We chat to Jack Sutherland…
The Club 1st XV got 2022 off to a flying start on Saturday with a win over Cartha Queens Park at Myreside - and second-row Jack Sutherland played his part.
And the 24-year-old has been playing his part all season as Jason Riley’s young charges go about trying to save themselves from the drop in Tennent’s National League Division One.
Saturday’s 35-19 win helped the team climb off the bottom of the table and they will look to kick on in their last seven league games, starting at home to Highland this coming weekend.
Jack, who works at Oriam on the outskirts of Edinburgh, said: “I knew some guys who play for Watsonians like 1st XV Captain Stuart Allison from my time at Stirling University, so after I had graduated and moved back nearer to Edinburgh I headed down to training with the club and have really enjoyed it.
“This season there have been some tough days at the office, but we are a very young, new squad and the guys have certainly never lost faith.
“That togetherness was important after some of the defeats we have had, but we all enjoy working with each other and with Head Coach Jason Riley and the win before Christmas against Boroughmuir and then the recent win over Cartha have given us confidence heading into the next few matches.
“There are some really good players in the squad and we just have to stick together for the next couple of months and see where it takes us.”
Jack took up the game at his local club Lasswade.
“I started playing there in P1 and never really looked back,” he explains.
“I played through all the age-grade teams there and then progressed into the senior teams and then the 1st XV when I was in my late teens.
“Then I went to university in Stirling and for my first year was travelling back to play for Lasswade, but then I decided it would be good to give uni rugby a go.
“I played for Stirling University and really enjoyed my rugby there and then I graduated during the pandemic in Sports Science which wasn’t ideal, but it is what it is.
“I loved playing at Lasswade with mates that I grew up with and also for the uni team because we got to take on some big universities down south in the BUCS league and often punched above our weight.”
Words by Gary Heatly
Thanks to Graham Gaw for the photo, more here
