Premiership One:

Hawks hoping academy plan will see them soar again



By David Barnes

THE higher you climb the harder you fall, so for Glasgow Hawks readjusting to life back in the pack after dominating Scottish club rugby between 2003 and 2007 (when they won the league three times and the Scottish cup twice) has taken some getting used to.
However, the Anniesland men are determined to get on with building a new side capable of dominating the domestic game in this country, and this time they insist that they have adopted some long-term planning to make sure that any future success is sustainable.

This afternoon Peter Wright's young side have the daunting task of entertaining league leaders Ayr, as they try to extricate themselves from the relegation battle which threatens to topple the club's ambitions at the first hurdle.

Wright was appointed Scottish club rugby's only full-time director of rugby during the summer, to work alongside two more full-timers in chief executive Kenny Baillie and development officer Grant Talbot. Wright and Baillie have wasted no time in getting their voices heard about their vision for the future of the club game in this country.

Before the season had even begun, the club had submitted a paper to the Scottish Rugby Union proposing an SPL style breakaway for the country's top eight teams – which would compel member clubs to meet certain criteria with regard to such things as development structures for young players as well as certain playing and training facilities.

Now they have brokered a deal with Cumbernauld College to set up a rugby academy for youngsters looking to forge a career in the sport – either as a professional player or in a coaching capacity. The basic plan is for as many as 20 students to enrol on a full time course which would be split between training for rugby and taking courses in rugby related subjects such as nutrition, sports science and sports psychology. It is thought the course will be advertised in the College's prospectus for next year.

"We're obviously looking for guys to play for Glasgow Hawks, however this programme has the potential to benefit the professional game as well. It can be a route for players who have slipped through the net to get their rugby careers back on track," said Wright.

"'It is an exciting new development, but first of all we have to make sure that we don't end up in Division Two next season, and doing that starts against Ayr this weekend."

Elsewhere, Currie host West of Scotland at Malleny Park, Edinburgh Accies take on Selkirk at Raeburn Place, Heriot's meet Melrose at the Greenyards, and Hawick face Watsonians at Mansfield Park. Boroughmuir's clash with Stirling County has been moved to tomorrow and will be broadcast live by the new BBC Alba television channel.

This article was originally posted on 8-Nov-2008, 12:03 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 8-Nov-2008, 22:51.