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Club News - 5th May, 2008.

Please note the following two very important dates :

Club Dinner : Saturday 17th May. All the usual fun for all, keenly priced at £20 with speakers led by SRU President George Jack, Braidwood raconteur Archie Gilbert, Biggar’s very own Stewart ‘Kid’ Currie and Murray Thomson - the latter filling in for Captain Eady Manawaiti. Please see Rab Ramsay and/or GY for tickets.

Club Dinner - Saturday, 17th May, 2008.

A good turnout of some 60 members attended the annual Biggar RFC dinner on Saturday in the Hartreemill Clubhouse.

Chairing the evening was President Miles Moorhouse, and he introduced SRU President and past club coach George Jack, Vice-Captain Murray Thomson, who deputised for Eady Manawaiti, recently returned to New Zealand, club member Stewart Currie and guest speaker Mr Archie Gilbert.

All speakers provided excellent entertainment for all present, the standard as usual ensuring there were few dry eyes in the house. Thanks also to Ian Conn who delivered Grace and to Roy Weller who proposed a Vote of Thanks. Congratulations to all.

A signed Ross Ford Scotland shirt was auctioned and purchased by John Bell, while a second shirt presented by Biggar’s own Scott Lawson was won in a raffle by Murray Thomson. All funds raised fro these two items are to go towards the Colts squad for their August pre-season tour.

Miles also announced the winners of the Players Player awards, these being as follows
3rd XV : Mark Fowler
2nd XV : Billy Scanlon
1st XV : Jeff Wright

Caroline Cairns and her team provided the usual excellent meal while Simone McKeand and her team worked the bar – this Simone’s farewell ‘gig’ after three years loyal service.

The lads have been back at Hartreemill where coach Aaron Collins and weight training guru and Highland Games strong man Gregor Edmund are putting the boys through their paces in an attempt to add bulk and strength prior to next season.

Members are reminded that the AGM is scheduled for this Wednesday. A large turnout is always much appreciated with the committee reporting on the season past and plans for the season to come. This will of course include updates on the proposed development at Hartreemill.   

At the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 21st May, 2008, the following were elected to the Committee. Ex President - Miles Moorhouse has also intimated that he will remain on the Committee for a further year, as is his right. This provides for help and guidance to the newly elected President and is welcomed by all other members of the Committee. If you are interested in filling one of the vacant positions, please talk to a Committee member. Contact Details are to be found on the Contacts Page of the site:

Details of proceedings at the AGM will be sent out to members shortly.

Biggar RFC held their AGM in the Hartreemill clubrooms on 21st May, 2008. The office bearers and section convenors presented reports, and as usual the breadth and depth of the clubs activities proved to be quite astonishing.

Miles Moorhouse provided an insight into the past year and indeed his two years as President; Treasurer Peter McDonald reported on the financial position which, as befits a club that benefited from a very generous donation last year, is a good deal healthier than it was 12 months ago; Miles, in the absence of John Lawrie, gave his report on the 2nd XV; Patrick McGinn on the Midi section (which has gone from strength to strength under his leadership – the various year groups playing some 102 games last season); Keith Fulton on the Minis and Ian Barr on the Colts (these two groups continuing to provide sporting opportunity for all ages and sexes).
All the section convenors emphasised the continuing need for further input into the youth sections, these of course representing the very future of the Club.

Coach Aaron Collins and Murray Thomson provided reports on the experiences of the 1st XV and the quite remarkable transformation in the squads fortunes which saw them swap a 3rd bottom and virtually relegation bound place into a promotion challenging 3rd spot. Mention was made of the massive contribution of the core players in the squad and in particular the considerable contribution by Club captain Eady Manawaiti who will be hard to replace as captain and player.

There was some lively discussion on the Club’s aims for next season, there being general agreement that the number of ‘imports’ would require careful management in light both of the 1st XV’s successes and the disappointment of the 2nd XV’s relegation (after a very successful spell in the 2nd XV top division).

Miles then handed over the Presidency to incoming President Roy Weller. In his ‘retiral’ speech, Miles described his time in office as hugely challenging but equally rewarding and that he would certainly say ‘yes’ were he to be asked again. He voiced his real appreciation to all those on the committee who had provided unwavering support to him during his time in office and of course to the Club itself. The Club depends on the voluntary support from its membership and Miles made a request for increased support from the membership to ease the burden on the committee. Miles also conveyed his sadness at the loss suffered by the Club following the death in the season past of Alastair Tucker (whose family have had a significant involvement in the Club’s fortunes in the past 25 years) and more recently of Alan Marshall who was part of the Colts back-up and support team during the Rod Craise/John Lawrie coaching era.

On his election, Roy provided an amusing insight into how he became to be involved at Biggar, this based firstly on his sons’ involvement in the mini section and then in travel around the country in support of the 1st XV. He then offered his support as Secretary and then as Vice President following the resignation of Jim Fisken. Roy is looking forward to his term in office but also made a request for support from the membership.

Nigel Pacey provided an update on the development plans for the Hartreemill site, these having been delayed slightly following interest on the site from archaeological groups. Surveys are to be undertaken and on their completion hopes are high that the development will be given the green light.

Nigel also presented changes to the annual subscription for 2008/09 and Secretary Jim Thomson presented necessary changes to the Constitution.

With the rugby season at an end Gregor Edmunds, a member of the
support staff at Biggar Rugby Club, turned his attention to the Highland
games circuit winning the Atholl Gathering on Sunday 25 May 2008.

Set in the picturesque grounds of Blair Atholl Castle in the company of
the Chieftain, his grace the Duke of Atholl, the Heavy Weight
Competition commenced on a warm Sunday afternoon immediately after
the March 0n by the Atholl Highlanders.

With competition on the day including Bruce Aitken, the World
Record Holder for the Hammer Throw and Neil Elliot, the Scottish Shot
Putt Champion, Gregor Edmunds could not afford to be complacent in
his approach to the various events that form part of the Highland Games
competition.

Surrounded by the Piping Competition, Highland Dancing and Tug O’
War, the competitors put on a great performance pleasing the crowds that had travelled from far and wide. Gregor put in a number of commendable performances, non more so than tossing the caber; a mere 19’ long.

After winning the competition and accepting the sword, shield and sash Gregor stated that the annual Gathering at Blair Atholl was one of his favourite and advised that his father had been involved in organising the original event some twenty years ago.

In between his college studies and preparing to defend the title of World Highland Games Champion, Gregor can currently be found assisting the players of Biggar Rugby Club with their closed season conditioning programme. All at BRFC wish Gregor well in the defence of his title and competing in events as far a field as the USA.

Report: Roy Weller
Photographs: John Muir Jr & Dawn Weller

The Club’s golf outing took place at Port Patrick on 12th July.

Winners were:

Handicap:- Lindsay Steele
Stableford:- Murray Thomson
Longest Drive:- Chris McKeand
Nearest the Pin:- Murray Thomson