Carrick Academy from South Ayrshire celebrated getting their hands on the ScottishPower Warriors Rugby Championship as they defeated Shawlands Academy to be crowned the first ever winners of the tournament at Scotstoun Stadium, home of the Glasgow Warriors, on Friday 6 May.
The S1and S2 boys and under-15 girl’s teams completed their impressive tournament playing in front of fellow pupils, parents and Glasgow Warriors players Rory Hughes, Mike Blair, Richie Vernon, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Jamies Eddie, Rory Clegg and Alex Allan in what was another excellent afternoon of competitive rugby. The school have shown skill, dedication and charisma in abundance throughout their matches, seeing off Cumnock Academy, Ardrossan Academy and Maxwelltown High School in the quarter finals before cementing their place in the final with a semi-final win against St Thomas Aquinas.
Michael Kirk, Carrick Academy rugby coach, said: “I’m so proud of the players and the effort they put in over the past few months. It’s always great to win a rugby tournament, but the most important thing was they had fun, learned loads and enjoyed the experience of playing at the Glasgow Warriors stadium.
“The tournament has given them the chance to play additional rugby games and they have grabbed the opportunity with both hands, so credit to ScottishPower and Glasgow Warriors for making this happen. What a great day and they can enjoy showing the trophy and their medals to their classmates and the rest of the school.”
Mike Blair, Glasgow Warriors player, said: “Congratulations to both schools for their fantastic performances throughout the tournament, they both deserved their place in the final today and either team could have come away with the trophy today. We’ve enjoyed being part of their matches and helping to cheer them on, and we hope that they’ve enjoyed the experience as much as we have.”
Keith Anderson, Chief Corporate Officer at ScottishPower, said: “The ScottishPower Warriors Rugby Championship has been a great opportunity for schools to play more minutes of rugby and immerse themselves in a sport that is continuing to grow in popularity in communities across the West of Scotland. The schools involved have really thrown everything into this and their effort has been fantastic to see.
“We’re committed to working with Glasgow Warriors to help promote rugby in local school communities and give our next generation of rugby stars the chance to shine at the grounds of one of Europe’s best professional clubs. Congratulations firstly to Carrick Academy for winning the tournament, but also to each school that was involved.”
The ScottishPower Warriors Rugby Championship is part of ScottishPowers’ sponsorship of Glasgow Warriors and its commitment to supporting grassroots rugby in Scotland. The tournament has seen 16 schools take part in qualifying rounds throughout March and April. The entry criteria required each school to have boys teams at S1 and S2, as well as a girls’ team at under-15s.
For more information on the ScottishPower Warriors Rugby Championship, please contact Ali Downs or Joe Boyle on 0131 561 8628.