Walking Rugby Group Cheque Presentation
The Reverend Melanie Reed presents a cheque for £725 to Ayr Cancer Support on behalf of the Ayr RFC Walking Rugby Group.
Rev Melanie completed the Santa Dash from Ayr promenade to Millbrae and was sponsored by the group and many others, enabling the grand sum to be raised.
The Walking Rugby group meet at 10am on Monday mornings at Dam Park, the group is open to all, of any ability, and you can be sure of a warm welcome. Have some fun exercise and a great social time after with a warm drink and something delicious to eat!
AYR SECURE £250,000 FROM GROWTH AND PARTICIPATION FUND
Scottish Rugby is supporting a multi-million pound redevelopment of Ayr RFC’s clubhouse through a £250,000 award from its Growth and Participation Fund.
Ayr RFC have £2m plans to redevelop their aging clubhouse, and bring to life inclusive changing facilities, a multi-purpose studio, a strength and conditioning gym, and a community café.
The club are one of two successful applicants to Scottish Rugby’s major capital investment fund this year.
The rollout of the huge redevelopment plans at Millbrae will be staggered, with phase one’s new access road and phase two’s all-weather pitch and floodlights on target to be completed by mid-January 2025.
The Growth and Participation Fund is part of the Government’s grant funding given to Scottish Rugby during Covid-19.
Phase three sees the redevelopment of the “tired clubhouse,” Ayr chairman and project lead Brian Williamson said.
“Millbrae was originally an old market garden and the original farm buildings date back to the 18th century. These form the core of the clubhouse with later extensions being added over the years as the club grew.
“The structure is in dire need of a major overhaul and phase three will see us build a new strength and conditioning gym, flexible studio space, a community café, additional accessible toilets, inclusive changing rooms and facilities for match officials.
“We also have an elevator and stairs going up to the first floor of the old squash courts where there will be additional studio space and changing rooms. The studio is particularly exciting, as it will be available for the general community, providing classes for dance, yoga and pilates. We will also use it for meetings and match analysis sessions.
“This all works for the club and the community but has to be self-sustaining and commercially viable going forward,” he said.
With the financial and practical support of local businessman, Alan Macdonald, Brian and the Ayr Rugby Club board have aspirational plans for Millbrae.
“Phases one and two are already covered by the Macdonald Legacy with the financing of phase three being a work in progress.
“Huge efforts from the club are making steady progress towards that number. We are applying for grants and financial support from other organisations and are planning to launch fundraising initiatives.
“We are looking at offering members the opportunity to purchase a seat in the stand, dedicated tree planting initiatives and many others. All of which focus solely on raising funds for the refurbishments. It’s the dripping tap that fills the sink.
“We hope to start phase three in spring, with a focus on completing it as soon as practical,” Brian added.
Director of Rugby Development Gav Scott said he was glad to be investing in clubs of the future, such as Ayr and Aberdeen Grammar.
“Investing in projects that promote the sustainability of the game is what this fund is all about. It’s great to work with clubs who are providing great outlets to their communities.”
Doddie's Grand Tour
Doddies Grand Tour | 🚲
Are you a keen cyclist? Do you like a challenge? Would you like to take part in Doddie’s Grand Tour?
Ayr Rugby Club and the wider community have been asked to enter a team in this year’s charity cycle ride through Scotland, ending in Edinburgh, ahead of the Scotland v Ireland international on Sunday 9th February.
There are expected to be over 500 cyclists taking part in the challenge which is stopping off at Millbrae on Thursday 6th February to officially open the new access road and all-weather pitch.
If you would like to take part or would like further information, please contact the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation at:
Ayr Rugby Club AGM Announcement
On the evening of 30th September, Millbrae was packed with members for the AGM. Club President Drew Young welcomed attendees, and acting secretary Graham Duncan presented the previous year’s minutes.
Chairman Brian Williamson gave a “year in review” presentation, highlighting the club’s successes both on and off the pitch, as well as its contributions to the local community. General Manager Graeme Ferguson then provided an overview of sponsorship efforts, followed by Director of Rugby Gordon Kotze, who detailed the club’s coaching and team structure.
Frazier Climo from the Ayr Community Rugby Trust gave an update on community activities and outreach in local schools. Finance Director Neil Reid presented the financial report, explaining the auditing process for charity accounts.
Members were then asked to vote on an amendment to the articles of association to increase the number of Directors from five to eight and vote for the new board of directors. The votes were counted, the resolution passed, and the process was ratified by a show of hands.
We are delighted to announce the new board of directors for 2024/25, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience:
- Brian Williamson
- Drew Young
- Graham Duncan
- David Beattie
- Neil Reid
- Neil Howie
- Richard Longmuir
- Billy McHarg
Ayr Rugby Club Girls' Section Tournaments
Ayr Rugby Club Girls’ Section recently hosted U12 and U14 tournaments at Dam Park 🙌
Over 80 girls participated, and the standard of rugby was very high. All the players had a fantastic time and enjoyed the opportunity to compete against so many other teams.
Teams from Stewartry, Marr, Greenock, Cambuslang, Cumnock, Newton Stewart, Irvine, and Oban took part, making it a great showcase for girls’ rugby.
Our girls train every Monday and Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm, and we are currently looking for new players—no experience necessary! 💪
If you’re interested in getting involved in girls’ rugby in Ayr but are unsure where to start, email us at:
👉 robynn@ayrrugbytrust.org
Ayr RFC Forthcoming AGM Information and Report
Subject: Notice of Ayr Rugby Football Club, AGM – 30th September 2024
We are pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Ayr RFC Ltd, which will be held at 7pm on Monday the 30th September at Millbrae, Alloway, Ayr. The purpose of the AGM is to review the previous term to 31st of March 2024 and to appoint the board of Directors for 2024/25. There is also a special resolution to amend the charity articles increasing the number of directors from five to eight.
The articles of association allow the first AGM to be a term of up to 18 months to allow for the first financial accounts and charity audit to be completed. The successive AGM’s will take place every 12 months.
This will be the first AGM since the club became a charity and we have made significant progress on and off the pitch. Ayrshire Bulls finished as the most successful Super Series side, the men’s 1st XV won promotion to the Premiership, the ladies 1st XVs won their league, the men’s 2nd XV won their league and promotion playoff. Success continued across the club’s youth section with the U18s boys repeating the national Shield and West Cup victories of the previous season.
There has also been significant progress with the physical development of the club with the purchase and repurposing of Dam Park Stadium, completion of phase 1 of the Millbrae development and the commencement of phase 2. By the new year, Millbrae will enjoy new vehicular and pedestrian access from Murdoch’s Lone and a new state-of-the-art all-weather championship-sized pitch. This will enable us to maximise the number of training sessions and games played at Millbrae across all sections. This has been made possible by the funding and guidance given by Alan Macdonald and The Macdonald Legacy.
The success of Ayr Rugby Football Club takes a huge effort that is only possible 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.
Agenda Overview:
- Approval of Previous EGM Minutes
- Chairperson’s Report
- Financial Report
- Proposed Amendment to Charity Articles
- Election of Directors
- Any Other Business
We have received and verified 8 applications for the role of Director/Trustee for Ayr Rugby Football Club Ltd. The following links include a summary of the applicant’s experience and their proposed contribution to the role, instructions on how to vote at the AGM by proxy and a link to the AGM annual and financial report.
Supporting Documents:
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
Contractors move in to begin latest redevelopment work at Ayr Rugby Club
Daily Record – Ayrshire Live – By Paul Behan
An exciting new chapter begins as the diggers move in to begin work on the latest part of what will be a wider “re-planning” at Millbrae.
Phase two of Ayr Rugby Club’s multi-million pound redevelopment at Millbrae has begun.
Ayrshire Live can reveal that contractors have moved to begin preparatory work in what will eventually see the building of a new multi-sports all-weather pitch– to the east of the current pitch.
Also included in the phase two development is perimeter fencing, new team dugouts/shelters, access paths to the north and south of the pitch and new floodlighting.
The proposals are the latest plans for a wider “re-planning” of the Premiership club’s home ground. The cost of phase one, which involved building a new access road from Murdoch’s Lone, was around £1m. Phase two will cost around £1.7m to complete.
Club chairman Brian Williamson said: “Work has started on phase two and will be finished in January. Phase one, which is the new access road in, is pretty much complete. And the second phase started this week.”
Ayrshire Live has learned that the new access road to Millbrae will open at the same time as phase two. This is to ensure that contractors can use the undisturbed route to get to and from the current construction site with ease. Carrying out the work is the Malcolm Group.
Mr Williamson said: “The muti-sports pitch is going to be so beneficial, it’ll have provision for 11-a-side and seven-aide football and more.”
It is hoped that, when the multi-million pound redevelopment of Millbrae is complete, Ayr’s facilities and community links will seal its place as one of the top community sports clubs long into the future.
Mr Williamson said: “As a club we’re very conscious of the fact that we need to be winning on the pitch. At the end of the day we are all about community, we are all about reaching out and we’re all about our charity objectives, but you have to produce a winning team on the pitch too. That’s the same in any sport and that’s a difficult balance.”
“But we think we have good players, good coaches and a good youth section. There’s a lot of different things that make up this club and the community are a big part of that too.”
Jewitt & Wilkie Architects, the firm behind the initial planning application for phase two, said: “The proposals represent the second stage in moving towards the delivery of a range of improvements at Millbrae which will improve the ability of the Rugby Club to reach out further and strengthen its already highly developed destination/hub for a range of community activities.”
Mr Williamson also revealed that fund raising to help finance the ambitious plans for the stadium, and its surroundings, will continue.
In terms of the club’s phase three redevelopment, this will involve the replacement of the existing clubhouse with a new state-of-the-art facility; including a lounge bar, beer garden, restaurant and multi-purpose function room, studio space, as well as modern team changing facilities and a community gym, all subject to planning approval.
Papers in relation to phase three have now been lodged with South Ayrshire Council for consideration.
A major catalyst in the overall redevelopment is a £3m investment in the club, known as ‘The Macdonald Legacy.’ The legacy honours club member and former 1st XV player, Barry Macdonald, who died suddenly in December 2020.
Walking Rugby News
A Walking Rugby group turned out at Scotstoun on Saturday 7th September before the Glasgow Warriors game.
Including ARFC, Ardrossan Rugby Club and Cartha/Queens Park played a round robin of games and ARFC came out on top.
After this, the 3 groups lined up when the Glasgow and Connought players took to the pitch. At half time in front of several thousand spectators in the stadium the 3 groups combined to form 2 teams and gave a demonstration of Walking Rugby during the interval. Good fun had by players and spectators.
Ayr RFC Forthcoming AGM Information
Subject: Notice of Ayr Rugby Football Club, AGM – 30th September 2024
We are pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Ayr RFC Ltd, which will be held at 7pm on Monday 30th September 2024 at Millbrae, Alloway, Ayr. The purpose of the AGM is to review the previous term to 31st March 2024 and to appoint the board of Directors for 2024/25. There is also a special resolution to amend the charity articles increasing the number of directors from five to seven.
The articles of association allow the first AGM to be a term of up to 18 months to allow for the first financial accounts and charity audit to be completed. The successive AGMs will take place every 12 months.
This will be the first AGM since the club became a charity and we have made significant progress on and off the pitch. Ayrshire Bulls finished as the most successful Super Series side, the Mens 1st XV won promotion to the Premiership, the Ladies 1st XV won their league, the Mens 2nd XV won their league and promotion playoff. Success continued across the youth section of the club with the U18s boys repeating the National Shield and West Cup victories of the previous season.
There has also been significant progress with the physical development of the club with the purchase and repurposing of Dam Park Stadium, completion of phase 1 of the Millbrae development and the commencement of phase 2. By the new year Millbrae will enjoy new vehicular and pedestrian access from Murdoch’s Lone and a new state of the art all-weather championship sized pitch. This will enable us to maximise the number of training sessions and games played at Millbrae across all sections. This has been made possible by the funding and guidance given by Alan Macdonald and The Macdonald Legacy.
The success of Ayr Rugby Football Club takes a huge effort that is only possible 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.
Agenda Overview:
- Approval of Previous EGM Minutes
- Chairperson’s Report
- Financial Report
- Proposed Amendment to Charity Articles
- Election of Directors
- Any Other Business
In advance of the AGM, the board would like to invite applications from our membership and from the wider community, to become a director of Ayr Rugby Football Club. The following links include an application form, role description and accompanying guidance notes. Interested parties should read the guidance notes carefully and return their application by Wednesday 11th September 2024. The applications received will then be abbreviated and made available to the membership by the 16th September 2024, along with instructions on how to vote at the AGM or by proxy.
The financial report is still with the accountants/auditors and will be made available to members before the AGM.
Supporting Documents:
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
Ayr Rugby Club Captains 2024/25
Introducing our captains for season 24/25, Shelley Main and Blair Macpherson
On appointing Blair, men’s head coach Grant Anderson commented, “Blair has demonstrated over the last 5-6 years that he is the natural leader of our rugby club. His leadership skills both on and off the field speak for themselves and the level of respect that the Ayr rugby community has for him is clearly evident. He has been really receptive to my ideas and rugby philosophy, and is keen to lead us into battle once again. He also benefits from having a wealth of knowledge and experience supporting him with vice captains, Ed Bloodworth, Cam Reece and Bobby Beattie.”
Ladies head coach Andy Duncan on announcing Shelley as this years captain, “Shelley was chosen to be captain this season due to good consistent levels of performance for the last couple of years. She is really positive on and off the pitch which hopefully can continue to spread through the team further developing the culture. She has her own work ons to challenge her in a new leadership role, but I have full trust in her ability to do so while leading from the front. She will be assisted by Rachel Kilday who provides a calmness and experience to hopefully allow players to take on feedback in a way that gets the best response out of them.”
