Rugby Club Issue 79 | Page 42

Caithness FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG Ewan Mackenzie has had a long and positive association with Caithness Sport. He recently told Rugby Club Magazine, “I suppose it was really through my late father in law, David Lyall, that I became involved with the club. David was a great club stalwart and contributor who played, refereed and held senior committee positions at Caithness over many decades since his arrival in Caithness as a 17 year old. The club suffered a great loss when David passed away two years ago and will be forever remembered for the tremendous contribution he made to rugby in Scotland’s most Northern region. I am on the committee at Wick Academy and therefore understand the travel challenges of sport in this region but it is always great to see a club reach the heights Caithness have reached this season. My business, W & A Geddes, is a club sponsor and we have helped out over the years, currently sponsoring Andrew Nicholson. Myself, my wife Sandra and our family would like to wish everyone at Caithness Rugby Club the very best of continued success!” The north’s premier agricultural supplier • Feeds & Supplements • Seeds & Fertilisers • Machinery • Parts & Misc 01955 602207 [email protected] www.wandageddes.co.uk 7 River Street, Wick, Caithness, KW1 5EB Added to this, our clubhouse has become a real community hub and is regularly used by all manner of other clubs and for other activities throughout the year. The rugby club is probably a minority user!” Challenges “Player retention is a big challenge, particularly when our young stars go off to university or seek the bright lights of city life. This is closely followed by 42 Issue 79 player availability. Several players either work off-shore, work shifts or work off the land and their availability can be affected by these constraints. Maintaining a constant stream of home grown talent, in sufficient numbers, will be key to future success.” Ambitions “On the pitch we need to further strengthen our player ladder to the 1st XV and develop the girls and ladies game. The 1st XV will look to establish themselves as a permanent feature of the national set-up and gain further promotion. Off the pitch we need to strengthen our volunteer base and will look to build the planned clubhouse extension.”