Leith RFC facts for kids
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| Full name | Leith Rugby | |
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| Union | Scottish Rugby Union | |
| Location | Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland | |
| Region | Edinburgh | |
| Ground(s) | Leith Academy | |
| President |  Jim Smith |
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| Captain(s) | Neil Patterson (Club) Neil Patterson (1st XV) Will Tuft (2nd XV) |
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| Top scorer | Kenny Dannfald (17 tries) |
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| League(s) | East Division 2 | |
| 2019–20 | East Division 2 | |
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| Official website | ||
Leith Rugby is a rugby union club from Leith, a town near Edinburgh in Scotland. The club was once known as Leith Academicals or Leith Accies.
Contents
The Story of Leith Rugby
Early Days of Rugby in Leith
The very first rugby team in Leith started in 1905. They played their games at a place called Quarryholes. This team didn't last very long, though. It stopped playing in 1912 because many of its players moved to other countries.
Forming Leith Academicals in 1921
In 1921, a new club was formed: Leith Academicals Rugby Football Club. It was started with help from the Leith Academy Former Pupils Association. There was one rule: players had to be former students of Leith Academy. The new club's first game was against the school team itself. The Academy team won that match 12–3.
Playing at Hawkhill
After the club became more settled, they moved to play at Hawkhill in Leith. This was their home ground until 1998. Back then, things were very basic. There was no club bar, and changing rooms were simple. Players changed in an old wooden army hut. It had no lights, no toilets, and no running water. Players had to wash using a single cold water tap outside!
Joining the club was quite cheap. Full members paid seven shillings and sixpence (about 37.5p today). Younger players under 18 paid half-a-crown (about 12.5p). There was also a small fee of sixpence (about 2.5p) for each match. Players had to buy their own sports gear and pay for their travel to games.
Becoming a Strong Club
In the 1930s, Leith Academicals became one of Scotland's best "Junior Clubs." This meant they were a top amateur team. Seven players from Leith Accies were chosen to play in special games against teams from Glasgow and the South of Scotland.
However, Scottish rugby selectors didn't often watch Leith players. So, one time, those seven Leith Accies players decided not to play in the representative game. Instead, they played for their own club! This caused some trouble. Two club members, Jack Crawford and J.B.R Adam, were called to a meeting. They were told off and warned that if it happened again, the club could be banned from all competitions.
Even though they didn't get much attention from selectors, the club did have two members who earned international caps. J.A.T. Brown was a great coach and captain. But his international caps were for cricket and table-tennis, not rugby!
Recent Seasons and Success
In 2007, a former Leith player named George Jack became the President of the Scottish Rugby Union.
The 2011–12 season was very good for Leith Rugby. They finished in second place in their league. Sadly, they couldn't be promoted that year because of changes to the league structure. But they didn't give up!
In the 2012–13 season, Leith Rugby won their league title. They won 16 out of 18 matches. They scored 109 tries and had the best defence in all the RBS East leagues. David Robertson scored the most tries with 17. Their captain, Doug Watters, scored the most points with 164. In the 2013–14 season, the club moved back up to East League 2.
In the 2017–18 season, Leith finished in 7th place in East League 2. They had a slow start but improved a lot towards the end. They won their last five games in a row.
For the 2018–19 season, a new coach, Kevin Greenan, joined the team from Forrester Rugby Club. Leith Rugby hopes to do even better and fight for promotion again.
The club still plays its home games at Leith Academy School, located at Academy Park in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Club Achievements
- Peebles Sevens
- Champions (2): 1935, 1973
