portobello
Portobello
Proud To Be Porty
T
he home ground of Portobello RFC, Cavalry
Park, sits beneath the shadow of Arthur’s Seat,
an extinct volcano and one of Edinburgh’s most
famous landmarks. Fine summer days are few and
far between in Scotland but when you get a good
one, standing here, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re on
an American West Coast campus. Of course the swarming
low-flying midges - arguably the hardest on the east coast
due to their relative proximity to one of Edinburgh’s
tougher areas - soon lay waste to any such notion.
Originally an FP club for one of the largest schools
in Europe it has become an all-inclusive hub for
players of all ages – some who are just starting in
their second year of primary school and others
by contrast who are, for the want of a better
word, just coming out of their prime. What
ties both ends of the spectrum together is the
bond of community.
PTBP is a sign-off acronym used in the
many light-hearted comments between
senior members on the Porty Facebook
page but Proud To Be Porty is more than
just a trite phrase. It’s a value which
runs deep in the veins of those who have
worn the familiar navy blue and gold
strip who, for 80 minutes every Saturday
during the season, put their bodies on the
line for their teammates.
It’s this community bond and sense
of belonging which helped Porty come
through one of its darkest periods just a few
short years ago. The senior teams were on
a losing streak. Nothing seemed to be going
right and to top it all, an arson attack saw the
clubhouse being destroyed in a fire. Everything
– the photos, framed strips – all gone, with only
the four exterior walls left standing.
A fundraising effort began and members from all age
sections turned up at Scotland home games armed with
orange buckets. Spectators would happily throw in their
loose change, many with accompanying comments such
as ‘Aye I’ve played at Porty many a time – great club, always
hospitable – hope you get back on your feet soon.’ And get back
on their feet they did.
Through donations and members pulling together a newly
designed, modern clubhouse was built. Even copies of the original
photographs were drawn from the archives to again adorn
the walls. With the new club came a new found spirit and the
subsequent season saw a significant upturn in playing fortunes
with both the 1st and 2nd XV’s turning in strong performances
resulting in a National Plate final at Murrayfield in 2008. They
lost – but it didn’t matter. Porty was back and the subsequent
party at the clubhouse, which seemed to last for days, put the
rubber stamp on what Porty stood for – A competitive but social
rugby club with an unbreakable bond. Come here to play us and
you’re guaranteed a good time - whatever the result.
Porty has a thriving youth section with players at very age
group from P2 up to Under 18. They go in the funnel at one
end and come out the other as seniors, veterans and ultimately
accredited coaches keen to give back – the rugby circle of life.
www.portyrugby.com - Twitter : @PortyRFC
www.sportip.biz
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