Rugby Roundup

🏉 Welcome to Your Weekly Rugby Round-Up! 🏉

Whether you were pitchside cheering in the rain or catching scores from the sidelines of life, this is your one-stop scroll for everything Penicuik Rugby.

From hard-fought tackles to rising stars, we’re diving into last week’s action and gearing up for the weekend ahead across all our sections.

It’s more than just match results—it’s the heartbeat of our club, our players, and our community.

So grab a cuppa, settle in, and let’s celebrate the grit, glory, and game we all love

AGM 2025

Thank you to all our members who turned up and provided valuable feedback on the 2024/25 season and also the direction they want to see the club progress.

The office bearers were elected and we are delighted to announce the following :

President : Gavin McQuillan

Vice President : Andrew Mitchell

Treasurer : Iain Mason

Secretary : Natasha Kretzel

Rugby Convenor : Mark Blair

Club Captain : Simon Glen

Fundraiser : Gavin Holmes

Youth Convenor : Gavin Stephen

Social Convenor : Craig Doyle/Blair Gilligan

Player Representative : Paul Hope

Bar Manager : Robbie MacTaggart

House Manager : Craig Skirving

Fixture Secretary : Rich Mann

Other Member : Ben Cartwright

Sponsorship

Our sponsorship team, headed by Gavin Holmes, has been working tirelessly over the summer, strengthening relationships with our loyal sponsors and forging exciting new partnerships that will help drive the club forward both on and off the pitch.

These connections are more than just logos on a jersey—they’re vital to the growth of our teams, the development of our facilities, and the heartbeat of our community spirit.

To celebrate their incredible support, we’re hosting a Sponsors Day this Saturday, where we’ll raise a glass to the businesses that back us and showcase the impact they make across every section of the club.

It’s going to be a brilliant day of rugby, recognition, and connection.

New Mini Section Sponsor

On Monday we announced on our social channels the great news that local firm OVAL 4×4 were now the proud shirt sponsor of our Hunters Rugby Section (Mirco rugby, mini rugby P1-P7)

🎥 Check out our promo video below where our mini players swap scrum caps for socket sets and take on the garage like pros. Spoiler: no actual vehicles were harmed in the making (but a few egos were bruised when someone couldn’t find the dipstick).

*****Watch this space for some more exciting sponsorship news for our Panthers section*****

Last Week

On Sunday our P3-P7’s travelled down to Peebles for their annual festival of rugby.  This is the first time we’ve been invited down for over 10 years and was a fantastic morning of rugby.

Our teams played against a number of sides who we have previously not had the opportunity at mini level to face including Gala, Jed, Hawick, Melrose, Selkirk and Langholm.

Watch the video below for tries from the morning and an over view from our Youth Convenor & P6 coach Gav Stephen on the event.

This Week

This week our sides have been hard at training.  Each age section has been learning new skills specific to their performance at games.

Over the past few weeks, our Development Officer Josh has been out in local primary schools, introducing rugby to children who’ve never picked up a ball before. His sessions have been full of energy, laughter, and budding talent—and we’re already seeing the spark of interest grow.

But to truly build momentum and bring more young players into the club, we need your help. Parents, your voices in the playground and your chats at the school gates are powerful.

Spread the word, share the passion, and let’s grow the Penicuik rugby family together.

We posted a short video (below) on our socials on Wednesday evening, please can you share this to your own pages to help us reach additional audiences.

In the video you will see the use of crash bags.  The Hunter section purchased these using funds raised from the Scrum & Try cafe, which operates on match days.  We are looking to purchase additional kit for our Hunters section and will shortly be releasing details of a planned sponsored walk through the Pentland Hills on Saturday 27th of September.

This Weekend

Training 11am – 12 pm for micro’s & Mini’s

A Members Ask…

Our micro section (nursery age 3-5) are on the hunt for an additional coach to help out Greg Borthwick, this is Sunday mornings only 11-12 and involves running fun games.  No specific rugby knowledge is required and all equipment is provided. If this is something you can help with, please contact Gav Stephen or reach out to one of the mini coaches.

Our own festival of rugby is Sunday September the 21st 11am to 2pm, we are looking for parent volunteers to help run the BBQ station.  If your handy with a pair of tongs please reach out to your mini coach or speak to Gav Stephen.

Last Weekend

On Sunday our Panthers made the short trip to Lasswade, to participate in the Boroughmuir Rugby Evolution series.  Hear from their coach Dave Robertson & Geoff Parry

Wow! Delighted for the girls today. I wasn’t sure how they’d get on with so many players new to competitive rugby.  They smashed my expectations! 

The u14s in their first game against a lasswade/Boroughmuir side played a really competitive match. Not sure who won but it was excellent to see everyone making really positive contributions. Played against some big girls too!!

The u14s then played an excellent Dunbar team and there was no shame in losing that match. Their coach informed me they are the best team in east of Scotland and have been playing together for years. Hopefully the girls learnt from the standard of opposition. Again they gave a good account of themselves. 

They the played an “U13” game against Peebles. This was a bit of a grudge match for the girls as we played them the end of last season- when we were just creating the Panthers. They bullied us that day and we were well beaten. Today though we were excelllent! Matched them physically, scored some really nice tries, and at least drew the game (the girls reckon they won!). 

The u12s combined with Melrose to play 2 matches which Grace informs me they comfortably won! From what I saw there was some excellent individual scores. We maybe need to improve our tackle technique though! 

Well done to Anatswa for Panther of the week. There was loads of great candidates she make a fantastic all round contribution today. Special mention to Elsa for some massive tackles and great scores. 

Lastly big thanks to our sponsors Perfect Clean. They girls looked fantastic in their new kit. 

This Week

We worked some 1v1 tackle practice, which the girls did pretty well with. 

We then moved onto a 3 v 2 drill which took a little time for the team to install, but crucial to game development. 

To finish we joined the women’s side for a touch game so we mixed the panthers with them and finished with that for 10 mins which I think everyone enjoyed. 

This Sunday we continue our evolution series this time at Dalkeith with a 10am meet. 

Dalkeith Rugby Club, Kings Park EH22 3BQ

Best parking is on Avenue Road, EH22 3BS

Watch the video below for some of Wednesdays Training

This Week

Two weeks. Four sessions. Countless tackles, laughs, and moments of grit—that’s what our U14 squad has packed in since returning to training. From seasoned players with ten years of rugby under their belts to newcomers who only picked up a ball this summer, every single one of them has shown heart, hunger, and a willingness to learn. As a coach, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching that mix of experience and fresh energy come together on the pitch.

This Saturday, we take on Portobello in our first fixture of the season. It’s more than just a game—it’s a chance for our players to test themselves, support each other, and represent Penicuik with pride. We’re excited, we’re ready, and we know it’s just the beginning of something special.

Whether you’re a proud parent, classmate, cousin, or just love seeing young talent thrive — come down and cheer them on. These players are the next generation of rugby legends, and your support means the world.

But to keep growing, we need more boots on the ground. Rugby thrives on numbers, and we’re calling on anyone aged 13–17 who’s curious, keen, or just looking for a new challenge to come give it a go. Whether you’ve played before or never touched a rugby ball, there’s a place for you here. And parents—your encouragement, your word-of-mouth, and your support in the stands make all the difference.

Let’s build something strong, together.

See you on Saturday

Click below for the inaugural 2025/26 Penicuik Midi squad for the 10am ko against Portobello

Penicuik Women’s Rugby

It’s been an exciting start for the newly formed Penicuik Rugby team! With our first couple of training sessions under our belts, the energy and enthusiasm on the pitch has been fantastic. The squad is already growing, with four new players joining us and more expressing interest each week.

At the moment, we don’t have any league fixtures lined up, but the focus is on building our team, sharpening skills, and enjoying the game together. We’re aiming to arrange a few friendly matches between now and January, before entering the Cup – a big step we’re all looking forward to.

We train on Wednesday evenings from 7pm onwards, and we’re always keen to welcome new faces. If you’re considering joining, please do come along – no experience is required, just a willingness to give it a go and be part of the team.

Click our videos below to get to know our new captain and also a peek at some of our training

Last Weekend

Last weekend’s cancelled pre-season fixtures may have left our squads without the usual run-in, but it’s also given us something rare — a clean slate and fresh legs heading into this weekend’s league openers. 

While match sharpness is earned on the pitch, the hunger to play has only grown stronger in its absence. 

Our players have trained hard, bonded tighter, and now step into the season with a point to prove and energy to burn. Sometimes, the best way to start is with nothing holding you back — and that’s exactly where we are. Let’s make the first whistle count.

1xv

This Week

We welcome Leith to Montgomery Park.  The 1xv will be looking to make amends for last season agonizing 18-17 home defeat to Leith in October, where a try in the dying moments of the game handed the academy side the win in what was awful weather conditions, a squad of only 17 and no recognized back reserve never helped Penicuik’s cause.

The squad this weekend includes a debut for Stan Domeradzki, who has come through the clubs youth section and also Ethan Huxley who joins us from Gala YM.  It’s also a welcome return on the bench to former 1xv captain Oscar Malone, who last featured against Livingston back in February 2024, and also for Ross Liddle who makes the move from backline to back row having not played since March 2024.

Here below from 1xv coach Dave Calderwood on selection and click for the full squad

1xv TEAM

2xv

Hear from 2xv coach Rich Mann below on this weekends cancelled fixture.