Harris Academicals RFC

Harris Academy FPRFC

Full name	Harris Academy Former Pupils Rugby Football Club
Union	Scottish Rugby Union
Founded	1926
Location	Dundee, Scotland
Ground(s)	Elliot Road
League(s)	Caledonia 1
2009/2010	1 (Caledonia 2)
Official website
www.harrisrugby.com

Harris Academy FPRFC is a rugby union club based in Dundee, Scotland, originally for the former pupils of Harris Academy. It was originally founded on 5 November 1926 in Room 8 of Harris Academy. The club ceased to exist throughout the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s due to dwindling numbers. However, the club was reformed in August 2007 with an ever growing enthusiasm from former players combined with a large senior squad of players who had left the school the previous season after a successful tour to Latvia which saw them beat a local club side before going on to be beeaten by a Latvian under 19 select squad. The club currently plays its home games at Elliot Road while The Speedwell Bar currently provides as a club house offering post-match food and beverages.

Harris currently competes in Caledonia League 1.

The club is currently coached by duo Bruce Beckett and Graeme Spowart who are both faculty of the High School of Dundee.

2008/09 So close but so far

This was to be the season where Harris wouuld make its first real promotion fight. The club began the season by making the appointment of Bruce Beckett as Head Coach. "Brucee" (as he is affectionitely known by the players of the club) came to Harris with credentials which far exceeded the expectaion levels of the club haviing previously coached Dundee HSFP. This appointment proved to be an inspired one as Harris narrowly missed out on promotion to Alloa RFC as well as reaching the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup competition where they were narrowly eliminated away from home by Hillfoots RFC who, at the time, were 3 leagues above Harris.

2007/08 Resurrection season

Pre-season training began in late June for the club's first season back at competitive level. Numbers were constantly increasing in the build up to the season, with Harris playing "friendly" warm up matches in the form of Madras RFC and an inner squad match. Coaching for this season came largely in the form of sessions taken by Kenneth Clarkson at both Elliot Road when weather permitted it and in the Harris Academy boys gym. On match day Bruce Dyer (club treasurer) acted largely as the club manager. In this season the club qualified for the top half of the split, as they finished in the top half of the league after round 1 of games eventually finishing 5th in the Caledonia 2 proving that they were a more than adequate addition to the roster. The club also reached the quarter finals of the Scottish Plate competition who were they eliminated by eventual winners Aberdeen University RFC. Current Squad:

Backs		Forwards
Name	Position	Name	Position
Kenneth Clarkson (captain)	scrum half	Charles Quin (vice-captain)	prop
Peter Burgon	stand off	Malcolm McEnzie	hooker
Rory Wears	scrum half	James Carr	prop
Samaan Akel	centre	Ian Anderson	prop
Michael Devlin	centre	Tom Spowart	2nd row
Roger McGill	centre	Matt Hagan	2nd row
Adam Wood	full back	Colin Gourley	2nd row
Paul Weirs	centre	Ben McCormack	flanker
Michael McDonald	wing	Andrew Quin	flanker
Ben Ford	scrum half	Chris Respringer	flanker
Callum Bruce	full back	Dominic McAteer	prop
Joe Abbott	wing	Finlay Smart	2nd row
Mark Hogg	wing	Peter Bruce	flanker
Marc Wilson	wing	Lewis Fyall	prop

Club Committee:

Name	Position
Neil Mason	President
David Stibbles	Secretary
Bruce Dyer	Treasurer
Colin petrie	Match Secretary
Peter Burgon	Match Day Secretary
Colin Gourley	Social Convener

Awards

Player of the Year
Year	Name
2007/08	Richard McIver*
2008/09	Michael Devlin*
2009/10	Richard McIver*

Most Improved Player of the Year
Year	Name
2007/08	Ben Ford
2008/09	Joe Abbott*
2009/10	Malcolm McKenzie*

References

• Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)

• www.harrisrugby.com
• www.scottishrugby.org