Howe of Fife RFC facts for kids
| Full name | Howe of Fife Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | Scottish Rugby Union |
| Nickname(s) | Howe, The Howe, Howe o Fife, Quins, Harlequins |
| Emblem(s) | Knight in black armour on horse |
| Founded | 1st XV – 1921, Quins – 2014 |
| Location | Cupar, Scotland |
| Region | Fife/Caledonia |
| Ground(s) | Duffus Park (Capacity: 280) |
| President | Gordon Douglas |
| Coach(es) | 1st XV – Stewart Lathangie Quins – Jack Sinclair |
| Captain(s) | 1st XV – Fraser Allan, Quins – Emma Wood |
| League(s) | Men: Scottish National League Division Three Women: Scottish Womens National One |
| 2019–20 | Men: Scottish National League Division Three, 4th of 12 Women: Scottish Womens National One          Home Strip
    Away Strip
|
| Official website | |
The Howe of Fife RFC is a rugby union club located in Cupar, Fife, Scotland. It was started in 1921. The team plays in blue and white striped jerseys. The main men's team currently plays in Scottish National League Division Three. The women's team, known as the Howe Harlequins, plays in Scottish Womens National One.
Contents
Club History and Achievements
The Howe of Fife RFC has a long and interesting history. The club had two amazing seasons in 2007 and 2008. During these years, they won all their games, which helped them move up to a higher league.
Men's Team Successes
The men's first team is currently coached by Stewart Lathangie. Fraser Allan is the team captain. The club has teams for all ages, from kids in Primary 3 up to teenagers in the under-18 Colts team. Many young players from Howe of Fife have gone on to play for bigger teams. Some have even represented Fife, Caledonia, and Scotland in youth games. A few have even joined professional rugby clubs.
In 2007, Chris Mason was the captain of the under-18 Howe of Fife team. He led them to win three big trophies in one year! They won both the school (as Bell Baxter High School) and club Scottish cups. They also won the Scottish schools' sevens cup. Many players from that winning team now play for the senior men's side.
Howe Harlequins: Women's Team
The Howe Harlequins are the club's main women's team. They were formed in 2014. This team, based at Duffus Park, has made huge progress in women's rugby in just a few years.
In 2017, the Harlequins won the BT National Division 2 Championship. This win helped them move up to National 1. With recent changes to league names, they now play in the Tennent's Women's National League 1.
The Harlequins first started as a way for women to stay fit through rugby. But as they played more, their competitive spirit grew. Their skills also got much better. Soon, they started playing matches against other teams. Since then, the Harlequins have been very successful. After their big title win, the club's President, Murdo Fraser, praised the team. He said, "Our women's team has shown that anything is possible. We are all very proud of the team and what they have achieved."
International Connections
In 2017 and 2018, the club was part of events remembering important battles. These included the Battles of the Somme and Arras. They also hosted the Eric Milroy commemorative tournament. These events, which involved both French and Scottish teams, led to something special. In February 2018, the Auld Alliance Trophy was created. This trophy is now played for every year as part of the Six Nations Championship.
Howe of Fife Sevens Tournament
The club hosts its own rugby tournament called the Howe of Fife Sevens. This is a special version of rugby with only seven players per team, making the game very fast and exciting.
Club Honours and Trophies
The Howe of Fife RFC has won many awards and championships over the years.
Men's Team Honours
- Howe of Fife Sevens
- Champions: 1975, 1977, 1986, 1990, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
- Stirling Sevens
- Champions: 1956, 1958, 1987, 2012
- Highland Sevens
- Champions: 1957
- Clarkston Sevens
- Champions: 1963
- Waid Academy F.P. Sevens
- Champions: 1957, 1958, 1960, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1996
- Moray Sevens
- Champions: 1959, 1987
- Haddington Sevens
- Champions: 2017
- Midlands District Sevens
- Champions: 1949, 1957, 1959, 1983, 1987
- Perthshire Sevens
- Champions: 2015
- Kirkcaldy Sevens
- Champions: 1950, 1956, 1957, 1982
- Hamilton Sevens
- Champions: 2013, 2014, 2015
- Scottish National League Division Two
- Champions (1): 2011–12
- Runners-up (3): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Scottish National League Division Three
- Champions (1): 2009–10
Women's Team Honours
- Dundee City Sevens
- Champions (2): 2021, 2022
Famous Players and People
Many talented players and important people have been part of the Howe of Fife RFC. Some have even played for their country!
- David Rollo: Played 40 games for Scotland and was part of the British and Irish Lions team.
- Gordon Hamilton: An flanker who played for Ireland. He even scored a try against Australia in the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
- Tom Pearson: Became the president of the Scottish Rugby Union from 1988 to 1989.
- David Whyte: Played 13 games for Scotland. He played for Howe when he was younger.
- Charlie Drummond: Also played for Scotland and was president of the SRU from 1974 to 1975.
- Dougie McMahon: Was an international rugby referee from 1960 to 1969.
- John Howard Wilson: Played for Scotland in 1953.
- HL Stewart: Also played cricket for Scotland.
- Bob Steven: Played for Scotland.
- Peter Horne: Played for Glasgow Warriors and for Scotland starting in 2013.
- Chris Fusaro: Played for Glasgow Warriors and for Scotland starting in 2014.
- Fergus Thomson: Played for Glasgow Warriors and for both Scotland A and Scotland.
- Michael Fedo: Was an international player for the Scotland sevens team.
- George Horne: Plays for Glasgow Warriors and for the Scotland sevens team and Scotland.
- Jamie Ritchie: Plays for Edinburgh Rugby and for Scotland.
- Cameron Fenton: Played for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.
- Matt Fagerson: Plays for Glasgow Warriors and for Scotland.
