As the dust settles on a good weekend for Anniesland rugby the young Hawks players who stepped up to the plate on Friday night to beat West will now be able to recall the time when they played opposite a British Lion Gordon Bulloch Sadly with the advent of professionalism a rare occurrence now in the "club "game

However unlike one former Anniesland player James McAvoy not so many can claim they have played opposite Angelina Jolie.

Encouraged by Kenny Hamilton ,James a product of St Thomas Aquinas School in Jordonhill played rugby at Anniesland along with the likes of Neil Mitchell and Jason Carlin

Jason had dragged James McAvoy down to play rugby to toughen up a bit and he never looked back

James was in town last week as reported below

McAvoy honoured at drama school graduation
'Atonement' star James McAvoy has graduated from drama school - eight years late.

The actor was in his home city of Glasgow to receive a fellowship from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD), where he studied until 2000.

Returning to his former school, McAvoy said he had been busy with work commitments and was unable to attend his graduation ceremony that year.

He said he was 'completely honoured' to come back to the RSAMD with his family to receive the alumni award.

He was joined by film legend Richard Attenborough who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Drama by the Academy.

McAvoy, who appeared in the TV series 'Shameless' and films including the 'Last King Of Scotland', 'The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe' and 'Wanted' recently backed a campaign opposing cuts at the RSAMD, which boasts 'Doctor Who' star David Tennant along with Tom Conti, Alan Cumming and Robert Carlyle among its former students.

McAvoy said: "The academy has been involved in my life a lot, from before I even knew of it, just through music teachers who studied here and then through a short time at youth theatre."

'When I finally came here it had the most profound effect on my life."

as did rugby at Old Anniesland

This article was posted on 23-Nov-2008, 19:33 by Hugh Barrow.