Harris Academicals RFC
Full name | Harris Academy Former Pupils Rugby Football Club | |
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Union | Scottish Rugby Union | |
Founded | 1926 | |
Location | Dundee, Scotland | |
Ground(s) | Elliot Road | |
League(s) | Caledonia 2 Midlands | |
2011/2012 | 3 | |
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Official website | ||
www |
Harris Academy FPRFC is a rugby union club based in Dundee, Scotland, originally for the former pupils of Harris Academy. It was originally founded on 5 November 1926 in Room 8 of Harris Academy. The club ceased to exist throughout the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s due to dwindling numbers. However, the club was reformed in August 2007 with an ever growing enthusiasm from former players combined with a large senior squad of players who had left the school the previous season after a successful tour to Latvia which saw them beat a local club side before going on to be beaten by a Latvian under 19 select squad. The club currently plays its home games at Elliot Road while The Speedwell Bar currently provides as a club house offering post-match food and beverages.
Harris currently competes in Caledonia League 1.
The club is currently coached by Bruce Beckett.
2008/09 So close but so far
This was to be the season where Harris wouuld make its first real promotion fight. The club began the season by making Bruce "Brucee" Beckett Head Coach; a person that far exceeded their coaching expectations having previously been with the much better Dundee HSFP. Under his direction Harris narrowly missed out on promotion to Alloa RFC, and reached the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup competition where they were narrowly defeated by Hillfoots RFC (a club 3 leagues above Harris).
2007/08 Resurrection season
Pre-season training began in late June for the club's first season back at competitive level. Numbers were constantly increasing in the buildup to the season, with Harris playing "friendly" warm up matches in the form of Madras RFC and an inner squad match. Coaching for this season came largely in the form of sessions taken by Kenneth Clarkson at both Elliot Road when weather permitted it and in the Harris Academy boys gym. On match day Bruce Dyer (club treasurer) acted largely as the club manager. In this season the club qualified for the top half of the split, as they finished in the top half of the league after round 1 of games eventually finishing 5th in the Caledonia 2 proving that they were a more than adequate addition to the roster. The club also reached the quarter finals of the Scottish Plate competition who were they eliminated by eventual winners Aberdeen University RFC. The club also went on to tour to Whitley Bay and Newcastle where they competed in a 10-a-side tournament.
Current Squad
Club Committee:
Awards
Player of the Year | |
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Year | Name |
2007/08 | Richard McIver* |
2008/09 | Michael Devlin* |
2009/10 | Richard McIver* |
Most Improved Player of the Year | |
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Year | Name |
2007/08 | Ben Ford |
2008/09 | Joe Abbott* |
2009/10 | Malcolm McKenzie* |
References
- Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)
- www.harrisrugby.com
- www.scottishrugby.org
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