PRODUCING good rugby players has not been a problem for Stirling County since the club joined the big boys over a decade ago with an incredible rise to the top, but holding on to them has been.
As clubs put the finishing touches to plans for the new season, County are again preparing to unleash some teenage talent on Division 1 opponents. Ian Jardine, the current head coach, knows more than most about the rugby factory at Bridgehaugh as he
was one of the batch of teenagers who helped steer the club through the leagues and to the title in 1995.
With players such as Kenny Logan, Kevin McKenzie, George Graham and then Jim McLaren, he then took County's name onto the international stage. Allister Hogg and Alastair Kellock have followed, while a host of Stirling players have worn the navy blue at various age-group levels.
Yet, Stirling have not again won the championship, spending more time bobbing between the top divisions than contesting the silverware. One clear reason for that, Jardine believes, is the 'black hole' into which rugby talent disappears between the ages of 18 and 20.
"That is the reason why we have been lobbying for an under-20 league in Scotland" he explained, "and why we're pretty disappointed that only a few clubs have supported us.
"We're still producing some great young players and we've got some involved with the firsts at the moment – No 8 Jason Hill, Kevin Bryce, a full-back still under-18, second row Grant Gilchrist, Danny Gilmour, a centre, just some of the boys that we should see coming to senior level in the next couple of years.
"On a Sunday we can have 50 boys at P3/4 level and 40 or so at each age group above that with four or five coaches each – it's fantastic. But Scottish rugby needs much more of them coming through to adult rugby and we're not getting that."
He added: "Just as at a club, you need strong levels below to have a strong national side. When Stirling were at their best, they had a great 2nd XV and when Scotland were winning games they had quality players pushing the guys in the team.
"Now, that's difficult with just two professional teams. We have injuries now and players get thrown into the Scottish team without a lot of competition."
Now in full stride, Jardine insisted that Scotland's current players lack the same motivational steps that he benefited from, through club, district and A team, and urged the SRU to consider re-establishing an inter-district championship, allowing top club players to play in teams alongside fringe pros not enjoying regular game-time at Edinburgh and Glasgow.
As for Stirling County, the club has appointed Millan Browne as development officer specifically to develop the 18-20 age group, and they will continue to push for an U20 league. This season, Jardine remains hopeful that his youngsters are maturing quickly and can not only stay in the top flight but challenge at the top again in the near future.
"Only Boroughmuir really outclassed us last season," he added, "but we lacked experience to win games that were very close. It was crucial to stay up and I hope the guys have taken confidence from achieving that, and that bit more experience will help us win more matches. We're certainly looking forward to it."
The full article contains 579 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
