogg was on tour, Richie Gray,Sean Maitland, RyanGrant & Stuart Hogg were on duty with the British & Irish Lionsin Australia, returning in time for the latter duo to launch the newretro national kit in East Lothian in August.The coaching team for the forthcoming Autumn Test serieswill again be led by Scottish Rugby’s Director of Rugby, ScottJohnson, assisted by Jonathan Humphreys (forwards), Matt Taylor(defence), Duncan Hodge (specialist skills) and Massimo Cuttitta(scrum). Meanwhile newly appointed head coach Vern Cotter,whose appointment was announced in May, will take up hisposition in 2014.Matt Scott in action against ItalyScotland under-20The culmination of their season, in June, saw the young Scotsfinish in tenth place in the IRB Junior World Championship inFrance. After defeats to Argentina and Wales, Scotland beatSamoa in a 36-33 last-minute nail-biter in the pool stages,booking a 9-12th spot semi final play-off against the USA. A39-3 win over the Americans saw them through to a rematchwith the Samoans who just edged the win, 33-24, to put theScots into double figures in the rankings. Their earlier defeatof the USA, however, had already ensured qualification for the2014 championship in New Zealand. The squad will regroup inearly October for the first of three extended training camps in thebuild-up to next year’s 6 Nations.Scotland under-18The first player development camp of the season at this agegrade was held in the Borders in mid August and included afriendly against the squad’s counterparts at Leeds Academy.After a tentative opening five minutes the Scots – minus a fewkey players from the summer training camp in Spain – poweredahead with confident handling and quality ball to win 57-7.The coaching team, headed by Eddie Pollock and assisted byBen Fisher and Don Caskie – the former Scotland B centre whowas recently backs coach with Georgia and is currently Directorof Rugby at Dollar – will continue looking at players in theirschools and clubs, to put together a squad of 40 for the Octobercamp which signals the start of the business end of the season.Scotland WomenThere’s a new look to the management team as, taking overthe reins as head coach is Jules Maxton (former ScotlandWomen under-20 head coach) who will be assisted by rugbydevelopment officer and specialist skills coach Derek O’Riordanand former Scotland internationalist Roland Reid. A trainingcamp for returning squad members and open trials were heldat the end of August, giving the new coaching team ideas of apotential squad. Having just missed out on qualification for nextyear’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the focus will be firmly on the6 Nations 2014, with big home fixtures against the English andFrench.Scotland 7sColin Gregor at a Scotland7s open training sessionHaving secured core teamstatus for the 2013/14HSBC Sevens World Series byqualifying from the tournamentin London, Scotland 7sfinished the season at theRugby World Cup Sevens inMoscow at the end of June.In a 24-team tournamentformat, the squad knew thatonly winning their section,containing South Africa,Russia and Japan, woulddefinitely secure a quarter-final place. Two victories in the firsttwo matches against Japan (21-19) and Russia (21-5) saw theteam enter their final match with South Africa knowing a winor draw would see them through to the last eight of the Cupcompetition. Unfortunately an extremely poor performance endedin a 41–0 loss, a result which meant that they entered the Platecompetition. A much-improved showing in the Plate quarterfinalresulted in a 17-0 win over Portugal and a semi-final withCanada for a chance to defend the Plate that they won in 2009in Dubai. Despite leading 7-0 at the break, a strong second halffrom the Canadians saw them win 21-7 and Scotland exiting thetournament in 11th place.Following a break and with less than a year to go to theCommonwealth Games 7s in Glasgow, the squad haveregrouped for pre-season training ahead of the first World Seriestournament in Australia in October.Elite Development Players:Glasgow WarriorsWith our Scotland under-20 playersback from their Junior World Cupexperience in France, the groupstands at ten as we await thereturn of Finn Russell (left) fromhis McPhail Scholarship Trip. We’reall proud of his achievements inNew Zealand, where his club teamwon the first round of their premierleague. He is third top points scorerand has been voted second mostvaluable player in the league.In our first block of training, the players undertook a battery offitness and physical assessments so that they’re the best they canbe. The boys have really benefitted from working with a judo coachtwice a week, aiming to get fitter through conditioned contact.Players are learning all the time what it takes to be successfulin this environment and the senior Warriors players are greatrole models. To support this we have had group sessions wherewe share our challenges and team building activities suchas cycling to Loch Lomond (where Andrew Redmayne was noBradley Wiggins!) and bushcraft where the lads lived off theland for a day and night. The boys really raised their game in thisenvironment, underlining why they are in the elite developmentprogramme.International DatesHSBC Sevens World Series12/13 Oct, Gold CoastScotland v Japan9 Nov (2.30pm) MurrayfieldScotland v South Africa17 Nov (3pm) MurrayfieldScotland v Australia23 Nov (6pm) MurrayfieldHSBC Sevens World Series29/30 Nov, DubaiHSBC Sevens World Series7/8 Dec, Port ElizabethHSBC Sevens World Series24-26 Jan, Las VegasSco U20 v Ire U20w/o 1 Feb, AthloneSco A v Eng Saxons31 Jan, home tbcSco W v Ire Ww/o 1 Feb, AshbourneIreland v Scotland2 Feb (3pm) DublinHSBC Sevens World Series7/8 February, WellingtonSco U20 v Eng U20w/o 7 Feb, NetherdaleSco CXV v Ire XV7 Feb, away tbcScotland v England8 Feb (5pm) MurrayfieldSco W v Eng W9 Feb, MeggetlandIt U20 v Sco U20w/o 21 Feb, Pordenone tbcItaly v Scotland22 Feb (2.30pm local) RomeIt W v Sco W23 Feb, nr Naples tbcSco CXV v Fra XV7 Mar, Glasgow tbcSco U20 v Fra U20w/o 7 Mar, Netherdale tbcSco U18 v tbcw/o 7 Mar, home tbcScotland v France8 Mar (5pm) MurrayfieldSco W v Fra W9 Mar, Lasswade tbcSco U20 v Wal U20w/o 14 Mar, Colwyn Bay tbcWales v Scotland15 Mar (2.45pm) CardiffWales W v Sco W16 Mar, away tbcHSBC Sevens World Series22/23 Mar, TokyoHSBC Sevens World Series28-30 Mar, Hong KongSco U18 FIRA10-20 Apr, PolandSco U16 at BMW Festival11-18 Apr, Wellington, BerksHSBC Sevens World Series3/4 May, GlasgowHSBC Sevens World Series10/11 May, LondonSco U20 IRB JWCJune, Auckland, NZCommonwealth Games26/27 Jul (sevens), GlasgowLog on to www.scottishrugby.org or follow Scotland on@ScotlandteamP11.

CoachingWe’ve had a busy summer as the team prepare for the start of season2013/14, with the conclusion of the 2012/13 UKCC Level 3 course, with 16candidates, and the start of this season’s course.The new Coaching Children Rugby Union (UKCC Level 1) and Coaching the15-a-side game (UKCC level 2) courses have been confirmed and details ofthese are available at www.scottishrugby.org/coaching.Modern Apprentice ProgrammeThis year Scottish Rugby welcome 66 Modern Apprentices – hailing from Thursoto Castle Douglas – into the programme where a Level 2 Apprenticeship inSports Coaching; Rugby Union is run alongside a Level 3 Apprenticeship inLeisure Management. The youngsters, aged between 16 and 19, are employedfor one year by Scottish Rugby in partnership with clubs, schools and councilsaround Scotland and work alongside development officers and other mentorsto deliver coaching programmes within the community – one MA has also beenappointed to the Events team at Murrayfield.Students attend training at Murrayfield on average twice a month, mainly aFriday, completing training in coaching, first aid, child protection, nutrition, eventmanagement and a variety of other qualification-related workshops. A varietyof Scottish Rugby staff support this training by delivering on the programme,such as those in coach education, strength & conditioning, nutrition, marketing,facilities, and players and coaches from Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors.Between August 2009 and August 2013, the Modern Apprentice programmehas gone from strength to strength, with 31 candidates completing the MALevel 2 programme and 72 candidates the MA Level 3 programme.Chris Paterson (middle row, far right) undertakes theUKCC Level 2 coaching course at Hamilton RFCLong Term Player Development (LTPD)August and September saw a series of conferences throughout Scotland forcoaches working with mini (LTPD stages 1&2) and youth (LTPD stage 3) teams,with the remaining event at Moray RFC, Elgin on Sunday 29 September.Over 100 coaches are expected to attend the conferences, with Scotlandunder-16 coaches Garry Mercer, Jamie Dempsey and Roddy Deans amongstthose delivering sessions.RugbyReady Practical CourseTo ensure that best safe practice is being followed, as a minimum standard,all active coaches, teachers and referees within schools and clubs arerequired to complete the online IRB RugbyReady self-check assessment onwww.IRBRugbyReady.com and attend the free annual Rugby Ready Practicalcourse. Details of dates and venues in your local area can be found at www.scottishrugby.org/areyouready.The Rugby Ready Practical course is updated every season to reflect currentsafety issues and trends relevant to rugby in Scotland. Over 4000 coaches,teachers and referees attended the course in 2012/13.Positive Coaching ScotlandBosman du Plessis, in his role as Positive Coaching Scotland Manager, hasbeen pushing on with the tremendously successful Positive Coaching Scotlandprogramme in conjunction with the Bill McLaren Foundation. To date 28 clubshave been engaged, with 18 clubs reaching full accreditation. Key to theaccreditation process is the club taking ownership of the project, developingtheir values and ethos and then putting into place policies and proceduresthat will ensure that their young players are not only developed in rugby butalso through rugby. This year will see the accreditation process continue, theproduction of completion guidance for tag, mini and midi festivals to helpall players develop and also input into the Schools of Rugby Curriculum tocompliment the good work of this programme.Half the new MAs will be based at MurrayfieldIn terms of career progressions…• 13 are now full time Rugby Development Officers• Three are employed either full or part time with Scottish Rugby inadministration• 38 are currently in college or at university• Two are Elite Development Players with Glasgow Warriors• Three have also worked in Malta as Assistant Development Officers to Malta RFU.The programme has been termed a ‘flagship programme’ by Skills DevelopmentScotland (SDS) and is currently being looked at by both the RFU and WRU as amodel for them to adopt.Physical Education Teacher TrainingOver the coming months the team will continue to support the PE teachers ofthe future by providing training and guidance support to this year’s intake ofstudents. This helps to ensure that newly qualified PE teachers have a basicunderstanding of how to teach the game – vital to Scottish Rugby in growingthe game.Coaching StrategyOver the course of the season we’ll be reviewing our coaching strategy in linewith the new strategic aims and will update it to reflect accordingly. Furtherinformation on this will be sent to clubs and schools in due course.P12. TEAMtalk... AT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

Contact DetailsScottish Rugby’s Coach Development team:Neil Graham – Coaching Development Manager: neil.graham@sru.org.uk;0131 346 5021Chris Lawson – Coach Development Officer (Edinburgh & Midlothian,Borders & East Lothian, Tayside & Fife): chris.lawson@sru.org.uk;0131 346 5000Alex Edmonstone – Coach Development Officer (Central & West Lothian,Glasgow North & Glasgow South): alex.edmonstone@sru.org.uk;07764 178 920Andrew Douglas – Coach Development Officer (Grampian & North East,Highlands & Islands) andrew.douglas@sru.org.uk; 07764 178 936Bosman du Plessis – Positive Coaching Scotland Manager:Bosman.duplessis@sru.org.uk; 07581 051 157Paul Kesterson – Education Manager: Paul.kesterton@sru.org.uk;07817 970 508Jennifer Dailly – Coach Development Administrator:Jennifer.Dailly@sru.org.uk; 0131 346 5167Shona Stott – Are You Ready to Play Rugby?Administrator: Shona.stott@sru.org.uk; 0131 346 5155Youths&SchoolsStirling County celebrate after winning the 2013RBS National U18 Youth League CupScottish Rugby have launched a new cross regional league at under-18 andunder-16, looking to raise the standard and intensity of the game at theselevels. The top clubs from every region – apart from the Borders, as theyalready have a good league set-up – are taking part, with 12 teams in eachleague.Teams in the Scottish Rugby under-16 league are Aberdeen Grammar, Westof Scotland, Watsonians, Stirling County, Perthshire, Marr, Glasgow Hawks,Falkirk, Dunfermline, Currie, Ayr and Dundee Eagles. The under-18 league,meanwhile, comprises Ayr, West of Scotland, Stirling County, Highland,Hamilton, Glasgow Hawks, Falkirk, Ellon, Dunfermline, Deeside, Boroughmuirand Dumfries. Fixtures kicked off on 31 August/1 September.The Borders under-16 league – with teams from Gala Red Triangle, Duns,Berwick, Langholm, Kelso, Peebles, Jed-Forest, Melrose, Hawick Albion andSelkirk – also kicked off at the end of August while the Scottish BordersSemi-Junior League – comprising Berwick Colts, Selkirk Youth, PeeblesColts, Melrose Wasps Langholm Colts, Kelso Harlequins, Jed-Thistle, HawickWanderers, Hawick PSA, Gala Wanderers, Duns Colts and Tynedale Colts –have their first fixtures on 7 September.Keep up to date with the results at www.scottishrugby.org/fixtures-resultsAuchterarder and Langholm battle it out for honoursin last season’s Brewin Dolphin Girls Cup finalsMeanwhile the action is starting in the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schoolscompetitions, the official launch having just taken place at Trinity Academy inEdinburgh – a school that has recently re-entered the Brewin Dolphin Under-18 Cupand Under-16 Plate.The tournaments take place at under-16 and under-18 levels for boys, and under-15and under-18 for girls. At each age grade, players can compete for the Cup (or Shieldfor those teams not making it past the opening Cup rounds), the Plate and the BowlThe boys’ under-18 and under-16 Cup competitions consist of the eight teams thatreached the quarter-finals in season 2012/13, together with any other schools thatchoose to enter the Brewin Dolphin Cup competition; the boys’ Plate is open to allschools; and the boys’ Bowl is competed for by teams knocked out in the first roundof the Plate plus teams requesting to enter directly.The Brewin Dolphin Girls’ competition is open to schools, rugby clubs and alsoto composite teams who progress through the tournament by playing qualifyingtournaments in their local region, followed by a national competition at anappropriate level, in the Cup, Shield or Bowl. Teams new to rugby can take part in afestival in their region, giving them the chance to enjoy their rugby, bond as a teamand test their progress.The Brewin Dolphin Boys’ Cup finals are at Murrayfield Stadium on Wednesday 27November (evening kick-offs tbc) and the Brewin Dolphin Girls Cup, Shield, Bowl andPlate finals are all scheduled for Saturday 28 March 2014, also at Murrayfield, withthe Cup finals on the international pitch.The boys’ Plate & Shield finals (U16 & U18) are currently scheduled to take place allon the same day – Wednesday 19 February 2014.Check out the all the teams’ progress at www.scottishrugby.org/fixtures-resultsCurrent Youth & Schools trophy holdersNational Youth LeagueUnder-18 Youth Cup – Stirling CountyUnder-18 Youth Bowl – HamiltonUnder-16 Youth Cup – CurrieUnder-16 Youth Bowl – AyrBrewin Dolphin Scottish Schools (boys)Under-18 Cup – George Watson’s CollegeUnder-18 Bowl – Morrison’s AcademyUnder-18 Plate – Marr CollegeUnder-16 Cup – Merchiston Castle SchoolUnder-16 Bowl – Selkirk HSUnder-16 Plate – Jedburgh GS + Bell Baxter HS (share)Brewin Dolphin GirlsUnder-18 Cup – Murrayfield WanderersUnder-18 Shield – Nicolson InstituteUnder-18 Bowl – Gordon Schools HuntlyUnder-15 Cup – Community School 0f Auchterarder + Langholm (share)Under-15 Shield – Hillhead JordanhillUnder-15 Bowl – Argyll & ButeLog on to www.scottishrugby.org or follow Scotland on@ScotlandteamP13.

Food and DrinkAs the new rugby year kicks off, and having enjoyed one of the warmestpre-seasons on record, Scottish Rugby’s lead nutritionist Richard Chessor andScotland Women physio Jon Twynham, talk through fuelling up for 2013/14and the importance of fluid awareness.Pre-Season Nutrition4. Establish Good Habitsa. Habits are what you fall back into in times of stress so if you can set up somegood nutrition habits during pre-season it’s more likely that you will continue themthroughout the season when the intensity of games increases.b. Simple habits like having a spare water bottle at work or school to help stayhydrated or planning your evening meals in advance so you don’t have to makedecisions when you are tired after a heavy training session.So the bottom line for pre-season nutrition would be to focus on the quality of foodand be organised to eat well around training. If this can be consistently achieved thenthe hard work put in over pre-season will be rewarded with a fitter, faster, stronger andleaner player come the competitive season!Eat-Train-Eat-Sleep (Repeat until desired outcome is achieved)Fluid ArrangementsJon Twynham leg-draining with Scotland WomenScotland Rugby lead nutritionist Richard ChessorPre-season is very important for rugby players. It is the primary time of yearto make long-term changes in strength, fitness, speed and body composition.During the competitive season it becomes a lot harder to make significantprogress in these areas due to busy fixture schedules and the demand torecover adequately between games hence why pre-season training typicallytargets these areas ahead of organisational or tactical progress.An intense pre-season training scheduled should be paired with a suitablenutrition plan in order to maximise the gains from training. If nutrition isignored during this period then a lot of hard work (plus sweat, blood and tears)could go to waste. So what should a good pre-season nutrition plan look like:1. Quality is Kinga. The quality of foods you eat are probably the most important aspect ofyour diet. Focus on eating whole foods that have undergone minimal orno processing.b. For example: fruits, vegetables, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, free-rangeeggs.c. Brightly coloured fresh foods are important as they are packed withantioxidants and small nutrients which help you recover and reducemuscle soreness.2. Eat Around Traininga. Ensure you go into each training session after having a small meal orsnack in the previous 1-2 hours; this will fuel your training and ensure youcan maintain your performance in the latter stages of the game.b. Follow the session with a snack as soon as possible, something simplelike milk and a piece of fruit – this will kick-start the recovery process.c. Then within 90min have a larger meal containing a mixture ofcarbohydrate, protein and vegetables. Salmon with sweet potatoes andbroccoli or a chicken stir-fry would be ideal.3. Organisation is Keya. Prepare in advance to ensure you have your nutrition ready when youneed it. This is particularly important for your pre and post training snacksespecially if you go straight to training from work or school.b. Invest 5-10min in the morning or at the weekend preparing snacks, mealsor just simple sandwiches to be eaten over the next 2-3 days.The recent hot weather and competitive trips to warmer countries not only place agreater demand on the body during physical activity but also make fluid replacementafter exercise an even more important component of recovery. This was particularlyhighlighted for the Scotland Women 7s with recent trips to Brive, France and Marbella,Spain for international sevens tournaments during June. Up to four games were playedon each day of the two-day tournaments and with temperatures exceeding 30o,effective post-match recovery was paramount.We had several strategies to help recovery and combat the effects of the heat. Takingdirection from lead nutritionist at Scottish Rugby, Richard Chessor, we had an effectivefluid replacement strategy. This included players recording body weight before and aftergames to determine fluid loss and ensure adequate replacement of fluid betweengames was occurring. A 1kg loss in body weight represents a 1L loss of fluid and ourplayers were aiming to replace 1.5 times the amount they lost. Therefore, a playerwould need to drink 1.5L of fluid for every 1kg lost in body weight.In addition, we had plenty of ice on hand for half time and post match. Players leftfacecloths in the ice cooler to wrap round their necks or place on their heads duringthese times. A strict policy of no sunbathing with players sticking to shaded areasbetween games was also in place, as sunburn is a major cause of dehydration. Legdrains (see photo) were also used as a simple and effective post match recoveryprotocol. This helps the extra blood that has been diverted to supply the hard workingleg muscles to return to the core once exercise has stopped. Leg drains can helpto reverse the effects of exercise induced postural hypotension, which is caused byexcessive blood pooling in the legs. This can lead to a feeling of light headednesssimilar to when a person stands up too quickly and, worse case, result in fainting.Although the players were very good at adhering to the recovery protocols thereare plenty of distractions on game day. A joint effort between the medical andmanagement team ensured players knew what they needed to do and when. Ona very odd occasion, some good old nagging made sure there was 100%compliance!P14. TEAMtalk... AT THE HEART OF SCOTTISH GRASSROOTS RUGBY | SEPT’13

UnionAGM round-upPutting a full stop to the end of the 2012/13 season, Scottish Rugby’s annualgeneral meeting was held at Heriot-Watt University on Saturday 22 June.Voting heats up at the AGMScottish Rugby Chairman Sir Moir Lockhead with Donald Macleod,Alan Lawson and Chief Executive Mark DodsonRepresentatives from clubs across the country gathered to debate, discuss anddecide, with six motions to be considered and posts to be voted on.Following an update on operational matters, finance and strategy by Scottish RugbyBoard Chairman, Sir Moir Lockhead and Chief Executive Mark Dodson, the 2013Financial Statements were approved and attention turned to the motions.Motion 1: Commencement of service as a Director – wording was amended in thebylaws, in relation to the timing of electing members of the Scottish Rugby Councilto the Scottish Rugby Board. This was passed, and now makes the date of theirappointment becoming effective much clearer.Motion 2: Allowing the date of the AGM to be more flexible – with internationalmatch commitments at various levels ongoing throughout June, it was agreed tocreate a new deadline of 31 August for the AGM to take place. This was passed andnow allows a wider range of dates to be considered for the AGM and gives moretime for consideration of the financial statementsMotion 3: Provisions for inadequate and adjourned general meetings – it wasagreed to make amendments to byelaw 17 to allow more effective management ofthese meetings, especially should a quorum not be reached or if meetings need tobe adjourned.Motion 4: Date for submitting motions and amendments – in tandem with Motion 2,it was agreed to extend the deadline for motions and amendments to be submittedfor the AGM by one month.Motions 5 and 6: League structure – these motions were proposed by HaddingtonRFC to alter the format of the Championship and National leagues, the number ofteams in each league and return to a more linear structure to stimulate competition,allow more home games, create consistency and bring clarity to players andsupporters about final league positions. The motions were passed, meaning thatfrom the end of season 2013/14, the league will comprise ten teams in thePremiership plus three National divisions of 12 teams each.The election of Council members, as below, was confirmed:• Peter Laverie (Ayr) to the Premier Division• Doug Ward (Biggar) to the National Division• Mike Monro (Aberdeen Wanderers) to North Regional League• Fergus Neil (WRRS) re-elected as Scottish Rugby Referees representative• Bruce Thompson (Strathallan) re-elected as Scottish Schools representative• Dee Bradbury (Oban Lorne) to Scottish Women’s Forum representative• Rod Lynch (London Scottish) re-elected as Exile Clubs representativeThe election of Scottish Rugby Vice-President then took place with Ian Rankin(Dundee HSFP) receiving an absolute majority in the first round and so takingthe role ahead of fellow nominees Archie Ferguson (Lenzie) and Jock Millican(Heriot’s).The appointment of Scottish Rugby’s Vice-President for 2012/13, DonaldMacleod (Selkirk) as President for 2013/14 was subsequently ratified.A date for next year’s AGM will be announced in due course. The 2012/13annual report can be viewed at www.scottishrugby.org/about-us/annual-reportsand to request a hard copy please contact feedback@sru.org.uk.Hall CallScottish Rugby’s inauguralHall of Fame inducteesScottish Rugby’s secondHall of Fame inductionwill take place onThursday 7 Novemberat Murrayfield Stadium,building on the 2010inaugural event that saw12 of the most iconicfigures of the game inScotland cement theirplace in history.Three years ago a panel, chaired by former Scotland and British Lions flankerJohn Jeffrey, selected David Bedell-Sivright, Phil Macpherson, Ken Scotland,Sandy Carmichael, Andy Irvine, Finlay Calder, Ian McGeechan, Ned Haig, BillMcLaren, Jim Telfer and Gordon Brown. Gavin Hastings was chosen by publicvote, through a poll on the Scottish Rugby website.This year panel chairman Jeffrey is again joined by fellow Scotland and Lionsinternationalists, Sir Ian McGeechan, Chris Rea and John Beattie with a newvoice in BBC Radio Scotland’s Bill Johnstone. Once more, supporters will beinvolved and given the opportunity to vote for one of five contenders chosenacross a number of eras, the public vote run with Scottish Rugby’s principalpartner, RBS.To check out the contenders of the public vote, go to scottishrugby.org.ukThe star-studded Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame evening will be hosted byScottish sports broadcaster Dougie Donnelly and includes a champagnereception, three-course dinner with wine and an auction, proceeds of which willgo to the Bill McLaren Foundation.The cost for the evening is £157.50 plus VAT with tickets available to purchasefrom The Murrayfield Experience either on the phone – 0131 346 5250 oronline enquiries@murrayfieldexperience.com.Those who purchase the first 12 tables (of 10) for the evening also havethe opportunity to be joined by either a current or past Scotland rugbyinternationalist at their table.Log on to www.scottishrugby.org or follow Scotland on@ScotlandteamP15.