Over the next couple of months, the following UKCC courses are available in Inverness & Aberdeen:-

UKCC Level 1 – Aberdeenshire RFC – Friday 30th May – Sunday 1st June

UKCC Level 1 – Highland RFC – Friday 20th June – Sunday 22th June

For further details and to register, please see the relevant posters below:

Over the past three months players from S1to S4 have been educated on the principles of training and Olympic lifting techniques by club development officer Bruce Ruthven and Strength 101 trainer Stevie Logie. 
The players have been given the opportunity to develop their knowledge off how their body copes under stress and learn how to work in a fitness environment safely and effectively.

Bruce commented;
" The players have worked very hard over the past few months and have gained a lot of experience in this environment, the programme has focused on technique and the basics Olympic lifts which they have all grasped well and also circuit and resistance training. They will have gained a lot of experience and will now carry their knowledge forward into next season and for some through the summer with continued work.
Many thanks to Stevie for his help and the use of Strength 101 which has been an ideal environment."

Over the past 4-5 weeks St. Andrews Primary School have been receiving Tag Rugby from Development Officer, Bruce Ruthven and Modern Apprentice, Mark Sinclair. This has been provided to all the Primary two’s within the school. A total of 37 kids have been involved with this particular block of tag rugby and all, have once again impressed coaches/teachers.

The classes were split into 2 groups, the first being from 9:30am – 10:30am and second from 11am – 11:50am. Despite having a mixture of sunshine, rain and wind throughout the weeks we were able to take all coaching outdoors on the pitch at the school. We were able to work in cold conditions which was down to all the kids putting in a tremendous amount of hard work and effort to be involved in each of the activities/games.

Pickaquoy, Friday 2nd May 2014

Five hundred and twenty six children gathered last Friday for the Primary Schools Tag Festival with good weather present and firm underfoot conditions the stage was set for some fast action packed tag rugby.  In total eighteen schools were taking part from the mainland, north and Inner isles which required a lot of travel and organisation from all involved.

There were two different formats for the day with a Festival of Tag Rugby taking place consisting of forty teams who all played a round robin and also a Tag Tournament which consisted of twenty teams who played a first and second round of games giving a total of thirteen pitches being used at one time.

Orkney RFC won their own Orkney Aggregates Sevens tournament on a fine afternoon at Pickaquoy on Saturday, May 3, beating the young West Warriors 41-5 in the final. The West side replaced finalists Caithness, who unfortunately had only come for the day and had to leave for their boat home before the final. 

Elsewhere Plate winners were the Exiles, wrestling this trophy from the Auld Bulls, who have lifted it regularly in recent years. It was a close encounter for most of the match, but the Exiles shaded it 28-17 in the end.

The Ale Pale - contested by third placed teams - went to West.

The Keith Hutchison Memorial Trophy for best Orkney RFC player of the tournament went to Denis Hayes, while a new trophy for young player of the tournament - the Grangemouth 25th Anniversary Quaich - was awarded to Liam Sharpe.

As you know this weekend the annual Orkney Rugby Football Club’s Sevens tournament takes place.

To coincide with the weekend NHS Orkney’s Health Promotion Department are running a safe sex campaign which will see free condoms available throughout a number of pubs in Kirkwall and at the rugby club house itself.

For more information on sexual health matters please go to www.nordhaven.co.uk