YOUNG SCOTS PREPARE FOR LIFT-OFF
Posted: 24/Mar/06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Sunday will witness 26 of Scotland’s finest young rugby talents pass through the check-in desks at Glasgow Airport as they depart for the IRB Under 19 World Championship in Dubai which starts on Wednesday 5 April.

Scotland will compete against Australia, Wales and Japan in the pool stages of the global tournament, which is seen as a showcase of the rugby stars of the future.

The Scotland U19 team, captained by Dundee HSFP stand-off Cameron Ferguson, have played four internationals in preparation for the tournament and head coach Peter Wright is confident his team can make their mark on the world stage.

Former Scotland prop Wright said: “We’ve got a very talented bunch of guys this year. If we can perform to our potential and our ability, then we have a great opportunity to make an impact.”

Cameron Ferguson is honoured to captain the side after leading the team in all previous internationals this season against Italy, France, Wales and England.

Also in the squad is Edinburgh Gunners and Stewart’s Melville FP winger David McCall who is tipped as one of Scotland’s big prospects.

McCall said: “I’m massively looking forward to the tournament and I think we have the right bunch of guys for the job.

“We have a lot of pace in our squad which will really suit the conditions out there.”

Hawick centre Graham Hogg was not only selected for the World Championship squad but was, this week, announced as the second recipient of the John Macphail scholarship.

The scholarship will enable him to develop his rugby by playing in Auckland, New Zealand through the summer.

Last year’s recipient of the scholarship, Glasgow Warriors openside flanker John Barclay who played rugby last summer in Wellington, has gone on to play 12 times for the Warriors and has become a mainstay in the Scotland U21 team.

Sky Sports will televise the tournament – for which the Scots are seeded tenth - with live coverage of Scotland’s pool match against Wales. Highlights of their other two pool games against Australia and Japan will also be shown.

Click on www.scottishrugby.org for information on the team and regular updates on their progress.

Scotland’s fixtures are:
Scotland v Australia - Wednesday 5 April (kick-off 8pm local time, 4pm BST)
Scotland v Wales Sunday 9 April (kick-off 8pm, 4pm BST)
Scotland v Japan Thursday 13 April (kick-off 6pm, 2pm BST)

Semi-final play-offs - Monday 17 April
Final play-offs - Friday 21 April


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article was posted on 27-Mar-2006, 14:33 by Hugh Barrow.