Murrayfield match will be family affair for Wrights

Robert Wright, 49, and his sons Allan, 21, and Craig, 19, have been involved in the club’s great season to date that has taken them to the cusp of the RBS West Three title and seen them lift the RBS West Regional Bowl by pipping Loch Lomond 22-21 in the final.

Now the trio are set to play on the biggest stage of all for club players when they line-up on the hallowed turf of the national stadium together.

In 2011, Strathendrick had a father and son playing in the Bowl final when the Cuthbertsons were involved against Duns, but it seems that this is the first occasion on which and father and two sons will be playing on finals day.

Robert, who most recently has been playing full-back, has been involved with Oban Lorne for 32 years and is greatly looking forward to the weekend. He said: “I have been at the club since I left school and there have been some ups and downs, but this season has been really good with a lot of young players coming of age in the first team and us old stagers helping them out when we can.

“I haven’t played as regularly this term as in previous years due to some nagging injuries and my aging body, but I still enjoy heading down to training and matchday and being able to play with my two sons really has been a great thing for me.

“If we could all be on the same pitch at Murrayfield on Saturday it would be something special for the whole family.”

Unsurprisingly when their father is a club stalwart who has played, it is estimated, over 600 matches, Allan and Craig were regulars at Glencruitten Drive from a very early age.

Allan, who plays on the wing and is a local rugby development officer, said: “We were always dragged along to play at the side while dad was training and then we were at matches on Saturdays. We also played for the junior section, so both me and Craig have been involved for as long as we can remember.”

Craig, who is likely to line up at outside centre, said: “It has its moments playing in the same team as your dad, but generally it is really good and we all get on and are, of course, rugby mad.

“Indeed, with us having been out at training so much over the last few weeks in preparation for the final if we are all on the pitch on Saturday it will give Morven [the boys’ mother and Robert’s wife] the chance to see us all in one place for once!”

The RBS Bowl, Shield and Cup final squads are named later today and expect the Oban Lorne team to have a sprinkling of the Wright stuff in it.