Membership Subscriptions 2026/27
As we prepare for the 2026/27 season, I would like to thank every member for your continued loyalty and support of Ayr Rugby Club.
The past year has been another remarkable one for the club. On the field we continue to enjoy success at every level, while off the field we have continued to invest in facilities that will benefit both current and future generations of members.
At the start of the year, we completed improvements around the 1st XV pitch, including new seating, terracing and team dugouts. Throughout the close season our project team has been working tirelessly on the construction of a new 24m x 12m extension, which will house our new High Performance & Community Gym, golf simulator and club shop.
At the same time, we are completely refurbishing the former changing room block to create modern home changing facilities together with dedicated physiotherapy and medical treatment rooms. Outside, we are enhancing the beer garden area with additional seating, hardstanding areas for food concessions and events, disabled access to the 1st XV pitch and a fantastic new play park that will provide a focal point for our youngest members and visiting families.
In July, in conjunction with ACRT the club invested £30,000 in replacing the failing floodlights at Dam Park. The new LED lighting provides a far higher standard of illumination while significantly reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs. Most importantly, it ensures that our players can train and play safely throughout the dark winter evenings. We must be one of the few clubs that can boast of having 3 floodlit pitches!
These improvements represent the largest investment in Ayr Rugby Club’s history and are transforming what Millbrae and our wider facilities can offer our players, members, supporters and the local community.
The redevelopment programme has been made possible through the incredible generosity of the Macdonald Legacy, together with donations and substantial grant funding. Importantly, the Board’s vision is that the new facilities will become income-generating, creating new revenue streams that will help safeguard the long-term future of the club.
Running a successful rugby club of Ayr’s size requires significant financial resources. Membership subscriptions, sponsorship, fundraising events, venue hire, functions and bar income all contribute towards meeting the day-to-day operating costs of the club.
Like many organisations, however, we continue to experience substantial increases in utilities, insurance, maintenance, staffing, pitch upkeep and general operating costs. As custodians of the club, the Board must ensure that Ayr Rugby Club remains financially sustainable so that we can maintain our facilities and continue investing in rugby at every level.
Following a detailed review of the club’s finances, the Board of Directors have agreed to the following membership subscriptions for the 2026/27 season.
Membership Subscriptions 2026/27
(Please note monthly payments are based on a 12 month period. If you cancel your subscription within the 12 month period you will be invoiced for the remaining balance)
| Membership Category | Monthly | Annual |
| Adult Ordinary Member | £22 | £264 |
| Family Membership* | £60 | £720 |
| Spouse Membership** | £11 | £132 |
| Senior Member*** | £16 | £192 |
| Junior Coach Member**** | £11 | £132 |
| Country Member***** | £11 | £132 |
| Mini Player (P1–P7) | £18 | £216 |
| Youth Player (U13–U15) | £25 | £300 |
| Youth Player (U16–U18) | £35 | £420 |
| Senior Player (18+) | £35 | £420 |
* Family Membership – 2 non-playing adults + 2 children under the age of 18.
** Spouse Membership – Spouse/Partner of full time member residing at the same address.
*** Senior Membership – Eligible for members who are aged 66+ years.
**** Junior Coach Membership – Eligible for Accredited Junior Coach members
***** Country Membership – Eligible for members who live 50+ miles from Millbrae
We fully appreciate that any increase in subscriptions comes at a time when household budgets remain under pressure. However, we hope members will agree that Ayr Rugby Club continues to offer exceptional value, providing access to some of the finest rugby facilities in Scotland while supporting a club that continues to grow both on and off the field.
The success of Ayr Rugby Club has always been built on the commitment of its members, volunteers, sponsors and supporters. Your continued support enables us not only to compete at the highest level but also to provide opportunities for hundreds of children, young people and adults to enjoy rugby in a welcoming, inclusive and first-class environment.
On behalf of the Board, thank you once again for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you to another exciting and successful season at Millbrae and to sharing the next chapter in the club’s development with you.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Williamson
Chairman
Ayr Rugby Football Club
£5,000 Donation from The Mickel Fund
Ayr RFC Phase 3 Development – £5,000 Donation from The Mickel Fund
We are delighted to announce that Ayr Rugby Football Club has received a generous donation of £5,000 from The Mickel Fund, a Scottish charitable trust that supports community organisations and worthy causes across Scotland.
The funding will contribute directly to the club’s ongoing youth and community rugby programmes, helping to provide opportunities for young players of all abilities to get involved in the sport. The donation will support improvements to training facilities and resources at the club’s Millbrae grounds in Alloway.
Brian Williamson, Chairman of Ayr Rugby Club, said:
“We are extremely grateful to The Mickel Fund for their generous support. This funding will make a real difference to our efforts to grow the game locally and ensure rugby remains accessible to everyone in our community.”
The Mickel Fund, established in 1970, donates around £100,000 each year to charitable organisations and projects throughout Scotland.
A Great Day for the Club's Future
At Millbrae we are getting used to receiving good news and yesterday was another great day for the future of our club! After months of work by the project team, our planning application for phase 3 of the Millbrae development was passed by South Ayrshire Council. This happened simultaneously with Sport Scotland’s announcement that Ayr Rugby Club has been awarded £200,000 from their Sports Facility Fund which will be used to help finance phase 3.
Having successfully completed phase 1 & 2 earlier this year, the club has seen a resurgence in activity thanks to the new access road and all-weather multi-sport pitch. Phase 3 is the next step in the redevelopment and will see the construction of a large building which will house a state-of-the-art strength & condition gym, a golf simulator and a much-needed new club shop.
This will help us develop our playing members, particularly our youth section, and provide tremendous new facilities for our growing membership and the wider community.
Club Chairman, Brian Williamson said, “This is another great moment for our club. Our success on and off the pitch and our ambitious plans for the future have been recognised by both the Scottish Rugby Union and Sport Scotland who together have awarded our club £450,000 which will be spent on our new gym and changing facilities. Now that we have planning permission in place we will be looking to start works as soon as practical and expect completion by summer 2026.”
Hamish Frew
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Hamish Frew on Wednesday 8th October. He had just turned 92 the day before.
Hamish was one of our longest-serving members (circa 70 years) and was heavily involved in the huge task of converting Millbrae from a market garden to a rugby club. He served on the committee at this time and focused mainly on sponsorship income. An active volunteer at the club over the years, he was also part of the match day squad manning the gates and car park for 1st XV games up until around 10 years ago.
It is Hamish’s original cine footage in this film about the move to Millbrae, probably the most significant step in the history of our club. Hamish still retains the old bonds from the original purchase, which will now be added to our archives.
We send our condolences to Hamish’s family at this sad time.
Hamish’s Original Cine Footage can be viewed below.
Fireworks Festival 2025
Our famous Fireworks Festival is back for another year at its new home at Dam Park Stadium. Join us on Friday 7th November for a spectacular night!
Bigger, better and more accessible than ever. Gates open from 5pm with lots for everyone – fairground, Scullery Smoc, Bullish Coffee, refreshments, entertainment inlcuding a live performance from Clanadonia and music from DJ Rossi all night.
For more information and to get your tickets, click the button below!
Walking Rugby member gold medal winner!
Walking Rugby group member Liz shines at the World Rowing Regatta in Banyoles, Spain
This year Liz Davidson took part in the World Rowing Regatta with over 5,000 other rowers at the scenic waters of Banyoles, Spain. With competitors ranging in age from 27 to 90, the event featured a wide array of categories and showcased remarkable athleticism across generations.
Liz competed in three events over the five-day regatta, delivering outstanding performances in each:
- 🥉 3rd place in Women’s Doubles
- 🥈 2nd place in Women’s Quad
- 🥇 Gold medal in Mixed Quad — the highlight of her regatta, rowing alongside a teammate from Chicago and two rowers from Paris
Despite her rigorous rowing schedule — training five days a week — Liz finds enjoyment in switching gears every Monday morning with the Walking Rugby group. Having never played rugby before, she embraces the camaraderie, the laughter, and the enjoyment of learning new skills in a completely different sport. Well done Liz!
Ayr Walking Rugby welcomes the touring Old Leamingtonian Nomads
The Nomads, Old Leamingtonians RFC’s Walking Rugby section founded in 2021, have grown from a small group into over 40 members. For them, like Ayr, Walking Rugby offers males and females an inclusive way for all abilities to enjoy the game at a slower pace, emphasising fun, friendship, and safety regardless of age, fitness or playing background.
Touring has been central to the Nomads’ spirit, earning them a reputation for camaraderie and good humour. Thanks to Nick Barrow’s Ayr RFC connections from the mid-’90s, the Nomads are now heading to Ayr for their fifth tour, eager to share the pitch and celebrate rugby’s fellowship.
Nick stayed connected as a member, and through these ties discovered Ayr’s Walking Rugby, sparking the Nomads’ tour. Nick joined in with Ayr Walking Rugby at the Hive in the Edinburgh Walking Rugby Festival a few weeks ago.
So, for those in Ayr who remember Nick, or if you are looking for some Walking Rugby entertainment, please come along to Millbrae on Saturday 11th October at 12:00, and watch the fun….and enjoy a mild libation afterwards!
Ayr RFC Forthcoming AGM Information including Election of Directors
All members are warmly invited to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Ayr Rugby Football Club, to be held at 7.00pm on Monday 15th December 2025 at Millbrae, Alloway, Ayr.
This will be the second AGM since Ayr RFC became a registered charity, and it offers an opportunity to reflect on another year of progress both on and off the field.
Key Highlights from 2024/25
Men’s 1st XV – crowned Premiership Champions, an outstanding achievement and testament to the hard work of players and coaches.
Youth Rugby – our U18s and U16s are now competing in the new Youth Open Competition, which brings together three leading club sides and five private schools, raising standards and visibility for our young players.
Millbrae Redevelopment
- There has also been significant progress with the physical development of the club with the completion of phase 1 and phase 2 of the Millbrae development, with new vehicular and pedestrian access from Murdoch’s Lone and a new state-of-the-art all-weather championship-sized rugby/football pitch. This has allowed us to maximise the number of training sessions and games played at Millbrae across all sections and Millbrae is now a hive of activity during the week. This has been made possible by the funding and guidance given by Alan Macdonald and The Macdonald Legacy.
- A planning application has been submitted for Phase 3, which will see the construction of a new building housing a high performance gym facility, golf simulator and club shop. This phase also sees the upgrade of first aid & physio facilities, development of new accessible & inclusive changing facilities and the upgrade of the clubhouse, kitchen, function room and toilets. Details of our planning application can be found here – https://shorturl.at/GjHEY
Board of Directors
Board Appointments – after the resignation of Neil Reid (Finance) and David Beattie (Commercial), we were pleased to welcome Andrew McMorland (Finance) and Brian Calder (Commercial) to the board of the Board of Directors, strengthening governance and leadership as the club continues to grow. The success of Ayr Rugby Football Club takes a huge effort that is only possible under the supervision of our board with the help and support of our members, volunteers, sponsors and partners. Your participation is vital to the continued growth and success of our club.
AGM Business:
The AGM will review the financial year to 31st March 2025 and appoint directors for 2025/26.
- Approval of Previous AGM Minutes
- Chairperson’s Report
- Annual Report
- Financial Report
- Election of Directors
- Any Other Business
Applications are now open for members of the club and the wider community who may wish to stand for election to the Board of Directors. Application forms, role descriptions, and guidance notes are available below.
Completed applications should be submitted by Date TBC, after which candidate details will be shared with members ahead of the AGM.
The financial report is currently being finalised with our accountants and will be made available to members before the meeting.
Supporting Documents can be found at the bottom of this page.
We look forward to your active participation and attendance. If you have any questions relating to the content of this notice, please contact us at trustees@ayrrugbyclub.co.uk
Warm regards,
Brian Williamson
Chairman, Ayr Rugby Football Club Ltd
Walking Rugby August Update
On Monday we were joined by our 1st XV sponsored club player, Jamie McAughtrie. Fresh from coming on as a replacement hooker in Saturday’s game against Glasgow Hawks, where he scored his first try of the season (and nearly a second!). Jamie joined our morning session alongside another rising Ayr star, Dan Simpson.
Some of the group were also proudly showing off the brand-new Walking Rugby jerseys, looking sharp as ever.
The chat afterwards over a coffee and filled roll was full of a great deal of laughter. The Walking Rugby group concluded if these two young men worked hard enough at their game, they could almost reach the standard of the group!!
Walking Rugby at the Hive
Last Friday, 15 of the Walking Rugby group turned out in the Edinburgh Walking Rugby Festival at Murrayfield.
The Millbrae Shufflers and Ayr Strollers played in the Hive Stadium against teams from Annan, Kelso, Edinburgh Wanderers and Mid Lothian Rugby.
The organisers had said the Festival would be a non-competitive event, everyone was just to enjoy the event and have fun, and that we did! Not only did we have a very enjoyable time, the two Ayr teams won all their games, played 8 won 8, to come out on top!
Come along on a Monday morning at 10.00am to Millbrae, join in the fun and laughter, and don’t make age or ability an excuse!
