Promoted Waysiders/Drumpellier to tour Sweden

Jul 9 2008 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

WAYSIDERS/DRUMPELLIER rugby team will embark on a tour of Sweden as they prepare for life in National League Three.

The Division One (West) champions have arranged two games in the Scandinavian country ahead of their opening league clash at Helensburgh.

Jon Shaw’s men will take part in a three-team tournament on Saturday, August 23, before joining forces with Swedish club Lugi in a game against the country’s top side, Pingvin.

Pre-season friendlies at Premier One new boys West of Scotland and Lanarkshire rivals Dalziel and East Kilbride have also been announced.

A home clash with Cambuslang, to be played on a midweek date, has still to be finalised.

Head coach Shaw told the Advertiser: “We have some contacts over in Sweden and we have managed to schedule two games over there.

“It will be a good build-up before our first league game and there could also be added benefits as a result of the trip.

“There is a lot of raw talent out there and they are basically getting to grips with the concept of the game.”

Shaw has been impressed with his squad’s efforts in training so far and added: “Things have been going well.

“It has mainly been about conditioning the guys without being too heavy on them and we are looking to gradually build up their fitness.

“We started in early June as the season is beginning a week earlier and the players are responding quite positively.

“One or two new systems will be coming into our gameplan but we will be introducing them gradually.”

The coach hopes to add three new faces to the squad in the next week with negotiations continuing with a fourth potential addition.

“The committee have released some funding for new players and this will create strength in depth in our squad,” Shaw said.

“Any new signings will also benefit our second and third XV teams as we will be able to select full sides every week.”

Shaw is refusing to set any targets for his team for the coming season – but admitted promotion to National Two was the ultimate goal.

Last term the club romped to championship success with a perfect record of 18 wins from 18 games, notching up a massive 86 points.

He said: “Our ambition is to be promoted but that is the bigger picture.

“As a coach and as a team, we will set ourselves small targets and then move on to the next thing.”

1st XV fixtures for the 2008-09 season:

AUGUST - 30 Helensburgh (a).

SEPTEMBER - 6 Marr (h); 13 Grangemouth (a); 20 Ross High (h); 27 Gordonians (a).

OCTOBER - 4 Allan Glen’s (h); 11 Trinity Accies (a); 18 Lismore (h); 25 Lenzie (a).

NOVEMBER - 1 Strathmore (h); 29 Lasswade (a).

DECEMBER - 6 Helensburgh (h); 13 Marr (a); 20 Grangemouth (h).

JANUARY - 10 Ross High (a); 17 Gordonians (h); 24 Allan Glen’s (a); 31 Trinity Accies (h).

FEBRUARY - 7 Lismore (a); 21 Lenzie (h).

MARCH - 7 Strathmore (a); 28 Lasswade (h).