Oban Lorne Rugby Football Club welcomed more than 150 young rugby players to Glencruitten on Sunday for the penultimate round of the Dalriada Autumn Series of Rugby Festivals.
Mid Argyll RFC’s four P4-5 players joined forces with three Etive Vikings, kickstarting their tournament that showcased the power of teamwork and friendship.
Their first game was a learning experience, but they quickly adapted. The team went from strength to strength, turning two initial losses into a win and a draw.
Campbeltown came out on top in the P4/5 competition, winning three games and drawing one after a strong defensive effort limited their opponents to only three tries.
Mid Argyll continued where they left off in Taynuilt last week with another fantastic series of games to go undefeated in the P6/7 competition.
The first game against Lochaber went to plan with the youngsters showing fantastic teamwork in all aspects of the game, scoring early on and going from strength to strength.
Mid Argyll showed courage with outstanding tackling technique throughout all the
games, leaving the opposition of Etive Vikings, Oban and Kintyre struggling to break the Boars’ defensive line.
Lewis McCullough and Ruairidh Charnock were difficult to stop scoring numerous tries with fancy footwork and fast pace, supported by the speed of Chloe Hill and Blair McCullough running continuous support on the wings.
Some excellent rucking from Harris Gallagher and Auriel Kenchington won the ball back for the Boars several times, and Mid Argyll’s latest players to join the team, Kaiden Abel and Callan Taylor, have slotted in well, adding further talent to this unstoppable team who continue to shine and dominate at the Dalriadas.
There was also a friendly S1/2 fixture where a large Oban squad of more than 30 players welcomed Mull/Mid Argyll and Campbeltown for a training game.
The Oban team was the better organised in the early exchanges and scored a number of tries in the opening quarter.
Some guidance and instruction from Argyll and Bute rugby development officer Andrew Johnston around the scrum helped the teams find their feet, meaning the large crowd was treated to an exciting game.
Oban were just too strong on the day, but the opportunity for Mull/Mid Argyll and Campbeltown to have more training games in future is an exciting prospect for their development.
A Girls Evolution event will take place in Lochgilphead at Ropework Park this weekend, with teams from primary 1-7 and secondary girls from S1-3 across the area invited to participate.