Crieff rugby sevens tournament in jeopardy

Jan 15 2010 by Lynn Duke, Strathearn Herald

THIS year’s Crieff Sevens tournament could be in jeopardy if the snow doesn’t disappear soon.

The annual festival of rugby, which is held on the last Saturday in April, is a major highlight in the Strath sporting calendar and attracts teams and spectators from all over Scotland.

But with so many games still to be played in the Caledonian One league, this year’s event may have to be put on hold as the clubs struggle to catch up with their regular fixtures.

“The situation is quite serious,” said Colin Mayall of Crieff and Strathearn Rugby Club. “We haven’t had a game for weeks and it’s not just us, all the teams are affected.

“When games do resume it will take time to catch up on the backlog of matches.

“Even though there’s a thaw, it will take a while for the ground to recover and the pitches to become playable.

“The amateur leagues don’t have the advantages of the pros who can play midweek on floodlit pitches to catch up.”

He estimated that the team will have a two month gap before their next home game, which could cause the league to run into April, leaving no time for the tournament.

“Our last game was on December 12 and it will probably be into February before we can play at home again. It’s unlikely the game scheduled for January 30 will be played and we’re four games behind as it is.”

Last year, plans to make the 30th year of the Crieff Rugby Festival an extra special weekend had to be scrapped when the Scottish Rugby Union decided that all league matches cancelled due to the vagaries of the weather had to be played, meaning that only seven teams were able to play in the senior section. And, with this year’s cold snap lasting even longer, the chances of the popular fun-filled weekend going ahead are slim.

And it’s not just the senior teams that will be disappointed. The entertaining weekend of rugby is a family affair and also involves scores of junior players who compete in their own events on the Sunday.

Colin added: “The club leases the pitch until the end of April and the posts are normally taken down after the tournament.

“We could maybe get an extension into May as there is currently no cricket played at the Braidhaugh but there are costs to that and it all depends on whether teams are available.

“It’s impossible to say just now, but it’s not looking good.”

Colin concluded that as a result of the uncertainty, invites that are usually sent out at this time of year have been delayed.