Carrick
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as a teacher. So
youth is the vital
component to our
success.”
Carrick
Academy.
We
are the biggest official SRU School of
Rugby and this allows rugby to be fully
integrated into the school curriculum.
The Development team lead by
Michael Kirk (Development Officer), Kyle
Johnson (Admin Manager), Yan Young
(Assistant DO), Nicky Davidson (MA)
and Shania Irvine (MA) deliver rugby
to all year groups at Carrick Academy
as well as Girvan Academy and our 14
feeder primary schools. They also run our
Mini and Micro rugby sections. My role
within this is that I am Faculty head of
Social Studies/RME at the school but also
am Director of Rugby at both the school
and club. I manage the development team
and coordinate the development of both
the school and club on and off the field.
The unique partnership between the
school and club allows us to produce our
own talent and on Saturday 15/19 players
who were in the 1st XV squad actually
came through the school in my time here
8 Issue 59
Potential
“We have a number of talented players
at the club, many who have returned from
playing at higher clubs to try and take
Carrick to the national leagues. Andrew
McColm the Academy Head boy has also
played and captained Glasgow U18s this
season.
We are also lucky to have Mark
Bennett, Glasgow Warriors and Scotland
as our backs coach alongside myself as
Head Coach and Kenny Glen as Forwards
coach.”
Community
“We are very much a community
club with us delivering rugby to a large
rural community. Local businesses
and community groups support
us in a variety of ways. We
also deliver rugby from
P1 to senior 1st XV as
well as having a large girls section. Our
volunteer base has also expanded greatly
in recent years and we now have over 70
regular volunteers who help on a weekly
basis from washing kit to donating and
organising our tuck shops at games.”
Commercial
“The club has developed a sponsorship
strategy to maximise its potential. We
now produce a weekly programme for
matches and match day hospitality that
has grown greatly this season. We now
have every home match sponsored with
hospitality. We have also used pitch side
advertising to increase revenue as well as
organising more club and school events
such as our sportsman’s dinner and
former pupils day which has now turn