SCHOOLS RUGBY
| BARCLAY BANKS ON A DECADE OF SCHOOL RUGBY SUCCESS |
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| Thursday, 02 September 2010 | ||
The launch marked the tenth year that Brewin Dolphin, one of the largest independent private client investment managers in the UK, has sponsored the tournament which has grown to offer a platform for young players to progress to the professional ranks and senior club rugby. John Barclay lifted the under-18 Schools' Cup at Murrayfield on two consecutive occasions, captaining his school, Dollar Academy, the second time round in 2004 - just three years before winning the first of his 21 caps earned so far. Barclay said: "The Schools Cup brought meaning to school rugby and gave all the pupils something to aspire to. Everyone saw it as the main focus of the season. "As the tournament went on I remember it generating more interest in the media and crowds grew and grew leading into the final where there were 5000 people at Murrayfield. I couldn't believe how loud it was and remember thinking how I could never imagine what it must be like to play in when it's full. "The hype, the crowds and the competitiveness of the games all played a massive part in my development. It provided a pathway for me to being signed straight from school and a platform to be exposed to representative selectors." Despite the success of the competition in serving some of rugby's top young players, the Cup represents a small portion of those who participate, with over 160 Schools battling it out in three tiers of competition - the Cup, Plate and Bowl, at under-16 and 18. Previously, a series of open-entry preliminary rounds determined which tier a school would be placed however, this season, schools are invited to enter a distinct Cup or Bowl competition based on their own assessment of their side's ability. Scottish Rugby's head of community rugby, Colin Thomson, said: "Working with schools and coaches we have developed a competition structure that enables everyone to benefit from the appropriate level of competition at every age group. "It allows developing rugby schools to avoid mis-matches against the more seasoned schools and the higher ranked schools to secure more competitive matches throughout the season. The 16 schools that progress from the Cup's two qualification rounds will be drawn in four pools of four (to increase the number of games against similar opposition) with the winners of each pool progressing into the knock-out stage. The losers from the qualification rounds will make up a Plate competition while the emerging schools' Bowl competition will progress through four regional rounds before turning national for the quarter-final onwards. Nick Burge, PE teacher at Glenwood High School, is excited about the restructured competition and is looking forward to entering his school for the second time. In just a single academic year, Burge, has successfully re-introduced rugby to all boys' and girls' curriculum at S1 to S4 and fields teams at U14, U15, U16 and U17 (boys). This season, to develop the school's young talent, the school have kick-started their "EXCEL" programme to offer an intense outlet to their most exceptional players as they look to make their mark on Scotland's flagship schools' competition. Burge said: "The layout suits us because we'll play more games. We've played a lot of the emerging schools in Fife and are looking forward to taking some of our successes in those games into this season's competition. The reduced transport costs of playing locally make the competition a lot more accessible too. "By having a distinct Bowl competition, we enter a level playing field which allows us to stabilise and increase our playing numbers as each game is a realistic play-to-win. "Our players are very excited about the competition because it gives them more games, while starting the Bowl a bit later means we can have a mini pre-season to get our skills and basic fitness to hit the tournament running." Marc Wilkinson, Head of Brewin Dolphin in Edinburgh, said: "As the tenth anniversary, this is a landmark year for Brewin Dolphin and its sponsorship of the Schools Cup. Over this period, the competition has continued to thrive with more and more schools from across Scotland signing up each year. "We have also seen raw rugby talent come through the competition over the past decade, and it is great that Brewin Dolphin has been able to support these players in some way through their development. "This year in particular is an exciting year for schools and players taking part. A number of structural changes have been introduced which is hoped will encourage increased competitiveness amongst schools and allow the boys more games throughout the season. "We wish all of the teams, old and new, taking part this year the best of luck."
Borders & Edinburgh city & Lothians, Tayside & Fife North, Highlands & Islands, Tayside & Fife Glasgow North & South Byes:
Edinburgh Academy v (Selkirk High School or Kelso High School) 2010/11 BREWIN DOLPHIN UNDER-16 SCOTTISH SCHOOL CUP - PRELIMINARY ROUND DRAW Borders & Edinburgh city & Lothians Glasgow North & South Central, Tayside & Fife North Highlands & Islands Byes: 2010/11 BREWIN DOLPHIN UNDER-16 SCOTTISH SCHOOL CUP - CUP ROUND 1 DRAW (Linlithgow Academy composite or Dunbar Grammar School) v George Heriot's School Current Schools champions Brewin Dolphin The Brewin Dolphin Research department won the Investment Week 2010 Award for best discretionary research. The Brewin Dolphin Group was named Best Discretionary Broker in the Shares Awards 2009 and also received the top awards for its Market Newsletter and Exceptional Performance in Business Support at The Daily Telegraph wealth management awards in 2009. |
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