FOSROC Super6 squad announced

Super6

FOSROC Super6 squad announced

Admin

23 Jul 2021

32-man playing group revealed for 2021...

Ahead of the club’s FOSROC Super6 opener on Sunday, August 1 live on FreeSports away to the Ayrshire Bulls, Watsonians Rugby are pleased to announce their 32-man squad for the 2021 season.

When rugby in Scotland was stopped in March 2020, Watsonians Rugby were top of the FOSROC Super6 regular season table and were heading into the inaugural campaign’s play-offs in fine fettle.

Since then, Head Coach Fergus Pringle and his staff have been working hard and have kept things ticking over at Myreside in anticipation of the semi-pro competition returning.

The new season begins on the weekend of July 30 and the Watsonians Rugby squad cannot wait to take on the Bulls, Boroughmuir Bears, Heriot’s, the Southern Knights and Stirling County over the next few months before the champions are crowned in mid-October.

Players returning for 2021

Scottish qualified prop Harrison Courtney returns. Capped by Canterbury in the 2019 NPC, he was a standout performer last time around.

Hookers Cal Davies, Ross Graham and Campbell Wilson return and all are Scottish qualified and have plenty to offer in the loose and at set piece.

Second-row Kieran Watt, who starred for Scotland under-20 in the 2020 Six Nations, is back and has a big future aged just 21 while second-row/back-row Michael Badenhorst returns.

Former Edinburgh age-grade back-row Harry Fisher returns and, like Watt, is just 21 and an exciting prospect.

The scrum-halves returning are former Scotland under-20 cap Murray Scott and FOSROC Contracted Academy Player Roan Frostwick. The latter is also an age-grade cap and made his full Edinburgh Rugby debut during 2020/21.

Stand-off Lee Millar, the experienced former Scotland Club XV cap who will be Captain again, is back as is centre Lewis Berg. Berg, a former Scotland age-grade cap, impressed many with his direct running in season one.

Fellow centre Matthew Currie, another Scotland under-20 cap who burst onto the scene with Edinburgh Rugby last term, is back. He is a FOSROC Contracted Academy Player.

A quartet of Scottish qualified back three talent will be gracing Myreside’s stand pitch again this time around in the shape of Jamie Forbes, Angus Guthrie, Lomond Macpherson and Ruaraidh Smith.

Meanwhile, Angus Williams arrived just before the play-offs in 2020, but never played a game before the pandemic shut things down. He did end up playing a number of games for Edinburgh Rugby in 2020/21 and cannot wait to finally represent Watsonians Rugby.

New faces for 2021

The above players give the squad a very strong core and that will be augmented by a number of new faces who we cannot wait to see playing for the club.

Two young props who have been recipients of the highly regarded Macphail Scholarship via Scottish Rugby in recent years have joined.

Thomas Jeffrey has come through the ranks at Peebles and Jed-Forest and played for Scotland up to under-18 level while Cole Lamberton, a FOSROC Contracted Academy Player, learnt his trade at Edinburgh Accies and has recently returned from the under-20 Six Nations in Wales.

Steven Longwell is a more experienced prop and Jeffrey and Lamberton will be looking forward to learning from him.

The 31-year-old has just completed a stint in the USA, playing in the MLR with Old Glory DC, and the former Club XV cap has played for Hillhead/Jordanhill, Dundee HSFP, West of Scotland and Ayr on these shores.

Another experienced prop is Matias Sonzogni Argiro, the 30-year-old having played in Argentina, Italy, France and latterly with Currie Chieftains.

There are five back-rows joining the group.

Former Germany under-18 cap Luis Ball joins and he has a good pedigree having played for the likes of Rotherham Titans while former Plymouth Albion man Sam Daly will also be competing for a place in that part of the team.

Someone that everyone is looking forward to seeing develop is former Scotland under-16 cap Rudi Brown. He is just 17 and is a FOSROC Contracted Academy Player.

Karl Main is a former Scotland age-grade cap who came through the ranks at Dunbar, Currie and Loughborough University while Kwagga Van Niekerk grew up in South Africa, but is Scottish qualified and has previously earned under-20 caps.

Into the backs and scrum-half Reiss Cullen, who previously represented WFC in the Club XV, returns north after spells with Bristol Bears and Doncaster Knights and the former Scotland under-19 cap certainly plays with a spring in his step.

Stand-off/full-back Marc Morrison has played Currie Cup at under-21 level in South Africa and is Scottish qualified.

It will be great to see centre/full-back Harvey Elms playing XVs again after a very successful with Scotland Sevens on the World Series Sevens circuit in recent years.

Back three player Harry Paterson came through the ranks at Fettes College and Edinburgh Accies. He made is Edinburgh Rugby debut in 2020/21 and is a FOSROC Contracted Academy Player.

Another talented young player who will be aiming to make his mark on the wing is 18-year-old former George Watson’s College pupil Angus Hoffie. He has earned caps for Scotland at under-16 and 17 levels.

And last, but certainly not least, utility back Dominic Coetzer has played professionally for Gloucester Rugby and will bring a lot of experience to the group despite just being 23.

Some interesting stats…

*Five of the squad are former pupils of George Watson’s College, a school that has strong links with the club (Berg, Forbes, Hoffie, Scott, Wilson)

*Five of the squad are former pupils of Merchiston Castle School, a school that has strong links with the club (Brown, Currie, Fisher, Macpherson and Watt)

What the Head Coach said…

Fergus Pringle: “There is a real excitement amongst the squad as competitive rugby edges closer.

“We are coming off the back of a challenging 16 months, but we have tried to use that time in a positive way and the players have been fantastic with their effort and commitment during the period.

“There were a couple of times when it looked like rugby would be restarting again only for that not to happen, so the reality of finally getting going is that much more appreciated.

“We have got quite a bit of turnover in the squad from the 2019/20 season, but a lot of that turnover is positive because players like Connor Boyle, Sam Grahamslaw and Jamie Hodgson have turned fully professional with Edinburgh Rugby.

“There has also been natural turnover with some guys taking a step back from Super6 rugby or moving on to other opportunities.

“There is quality across all of the six squads that are in the competition and that will make for lots of competitive matches over the coming weeks and months.”

Watsonians Rugby FOSROC Super6 2021 squad

Forwards:

Michael Badenhorst

Luis Ball

Rudi Brown*

Harrison Courtney

Sam Daly

Cal Davies

Harry Fisher

Ross Graham

Thomas Jeffrey

Cole Lamberton*