Remarkable achievement recognised as Howe of Fife pick up top club award

The ‘Howe’ returned to the forefront of the Scottish game five years ago when its youth side and Bell Baxter High school scooped the under-18s double at Murrayfield, but the progress of the senior club has also continued and the club recently capped a fine season by pipping GHA to the Premier Three title and moving into the new Championship leagues.

Claiming the top club award while in Division Three is a phenomenal achievement. Melrose won the RBS Premier One trophy for a second successive year, Gala capped a terrific season back in the top flight by adding the RBS Scottish Cup to their third-place finish behind Dundee HSFP, while Stirling County were made it to the British and Irish Cup and savoured more youth success.

The Premier One ‘Player of the Season’ award for 2011-12 was won by Dundee back row Richie McIver, who has been a stalwart of the Mayfield club’s push to second spot this season.

The RBS player of the season awards are selected by players and clubs who nominate their weekly player of the match. The overall winner is the player with most nominations during the season. In a close battle for the top honour, McIver pipped teammate Harry Duthie, Stirling’s Danny Gilmour, Gala pair Opeta Palepoi and Lee Millar, Fraser Thomson who leaves Melrose this summer to join Glasgow Warriors, Ayr centre Ross Curle and Sean Crombie of Boroughmuir.

The Premier Two ‘Player of the Season’ was Jed-Forest’s Michael Weekley while Ross Angus of Perthshire claimed the Premier Three award.

Hawick YM’s Rory Scott collected the National League trophy and his coach Jammy Macfarlane made it a double for the Hawick club as he won the ‘Coach of the Year’ award for continuing the Teries’ climb through the leagues with a 100 per cent record in the National League.

Steph Johnston of the RHC Cougars picked up the RBS Women’s Premier 1 ‘Player of the Season’ award with Mary Lafaiki of Cartha Queens Park and Morgan’s Alana Davidson taking the women’s national league title.

In all, 18 awards were handed out at Murrayfield as the curtain came down on the 2011-12 season. The SRU’s head of community rugby, Colin Thomson, praised the efforts of all clubs in helping to drive the excitement and attraction of rugby.

He said: “Tonight has been a fantastic celebration of the sport we all know and love so well. The wide range of players, coaches and volunteers that have been recognised demonstrates the impact that rugby has in our communities across Scotland. Rugby is a game for all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities, and it’s this diversity that makes our clubs such great places to be.”

lNorth Berwick RFC President Jim Littlefair has been elected as the new Edinburgh regional representative on the Scottish Rugby Council. Littlefair defeated Iain Goodall (Portobello), Murdo Gillanders (Lismore) and Duncan Wood (Livingston) in a postal ballot, and replaces Barry Sinclair from the June agm.