Callum Kerr

This year's annual Pink and Black Awards dinner will take place on Saturday April 4th at the beautiful setting of Ayr Racecourse.

 

The night gets underway with a 19.00 arrival for a 19.30 start. Guests will be treated to a delicious three-course meal, live entertainment and the 2020 awards ceremony.

The latest edition of the Pink and Black Awards will mark the inaugural end-of-season dinner for the Ayrshire Bulls - who will celebrate the conclusion of their maiden domestic campaign alongside Ayr RFC's senior teams.

 

The evening is priced at £35 a-head and players and coaches can book via their respective team managers. To book a table or seat separately contact Glentippett@ayrrugbyclub.co.uk.

This afternoon Ayr fell the wrong side of a 12-14 nail-biter with Gala Rugby.

 

Despite a frantic start scores soon began to dry up when weather conditions took a turn, meaning Gala’s two-point lead at half-time would see them through to final whistle.

 

After the final whistle Ayr head coach Stuart Fenwick expressed frustration with his sides performance: “We are talking about the same things time and time again. We are making similar mistakes and similar errors.

 

“We tried to play too much rugby in our own half and that really cost us”.

 

A tad more upbeat, Stuart continued: “We showed a whole lot of heart – especially defensively in that second half… We are a team that wants to play rugby, so we don’t want to coach that out of the guys. We just need to make sure we do it in the right areas of the park”.

 

Ayr started the stronger of the sides. A handful of penalties for numerous infringements put them in touching distance, before referee Tom French decided enough was enough and signalled penalty try from a scrum five. Gala’s tight-head Martin Christie was sin-binned in the process.

 

This sparked a reaction from the visitors, who immediately sprung to life. Second row Richie Todd managed to burrow his way over the line after the borderers were held up in the previous play. Fly-half Dean Keddie chalked it all up with the conversion.

 

Just before the half-hour mark Ayr regained the lead. On his debut, Aiden O’Connor sniped clear after a storming break from Euan Hamilton. The 17-year old had a busy introduction to senior rugby but was tamed by the treacherous conditions nullifying his magic feet.

 

The final score of the of half – and coincidentally the game - came from Gala. The visitors shipped the ball wide to Robbie Irvine who powered through contact to finish. Keddie struck a beauty of a conversion given the wind and rain to secure the all-important 12-14 lead.

 

Ayr spent majority of the second half defending for their lives. The only real chance mustered for the hosts came after the clock struck eighty. A last gasp surge put the with a throw-in five metres short of Gala’s line, but they couldn’t connect.

 

The borderers regathered and kicked clear to signal the final whistle.

 

Full-time: Ayr RFC 12-14 Gala Rugby.

 

Camie Black was named Slaters Menswear Man of the Match after another controlling eighty-minute performance at scrum-half.

 

Ayr/Millbrae also fell short of victory, losing 24-31 to GHK 2^nd XV.

Tomorrow Ayr Club XV will look to catch Kelso in the Tennent's national 1 league when they host Gala at Millbrae. Stuart Fenwick's men currently sit four points adrift of ninth place, but have a game in hand.

 

It will be no easy feat turning over Gala, who enjoyed a 36-17 victory over the Millbrae Men last time they came to blows. Ayr will take confidence from their win over Cartha last time out, and will hope a home crowd will spur them on.

Gala sit further up the table in fifth.

Speaking of the dangers the borderers pose, Stuart Fenwick said: "You always expect a physical encounter with Gala, but that day (the away fixture) they moved the ball really well and had dangerous backs. It was probably one of our toughest games this season.

 

"Hopefully we see both sides out playing a similar, expansive, game of rugby".

 

Stuart Fenwick has selected a settled pack, with the only change the return of Cameron Young replacing Seth Rae. Young starts at openside with Morgan Leatherbarrow shifting to eight.

 

On the wing U18s star Aiden O'Connor makes his Club XV debut.

Ethan Aitken replaces Dylan Wilson in the midfield and Ciaran Wood comes in at full-back for James Baird.

Stuart Collier, Stephen Adair and Lewis Clark all come onto the bench. Kerr Borland and Adam McGowan are the only retained substitutes.

 

The action gets underway at 15.00 at Millbrae, and you can follow the action every step of the way on Twitter @OfficialAyrRFC.

 

Ayr/Millbrae are in action at the same time tomorrow, underway on the 2nd XV pitch. They take on GHK 2s. Their team is also listed below.

The Ayrshire Bulls fell 26-15 on the road to Heriots Rugby in their final regular season match, but still remain in the mix for the FOSROC Super6 playoffs. The loss rules out the possibility of a favourable home semi-final, but Peter Murchie’s men are still in the hunt for silverware.

At one point it was all to play for, with a 12-10 lead Heriots only bumper. At final whistle a frustrated Peter Murchie expressed his disappointment not to kick on from there: “We had our chances… but we just got too many of the little momentum swings go against us. A lot of their scores were pretty soft from our perspective.

 

“We have to make a team work harder for their points”.

 

There were areas of the game to be pleased about, but the Bulls failed to convert them into points: “Our maul was dominant, our scrum was dominant, but we didn’t get the rewards off that and capitalise”.

 

The hosts shot out of the blocks and enjoyed the first half hour camped deep in Bulls’ territory. Their breakthrough came after twenty minutes. Despite a strong scrum the ball bundled away from Bulls’ hands at the base allowing Jason Hill to collect and canter clear unscathed. Ross Jones converted to put the hosts up by seven.

 

Despite a surge from Peter Murchie’s men to close the half they couldn’t get over the line.

 

Half-time: Heriots Rugby 7-0 Ayrshire Bulls.

 

Heriots stretched the lead on 47 minutes with another opportunistic score. A dropped ball in the midfield release the hosts, with Callum Marshall finishing off a string of passes to dot down.

 

The second try came as a wakeup call for Peter Murchie’s men, who sprung into life and started to look dangerous. Territory turned to points three minutes later, with Ross Thompson converting from the tee from a deliberate knock-on by Hill – he was shown yellow for the infringement.

 

The Bulls continued to control proceedings and narrowed the gap after an hour. Sam Kitchen was first to get over, but Heriots did well to hold the ball up. From the resulting scrum Blair Macpherson made no mistake in his effort. Thompson converted to make it a 12-10 ball game.

 

As the game marched into its’ final stage it was neck-in-neck before a lapse in concentration resulted in a flurry of Heriots scores. Two tries three minutes apart all but sealed the result, with the Bulls staring down a 26-10 deficit.

 

Playing for pride Hooker Alex McGuire managed to end the afternoon on a high for the Bulls, scoring from a maul to narrow the margin.

 

Full time: Heriots Rugby 26-15 Ayrshire Bulls.

Heriots flanker Jack McLean was named FOSROC Man of the Match.

 

The Ayrshire Bulls now have a three-week window before they travel for a play-off semi-final. With Watsonians v Southern Knights postponed due to weather they’ll have to wait to find out where they are headed.

The Ayrshire Bulls have named a strong side for their final regular-season match this Sunday at Goldenacre. In a former life the origins of these clubs clashed in last year's Scotttish Cup and Premiership finals, so it is only fitting the man who dealt the fatal blow eleven months ago, Frazier Climo, returns from injury.

 

The Club XV game has been postponed due to poor weather conditions. With Highland set to make the 210 mile journey to the west coast and multiple weather warnings en route to Ayrshire the decision was made to reschedule. We will keep everyone updated with re-aranged details.

In the newly-formed FOSROC Super6 semi-professional league the sides are equally as close, with Heriots sitting in second on 29 and the Bulls in third with 28.

 

It could all still change with one round of fixtures left to play. Watsonians Rugby, who lead the pack, sit just four points clear of the Bulls on 32 and face fourth placed Knights. The Knights have racked up 25 points - four behind the Ayrshire Bulls. What that means is, depending on how this weekend plays out, the Bulls could finish in either first, second, third or fourth heading to the play-offs.

 

Their objective is simple - win Sunday's game to be guaranteed a seed one or two finish, securing a home semi-final.

Marshall Sykes joins Climo returning from injury, with the two straight back into the starting line-up at four and ten respectively.

 

David Armstrong also returns, but is held to a bench spot after a Man of the Match performance from Harry Warr last weekend. Grant Anderson also re-enters the fray, replacing Aylan Schabort on the bench.

 

Newly-signed wing Kody McGovern, who was announced earlier today, starts at 14 to earn his debut.

 

The action gets underway at 14.00 and you can follow live updates at @AyrshireBulls, or watch along at scottishrugby.org.

Join Burnsy the Bull on Sunday 26th of April for the Glasgow kiltwalk to raise funds for Ayr Community Rugby Trust.

The trust deliver rugby sessions in primary and secondary schools across all South Ayrshire, working with some of the most deprived areas in Scotland. They support every level of development at Ayr RFC and the Ayr/Wellington youth section.

 

There are currently three full-time employees at Ayr Community Rugby Trust:

Stuart Fenwick - Director of Youth and Women's Rugby

Frazier Climo - Development Officer

Connie Griffiths - Women's and Girls Development Officer

 

Alongside Stuart and his team are one part-time employee and six casual coaches.

 

For those signing up the Trust will pay 100% of subscription fees for Ayr Rugby players and coaches (We would ask you raise a minimum of £50). We would love parents and fans to also join us on our walk, but wouldn't cover subscription cost. Email stuart@ayrrugbytrust.org to get the free sign up code.

 

There are three walk options:

The Mighty Stride (23 miles)

The Big Stroll (15 miles)

The Wee Wander (6miles)

You can choose any option as everyone will finish together.

 

Buses to and from Glasgow will run from the Burns Centre and must be booked through the Trust. There will be a small charge for the bus.

 

We have already had some keen walkers signed up for the Mighty Stride, which kicks-off at 9.30am.

 

To sign up click on the link below and select Ayr Community Rugby Trust as your chosen charity and join our team Ayr Rugby Club Kilt Walk.

Some facts about the great work ACRT do:

• The Trust deliver more than 500 mini sessions (contact & non-contact) in primary schools per year to children (both boys & girls) from P1-P7.
• Annual primary session attendances of over 10,000.
• 4-6 primary school festivals per year.
• Club flyers handed to every child attending sessions.
• Coach education for all coaches mini to youth.
• Three secondary schools of rugby in South Ayrshire: Ayr, Kyle and Queen Margaret
• Year-long curricular delivery in Belmont Academy.
• Secondary programmes focusing on performance, participation and diversionary projects.
• Providing financial and non-financial support to rugby projects, tours and individuals across South Ayrshire (not limited to Ayr RFC).
• Leading & supporting rugby tours in the UK and abroad.
• Ensuring rugby and tours are accessible to all and no obstacles financial or otherwise prevent participation.
• Delivery of 'Rugby Life' programme - Ayr RFC's basic provision to all youth players at Ayr/Wellington (see attached flyer).
• Deliver the Ayr Rugby Academy allowing local players a performance environment and opportunity locally to develop and step into representative environments.
• Provide education and employment pathways for senior pupils and school leavers through coaching academy programmes and modern apprenticeships
• The Trust have employed and supported 16 Apprentices all of whom have remained supported beyond their apprenticeships and still have links to the club.

CALA Homes (West) has been named as the exclusive sponsor of the Ayr RFC Rugby Academy for the 2020-21 season following the launch of their Florence Gardens development at Doonfoot.

 

Ayr RFC Rugby Academy supports players aspiring to enter Scottish Rugby Academies and is currently working with over 70 players across its junior, girls and senior academy sections to provide guidance on areas including technical development, strength and conditioning, and mental health.

CALA will also be the title sponsor of Ayr Community Rugby Trust’s Rugby Life programme, which is the basic provision given to the youth section.  Rugby Life aims to support individuals in all aspects of rugby, including off-field modules such as mental health awareness, social media support, as well as health and nutrition.

 

Ayrshire Bulls winger Tom Lewis will also be sponsored by CALA as part of the deal.

 

The sponsorship deal will see all Academy players proudly sport the CALA logo on their training kits.

 

Liana Canavan, sales and marketing director for CALA Homes (West), said: “Florence Gardens is CALA’s first development in Ayr for a number of years, so we’re really keen to get involved with the local community in as many ways as possible, and this is a brilliant way to do just that.

 

“Ayr Rugby Club obviously plays a big role in the local area, so we’re incredibly proud to sponsor The Academy.

 

“It was great to get some of the players along to our show homes so they could see the development for themselves and meet our team to find out a bit more about what we’re hoping to bring to the local area.”

Glen Tippett, Chief Operating Officer at Ayr Rugby, said: “We’re delighted to have CALA Homes on board and look forward to working with them over the coming months.  Nurturing talent is extremely important to us, so to have CALA dedicating their sponsorship to our Academy which focuses on helping players reach their full potential is fantastic.”

 

Stuart Fenwick, Ayr Community Rugby Trust’s Director of Youth and Women’s Rugby, was equally delighted: “It is fantastic to have the support of CALA Homes. Our Rugby Life module and Academy set-up focusses on youth develop, and we are delighted to partner with CALA to deliver this. We are determined on developing the indivual and not just the player, and our Rugby Life programme will benefit all apsects of their life and not just on the pitch. This provision is offered to every youth player, male and female, at Ayr RFC".

 

Ideally located within the sought-after suburb of Doonfoot – close to the historic ruins of Greenan Castle, and just minutes from Ayr town centre – Florence Gardens is set to offer a stunning collection of 62 homes.

 

For more information, go to www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale/west-of-scotland/florence-gardens.

 

For more information on Ayr Rugby, visit www.ayrrugbyclub.co.uk.

 

For more information on the Ayrshire Bulls, visit www.ayrshirebulls.co.uk

On Sunday the Ayrshire Bulls returned to winning ways after a slow start to 2020. A clinical performance from Peter Murchie’s men seen them breeze to a 17-40 victory over Boroughmuir Bears – a rearranged game delayed from the carnage of storm Dennis last weekend.

 

The action played out at the Queensferry Hub due to poor weather at the Bears’ home of Meggetland, and the 4G pitch provided the perfect canvas for fast flowing attractive rugby.

 

The win puts the Bulls back into third, with a clash against second place Heriots coming up this Sunday. Heriots sit one point ahead on 28 with Watsonians the pacemakers on 32.

With it all still to play for approaching the last round of regular season action Peter Murchie was delighted with his men’s effort: “We played pretty well especially in the first half with that wind against us… All in all, we haven’t played for four or five weeks so I was delighted with the performance”.

 

It has been a slog of a season so far, with the FOSROC Super6 league kicking off in November and being hampered by the harsher weather: “It’s (conditions) been a challenge for every team. Training over the last two months has been challenging – 50mph winds and all these storms – it’s difficult. Credit to the guys who have stuck at it and managed to keep us ticking along”.

It was the Bears who struck first, taking a three-point lead from the kicking tee just four minutes in.

 

Ten minutes later the Bulls took the lead, with captain Pete McCallum breaking through the line and over to score. A lacklustre restart gifted the Bears possession, and a score from a fumbled ball put them back in front.

 

It was 21 minutes in when the Bulls took a lead which wouldn’t change hands. Sam Kitchen bagged his eighth try of the season with a powerful surge over the line from close range.

 

The Bulls bagged one more before the break, with George Bordill diving under the posts. Ross Thompson’s conversion concluded the first half scoring at 10-19.

 

In the second half Nico Griffiths stretched the lead. A Boroughmuir pass deep in their half failed to meet hands and the prop reacted quickest to score.

With an hour gone the Bulls were coasting, but a spike in intensity from the Bears made it a ball game. Jordan Edmunds broke clear against the run of play to make it a one possession game, before fly-half Chris Laidlaw crept through the line from the restart. Laidlaw through a looping pass to Edmunds but failed to connect for what would have been a certain try.

 

The Bulls weathered the storm and secured two late scores to provide some cushion. The first came through Tyler Beary, who sniped into the corner after quick hands from Isaac McNulty put him away.

 

The last score was arguably the best. On his way to Man of the Match honours, Harry Warr pulled off an audacious through-the-legs pass to debutant James Pinkerton. Unfazed by the step up from Club XV rugby, Pinkerton did well to draw the defender and dink a crafty grubber down the line for Craig Gossman to score.

 

Full-time: Boroughmuir Bears 17-40 Ayrshire Bulls.

 

Photos - SRU//SNS

The Ayrshire Bulls encounter with Boroughmuir Bears which was called off on Saturday has been rearranged to this Sunday (Feb 23). The match will take place at Queensferry RFC, Dundas Avenue, kicking-off at 15.30.

 

With the Bulls sitting just off a home play-off place in fourth the last two games are vital. A win over sixth placed Bears would propel the Bulls into third before their final regular season tie against Heriots, who occupy second. Ticket information will be posted shortly on the Boroughmuir Bears website and social channels.

Scottish Rugby has today announced the FOSROC Super6 final will take place at Scotstoun Stadium, home to Glasgow Warriors.

 

The final game of the inaugural tournament will be held on Saturday 28 March (kick-off
7.20pm) and broadcast live on BBC Scotland. In the first six rounds of the FOSROC Super6, five of the games were broadcast live on Scottish Rugby TV and on BBC Sport Scotland’s website, totalling over 115,888 views.

(Image - SRU/SNS)

Play-off weekend (Friday 20 – Sunday 22 March)