An up and coming Angus rugby club began an exciting chapter of its all-inclusive role in its community with the first kick of the ball on a new pitch on Saturday.
Brechin Rugby Football Club is well on its way to investing over £1 million in a community hub after years of hard work and planning.
As the Brechin Bruce over 35s team marched onto the new pitch for its first senior game against Howe of Fife, club coach and treasurer Eilidh MacLeod explained it marked the start of new beginnings.
After successfully securing a lease with Angus Council for the new pitch on Cookston Road, members embarked on a fund-raising drive which has enabled them to lay a new pitch, install new permanent goal posts and order new floodlights which will be switched on at the end of next month.
Eilidh said: “It’s a momentous day for the club as we are working through the ground development plan, which cost £100,000, and are now looking ahead to our own custom made club house which will cost £1million.”
A former player with neighbouring Strathie Ladies, Eilidh is heavily involved in coaching and developing the club which caters for players aged from two to 90.
She said: “The whole rigmarole has been ridiculously hard but it has been an amazing couple of years.
“We have had to fight hard for that money, it’s not just a rugby club, it is for the community.
“Our clubhouse will have rooms to rent, it will be fully accessible for disabled members and will be available for parties and for other local clubs.”
The funds are a combination of a LEADER grant from the the European Commission and the Scottish Government, and community fundraising.
As well as working towards the future of the community facility, the coaches are also working hard on nurturing the rugby talent of the next generation.
It is the only Angus club to train children from the age of two, with coaching for 20 primary four to seven pupils on Tuesdays, and on Sunday mornings 70 children aged from two to primary seven attend coaching sessions.
There are three children’s teams and the ‘golden oldies’ – the Brechin Bruce – but there are plans to establish other teams over the next two years including a ladies team and a team for S1 upwards.
As a NHS community nurse working with children with life limiting conditions, Eilidh currently offers one to one coaching for children autism and additional needs.
Before Saturday’s game a minute’s applause was held for Brechin Bruce player Mark Reynolds, who died recently.
