Tam McVie, the experienced back-row forward, has been named once again to lead the Scotland Club International team for their match against their Irish counterparts at Meggetland on Friday.

McVie skippered the Scots in the inaugural match last season and is one of six survivors from that close-call defeat at Donnybrook, alongside Rory Couper, Murray Strang, AJ McFarlane, Bruce McNeil and Angus Martyn.

McVie, 31, is a staunch advocate of this route to honours for the club player. “The SRU has done lots of work at grassroots level since the game has gone professional but from the point of view of the Premier One club player the club international is the best initiative,” he said.

Ian Rankin, head coach of the Scotland team, developed that theme when he issued a rallying cry to Scotland supporters to attend the match.

“The players who’ll wear the blue jersey on Friday night are representing their clubs and communities. Ireland as a nation has got right behind its club international team and I’d encourage everyone involved in the game in Scotland to be at Meggetland to roar on the team. I’ve been very impressed by the players’ attitude and approach to this game,” he noted.

Scott Burnett, a member of Currie’s championship winning side, added: “I’m really looking forward to Friday’s game. It’s the culmination of a great season with the club winning Premier One and then being selected along with a couple of other boys from the club for this match.”

Admission to the game is £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s, students and pensioners.


Scotland Club International team to play Ireland Club International team on Friday 9 March at Meggetland, Edinburgh, kick-off 7pm

15 James Thompson (Heriot’s)

14 Marc Teague (Heriot’s)
13 Graham Thomson (Dundee HSFP)
12 John Houston (Heriot’s)
11 Rory Couper (Boroughmuir)

10 Murray Strang (Glasgow Hawks)
9 Alasdhair McFarlane (Ayr)

1 Bruce McNeil (Hawick)
2 Steve Lawrie (Watsonians)
3 Richard Higgins (Melrose)
4 Damien Kelly (Ayr)
5 Andy Adam (Currie)
6 Tam McVie (Heriot’s) CAPTAIN
8 Ben Fisher (Boroughmuir)
7 Angus Martyn (Boroughmuir)

Substitutes

16 Scott Burnett (Currie)
17 Andy Kelly (GHA)
18 Jeff Nicolson (Watsonians)
19 Mark Cairns (Currie)
20 Matt Coupar (Watsonians)
21 Andrew Skeen (Watsonians)
22 Cameron Goodall (Heriot’s)

This article was posted on 6-Mar-2007, 17:01 by Hugh Barrow.