SRU secures Christchurch posting for Macphail trio

Published on Monday 28 March 2011 18:33

THREE promising Scottish youngsters are to join the Crusaders academy system in New Zealand for the next four months in an ambitious new venture by the John Macphail Scholarship and Scottish Rugby Union.

The Scholarship was launched seven years ago in memory of the former Scotland front row, by his family and The Robertson Trust, who owns the Edrington Group, home to The Famous Grouse, Macallan and Highland Park whisky brands.

Macphail had been chief executive and chairman of the Edrington Group and, working closely with the SRU, the Trust has played a key role in the development of such players as John Barclay, Roddy Grant and Lewis Niven through summer trips to New Zealand. Now in its 50th year, The Robertson Trust is helping the SRU to widen the programme to include three young talents - Edinburgh trio Grant Gilchrist, Harry Leonard and George Turner. The SRU's director of performance rugby' Graham Lowe, who hails from Auckland, and SRU head of player development' Stevie Gemmell worked with the Trust to size up the best opportunities in Australia and New Zealand, and opted for Canterbury RFU's International High Performance Unit.

The players will spend 18 weeks in Christchurch, playing for local clubs but, through the unit, assigned a mentor, placed on strength and conditioning, and performance analysis programmes and given medical support.

"Of most excitement to the youngsters is the fact that they will receive coaching from Crusaders players and staff, including Todd Blackadder, the ex-All Blacks captain who played for and coached Edinburgh, and is currently the Crusaders head coach.

Blackadder was in Britain this weekend as Crusaders beat Sharks at Twickenham in a Super 15 match, moved to England after the earthquake that hit Christchurch recently.

Lowe said: "Grant, Harry and George have the potential to go a long way in the game and spending four months in a set-up like Canterbury's will be great for them both as players and individuals.

"The support of The Robertson Scholarship Trust has helped us accelerate the development of a number of players in the time the Macphail Scholarship has been up and running, and the high-performance aspect we've introduced this year will fortify that process even further. The level of support and opportunity offered by the Canterbury RFU we believe is second to none."

Leonard, who will celebrate his 19th birthday soon after arriving in New Zealand, grew up in Brighton but was encouraged through the Exiles system by his Glaswegian mother. The centre/stand-off joined Boroughmuir in August, is now on an Elite Development Player contract with Edinburgh and has been capped by Scotland U20s."It has just been one amazing thing after another and it is an amazing honour to be given this scholarship," he said. "I'm quite speechless to be honest. They play the best rugby and have some of the best players in the world; it will be an amazing place to learn."

Gilchrist, a 6ft 8in lock, came through Lornshill Academy, and the Alloa and Stirling clubs, and the 19-year-old made his debut for Edinburgh at the start of this season. Turner is an 18-year-old hooker from Stewart's Melville and, like Leonard, will miss the U20s World Cup to spend time in New Zealand. Gilchrist said: "I have watched the Super 14 and now Super 15 and the game at the weekend showed the world-class talent the Crusaders have, so it's a fantastic opportunity."

Turner added: "I can't wait to go. It is a great stepping stone to the next level."