The relaunch of Dundee Rugby Club is “a seismic change” for the game in the city as club rugby finally emerges from Covid closedown, believes president Derek Black.
The rebranding of the merger of Dundee High FPs and Morgan Rugby has been four years in the making, further delayed by the longest close-season in history. But the new club will finally debut as league rugby returns with their National League fixture at Biggar on Saturday.
Black was long identified with Morgan as player, captain, coach and president. He was also a coach of the Caledonia youth teams that developed future Scotland captains Jason White and Jonny Petrie.
But he’s always been a Dundee rugby man – he started at Harris FP, coached the Dundee Rugby select side that played games in the 1980s, and now is the figurehead for a new era – which aims to place the new rebranded Dundee Rugby as the leading amateur club in Scotland.
‘We have in excess of 400 players’
“I think it’s a seismic change for rugby in the city,” he said. “Prior to this, if you look back every club in the town was struggling for numbers.
“Now today, on Saturday we had a first team squad of 25, another squad at 23 playing up at Morgan. That tells you immediately we’re healthy, and it’s before the universities come back and we can hopefully attract some good young players from there.
👨✈️AYE AYE CAPTAIN'S👨✈️
1st XV Men:
Captain – Sam Cardosi
Vice Captain – Finlay Ormiston2nd XV Men:
Captain – Jack Newth
Vice Captain – Matt Clark1st XV Women:
Captain – Stephanie Craig
Vice Captain – Emma Mackinnon#DundeeRugby #DundeeRugbyClub pic.twitter.com/YOV59MjSt0— Dundee Rugby Club (@DundeeRugbyClub) August 28, 2021
“If you look at currently from the (mini-rugby) Eagles right through Dundee Juniors to the senior men and women, we have in excess of 400 players. When the seasons get started with the juniors, we’ll be running somewhere in the region of 20 teams.”
The Dundee HSFP crown and the Morgan stag have gone from the club badge for a new design. The new club kit features both High blue and Morgan yellow.
“We look on this as progress, something that’s not just good for the town, but good for rugby,” continued Black. “We’re hoping to get everyone on board. So far, the big partners are High School and Morgan, and everyone has bought into it and been really supportive.
‘We want to be inclusive’
“We wouldn’t have been in this position before. Together we’re far stronger and able to promote both the club and the game of rugby.
“It’s our responsibility is to develop and grow the game, and to be part of the community.
“We want to be known and seen as a community club, so we can bring in kids from every area of the town. We want to be inclusive, we want people to come and play here because they recognise us a community club with good morals, ethics and principles.”
That’s manifested itself in charity projects like the Discovery Challenge, in which club members raised over £15,000 back in February with a significant proportion going to the local Togs For Tots charity.
The club’s first City 7s tournament at the start of last month was also a huge success, and plans are already afoot to enlarge and improve it as an annual season-opening festival.
The door is always open
Other clubs in the city, Harris and Panmure, declined to join the merger. They will continue to play in the Caledonia regional divisions – the clubs actually meet at Harris’ Elliot Road this weekend. But the door is always open, said Black.
Dundee Rugby's first 7’s competition was a massive success with some top class rugby, sun was out, loads of fun, live dj and many many drinks! Here’s a picture of our 1st team and the winner's – blazin' squad. A huge congratulations to the winners!#dc7s #everybodysgame pic.twitter.com/Inppz7iEn8
— Dundee Rugby Club (@DundeeRugbyClub) August 9, 2021
“We invited everyone and the other clubs chose not to come in with us at this point,” he said. “That’s perfectly fine. Every club and player in the town can play where and how they like, we’re all happy with that.
“But our ambition here is to become the best amateur club in Scotland, to get our kids playing at a high level. We want local guys, we want to grow our own.
“If our players end up with Super6 clubs or in the pro game with the Warriors or Edinburgh, we would look upon that as `we’re doing something right’.
“We’re developing players, developing the game and making things better, not just for ourselves but hopefully for Scottish rugby.”
Back with a bang, a huge thank you to @BurnbraeBelles for the great game 🏉 #womensrugby #DundeeRugby #dundeerugbyclub pic.twitter.com/cB086awJLr
— Dundee Women’s Rugby (@dundeewomenrfc) August 22, 2021
The biggest rise has been in the numbers of women playing within the Dundee Valkyries.
“We started the last season with just 10 women, we now have in excess of 70,” added Black.
“The Valkyries have been outstanding. Their work ethic in terms of helping and supporting the club in everything we do has been exceptional.
The merged club did unsuccessfully bid for one of the Super6 semi-pro franchises two years ago. But their interest on involvement in any expansion of that competition has cooled.
“We would look at Super6, but whether that ambition is still here at the moment, I don’t know,” he said.
“We’re a fledgling club now. Whether we could go to what is needed for Super6 or 8 or whatever, we’d have to re-examine that.
“We have to be financially stable, we‘ve got to walk before we can run. We’d look at it, but whether we would dive in or not, we’ll wait and see.”