FROM STRATHCLYDE TELEGRAPH



By Alison McCallum



Strathclyde’s rugby captain believes his team can beat their city rivals when they face them in a crunch match in March.



The team will play Glasgow University on March 14 in an inter-varsity game hosted by the Glasgow Hawks RFC. Club captain Ryan Ewing said: “I think it should be pretty good and we believe we can win the game.”



The fixture, which is the first of its kind to be hosted by the Premier One league club, is set to thrill as both teams battle for victory in front of a 1500 strong crowd. The Strathclyde boys are certainly taking preparation for the game seriously, increasing training from once a week to three or four sessions a week.



Ewing, 20, said: “It’s something new for us to play for. A lot of the guys haven’t played in front of a crowd this big either. We have loads of ‘freshers’ involved this year and the amount of talent we have at the moment is fantastic. This is about building up for the next few years.”



Building for the future is something both the Strathclyde team and the Glasgow Hawks have considered in establishing the project as they both hope it could be the beginning of a new tradition.



The captain added: “I would definitely like to see it become an annual event. It’s a big spectacle for the boys and a great fundraising opportunity. The event is good all round.”



The event provides an important fundraising opportunity for the university clubs as they will keep the profits from their ticket sales to invest in the team.



Allan Mackintosh, Director of Rugby Development at the Hawks, came up with the concept of an inter-varsity game in Glasgow. He is thrilled that both universities have been so keen to get involved.



He said: “We are very keen to support university rugby. We wanted Glasgow and Strathclyde to be involved because they are the two oldest universities in Glasgow.”

Allan, a former captain of rugby at Glasgow University, added: “I always thought there should be a kind of Cambridge-Oxford competition in Glasgow. The idea came about when I saw it being done in Leicester and I thought we should get involved in this. Both the Strathclyde and Glasgow guys have been fantastic in their enthusiasm for this event.”



The Glasgow Hawks recently celebrated the club’s 10th anniversary with a black tie dinner. The club was founded by the merging of two established local clubs, the Glasgow Accies RFC (est. 1866) and Glasgow High Kelvinside (est. 1884). Previous club players include current capped internationals Rory Lamont, Andrew Henderson, Euan Murray and Fergus Thomson, and former Scotland player Glenn Metcalfe.



Allan hopes the fixture, which is sponsored by Teambuilders International Ltd and Cairn Properties Ltd, will also offer the opportunity for people to discover Old Anniesland.



“We want it to be a showcase for Anniesland rugby, for it to be seen as a friendly place to come and to offer it as somewhere that players can come after graduation to continue rugby. It is a place where all levels of rugby can be aspired to.”



The game kicks off at 7pm at Old Anniesland on March 14.



Tickets are only £2 and can be purchased from both Glasgow Hawks at Anniesland and from Strathclyde sports union or contact Ryan at [email protected]. Tickets will also be available on the night. At the ground.



Office 007B

Liberator House

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport

Prestwick

Scotland KA9 2PT



++ 44 (0) 1292 671220

++ 44 (0) 776 416 8989



www.teambuildersinternational.com

www.pmcscotland.com

This article was originally posted on 7-Mar-2008, 08:05 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 7-Mar-2008, 08:18.