SCOTTISH NATIONAL ACADEMY

[Thomas Cunningham]

Mission... To provide the best environment for young Scottish players to develop their skills, disciplines, knowledge and attitude to achieve their full rugby playing potential, thereby meeting their aspirations to become professional rugby players.

Selection
The National Academy selects players primarily from performances in age-group international, district, club and school matches focusing on players who have the potential to develop to become influential in the pro-game and beyond. Selections also reflect the positional needs of the Scottish professional teams.

Player Categories
Scottish Rugby’s National Academy consists of 2 categories of players. A definition of each category is provided below:

Area Institute Supported Academy Player
(27 Nationally in 2009-10)

Players playing in clubs and schools whose individual programmes are managed by Academy Coaches and supported by Area Institutes of Sport.

These players sign a SRU academy agreement outlining commitment from both parties - there is no remuneration for any of these players.


Contracted Academy Players
(28 Nationally in 2009-10)

Players playing in clubs, as appropriate, but training full-time under the supervision of National Academy staff. Player’s individual programmes are managed by Academy coaches and when appropriate Contracted Academy players will train/play with professional teams.

All Contracted Academy players sign either full-time or part time remunerated contracts with the SRU.
Adam Ash - Stirling County RFC
Ross Aitken - Howe of Fife RFC
Sam Atkin - Edinburgh Accies RFC
Steven Aitken - Aberdeen Grammar RFC
Mark Bennett - Cumnock RFC
Murray Beckwith - Marr College
Dougie Fife - Currie RFC
Danny Gilmour - Stirling County RFC
Kris Hamilton - Caithness RFC
Jason Hill - Heriots RFC
Rory Hughes - GHA RFC
Gregor Hunter - Gala RFC
Craig Jackson - Melrose RFC
Harris Jones - Merchiston School
Andrew Kirkland - Glasgow Hawks RFC
Michael Maltman - Heriots RFC
Robert McAlpine - West of Scotland RFC
Murray McConnell - West of Scotland RFC
Ryan McConnell - Peebles RFC
Dougie Orr - Haddington RFC
Craig Owensen - Heriots RFC
Colin Phillips - Stewarts Melville RFC
Michael Roy - Musselburgh RFC
Matthew Scott - Currie RFC
Alex Spence - Haddington RFC
Jamie Swanson - Glasgow Academy
Duncan Weir - Glasgow Hawks RFC
Grant Anderson - Ayr RFC
Alex Blair Edinburgh - Accies RFC
Chris Bloomfield - unattached
Fraser Brown - Watsonians RFC
Tom Brown - Edinburgh Accies RFC
Tom Bury - Boroughmuir RFC
Nick Campbell - Glasgow Hawks RFC
David Denton - Edinburgh Accies RFC
Struan Dewar - Heriots RFC
Michael Doneghan - Stewarts Melville RFC
Alex Dunbar - Selkirk RFC
Chris Fusaro - Heriots RFC
Grant Gilchrist - Stirling County RFC
Finlay Gillies - Heriots RFC
Robert Harley - West of Scotland RFC
Robin Hislop - Boroughmuir RFC
Stuart Hogg - Heriots RFC
Rory Hutton - Heriots RFC
Peter Jericevich - Glasgow Hawks RFC
James Johnstone - Currie RFC
Nicky Little - Hawick RFC
Ashleah McCulloch - Watsonians RFC
Stuart McInally - Watsonians RFC
Lewis Niven - Edinburgh Accies RFC
Neale Patrick - Boroughmuir RFC
Neil Rodger - Haddington RFC
Joe Stafford - Glasgow Hawks RFC
Steven Wilson - Edinburgh Accies RFC

[Thomas Cunningham]

After the games tonight I got the good news Mark Bennett is joining the Scotland Under 18 Training Squad. Well done Marko Bennetto (and thanks to Rodger Stewart for the nickname).

cumnockrugby.blogspot.com/2009/08/scottish-national-academy.html

[Thomas Cunningham]

www.scotlandrugbyteam.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1476&Itemid=61

SCOTLAND UNDER-18 TRAINING SQUAD NAMED
Monday, 07 September 2009

Scotland under-18 head coach, Grant McKelvey, today announced an initial training squad of 34 players ahead of the 2009 / 2010 season.

The training squad was selected after a performance review of the players who spent a fortnight in Valladolid, Spain, on a strength, conditioning and rugby camp in July, and those invited to attend the national rugby camp at Struan, Perthshire in August.

McKelvey, said: “After working with the players in Valladolid and Struan these sessions present an excellent opportunity for us to compare and contrast the players while measuring the development of those who have been in the under-17 programme.

“For the majority this won’t present a new beginning in a new side. The sessions continue on from the work done in the under-17 sessions and the two camps – it’s a continuous development process rather than starting afresh.

“There are, of course, many other opportunities for players to gain selection into this squad. The Performance Development team will be watching a lot of rugby in Scotland as well as travelling to and gaining recommendations from our counterparts in the Exiles Performance Programme in England.”

Players will be continually assessed throughout the season before the final selection of the national under-18 Squad for the 6 Nations International Festival due to take place in Wales in April 2010.

SCOTLAND U18 TRAINING SQUAD – SEPTEMBER SESSIONS 2009

- FORWARDS -

Props
Robin Hislop (Hawick Wanderers) **
Gavin Robertson (Earlston High School /Melrose Wasps)
Alex Allen (Sedbergh School)
Struan Cessford (Dundee High Rugby)
Jo Wasinski (Hampton School)
Craig Davidson (Ayr)

Hookers
Jack McFarlane (Gourock High School / Greenock Wanderers)
George Turner (Stewart’s Melville College)
Ryan Hood (Strathallan)
Fergus Scott (Currie)

Second-rows
Fraser Wem (Hampton School / London Wasps)
Craig Ferguson (East Kilbride)
George Barnes (Chesterfield)

Back-row
Mitch Eadie (Filton College)
Malcolm Peathingy (George Watson’s College)
Andrew Nagle (Jed Thistle)
Jamie Swanson (Glasgow Academy)*
Adam de ste Criox (Firhill High School / Boroughmuir)
Lawrie Seydak (Edinburgh Academy)

- BACKS -

Scrum-halves
Murray McConnell (Lenzie Academy / West of Scotland RFC)*
Jonny Adams (Aberdeen Grammar)
James Munro (Edinburgh Academy)

Stand-offs
Fraser Gillies (Edinburgh Academy)
Finn Russell (Stirling County)

Centres
Jack Bradford (Worksop College)
Michael Crawley (Stewart’s Melville College)
Mark Bennett (Cumnock) *
Stewart Hogg (Heriot’s) **
Jack Ferguson (George Watson’s College)

Back three
Murray Beckwith (Marr College)*
Harris Jones (Merchiston Castle School)*
Aiden McCall-Haden (St Aloysius College)
Ross Inglis (Calderside Acadademy / Hamilton)
Ben Francis (Epsom College)

* Member of National Academy supported by AIS (Area Institute of Sport)
** Member of National Academy supported by Scottish Rugby

• The first two Scotland sessions will take place on Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 September.

cumnockrugby.blogspot.com/2009/09/scottish-national-academy-update.html