Promotion For Pat As The Bulls Prepare To Roar

TO THE surprise of nobody, Ayrshire Bulls announced that Pat McArthur would succeed Peter Murchie as Head Coach of the Ayr-based FOSROC Super6 franchise.

Pat is genuine Millbrae royalty. He learned the game at Ayr, since his school, Prestwick Academy, does not have a rugby history. He broke through into the Ayr first team, won Scotland age group honours and a Club XV cap, before joining Glasgow Warriors, where he is one of the club's centurions, with over 100 appearances for them. He also went on to win six full Scotland caps – and probably should have had more.

 

Pat McArthur - pic courtesy of Craig Watson

 Pat then stepped back down to Ayr to pass on his knowledge as a player-coach, before spending last season assisting another very-good Ayr hooker, Stewart Fenwick in running the Ayr Club XV in National League 1, while also helping-out Murchie with the Bulls.

He has learned his trade along the way, working under some good coaches, and, since he is so-familiar with the Ayr rugby scene, I think he will be a good appointment. I wish him well.

As yet his coaching staff has not been announced, but, I would expect to see Pat's good friend Frazier Climo involved.

With this latest appointment, it is becoming clear, the SRU is viewing S6 as a development tier for coaches as well as players, and this, I feel, is to be welcomed.

Alex Dunbar

Alex Dunbar, another long-time Warrior, has this week announced his retirement from rugby, aged just 31. Sadly, Alex's final seasons were absolutely ruined by injury, otherwise he would surely have won more than his 31 Scotland caps. At his peak, his was one of the first names on the national team sheet.

He has announced he will be returning to his roots, going back to farming, to finally make use of the qualifications he obtained at the Scottish Agricultural College, before being diverted into professional rugby.

Hopefully he will, once he has settled into his new career, be able to devote some time to passing on his knowledge and experience to the next generation. I wish him well in his retirement from playing.

TEAM GB began their build-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games at the weekend, with an international tournament at St George's Park, Burton-on-Trent, the FA's official training ground for the England football team.

The Men's tournament involved Team GB, Ireland and the USA, while the Women's event involved Team GB, Ireland and France. There were 12 Scottish players involved: Alec Coombs, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson, Paddy Kelly, Ross McCann and Max McFarland in the Men's squad and Megan Gaffney, Rhona Lloyd, Helen Nelson, Chloe Rollie, Hannah Smith and Lisa Thomson in the Women's squad, which will be coached by oor ain Scott Forrest (pictured below).

The squads in action at Burton-on-Trent were extended ones, not all those taking part will make the cut for the games proper, in July, where Team GB will be looking to do as well as the 2016 squad in Rio, who won an unexpected silver medal and featured two Scots, Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson.

I would like to have told you how the squad got on over the weekend, but, I didn't have time to watch the you tube stream, and cannot find written results anywhere, not even on the Team GB website.

Get your act together Team GB – this isn't good enough, we are not all anoraks with nothing better to do than browse the internet for results.

ONE OF the joys of listening to BBC Radio Shortbread's coverage of professional rugby, is waiting for Peter Wright to implode at some refereeing howler. I pity the poor BBC engineer charged with monitoring the live feed, to cut-off any Wright explosions of industrial language when he feels the referee has messed-up.

 

Andrew Brace, or is it John Lacey?

Peter came away with an absolute belter on Saturday night, during the Edinburgh v Glasgow match, when he described referee Andrew Brace as: “The new John Lacey.” There is damned with faint praise, and being given a new handle by Wrightie. I suppose, Mr Brace will survive.