🏉 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.

This week its Bubbles & Bingo, highlights of the Earlston game, Like Father like son and our WXV are kitted out in style

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

Mailing List

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Bingo, Baubles & Bubbles

Our own fantastic sponsor KHB is hosting a Cash for Kids fundraising “Bongo Bingo” night on Friday the 5th December, here at Penicuik Rugby Club.

Tickets are £25 which includes Entry, Bingo Card, Welcome Drink, Disco and off course the Main Entertainment.

If you haven’t already purchased your ticket click below

Bingo Baubles & Bubbles

Coming Soon

Some exciting New Years Day News!!!

The winners of the 200 Club Draw for November are:

1. S.Cunningham (No. 58 – £96.25)

2. M.Sharkey (No. 84 – £38.50)

3. D.Zavaroni (No. 22 – £19.25)

Entry to the Draw costs just £5 per number per month. The more who participate, the bigger the prizes and the greater the amount raised to help fund some of the club’s activities. If you would like to take part, please speak to Andrew Mitchell or Andy Law or email 200club@penicuikrugby.org

Beanie Hats

New Penicuik RFC Beanie Hats – Built for the Cold, Styled for the Club! 🧢

Our new Beanie Hats are now in stock, you’ll be notified shortly on collection/delivery arrangements.

We still have Hats available that would make an ideal stocking filler

https://penicuikrugby.org/store/

Club Shop

With Christmas now in sight, a reminder our club shop in association with our retail partner XXV stocks all the Penicuik Rugby kit you need to kit out yourself or that someone special.

All our Hunters, Panthers, MXV & WXV stash is available here

– Rugby Stash

Penicuik Young Team take over Murrayfield.

This December we are taking our Hunters, Panthers and Midi’s to Murrayfield to watch Edinburgh take on Glasgow in the 2nd leg of the 1872 Cup on Saturday 27th.

Coaches will leave and return back to the clubhouse on the day for players and families.

To register your seat and match ticket please speak to your youth coach or reach out to Gav Stephen directly.

Watch the video below for last seasons Murrayfield take over.

🎄✨ Penicuik’s Festive Parade Returns – Led by Our Own Alex Pettie! 🚜🎅

Click this link on how to donate – Tractor Lights

This time next week, Penicuik will sparkle once again as Alex Pettie—former 1XV player, past club president, and this year’s Penicuik Citizen of the Year—takes the wheel of his decorated tractor to lead a dazzling parade of Christmas-lit vehicles (supported by the brilliant McKenzie Skip Hire) through the town. And yes, he’ll be pulling none other than Santa’s sleigh along the route!

The evening promises festive cheer and community spirit, all in aid of local charities. Our very own Penicuik RFC squads will be running alongside the parade with fundraising buckets—so every step, smile, and donation helps make a difference.

Mark your calendars, line the streets, and join us in celebrating Alex’s incredible effort. Let’s show him the same support he’s given our club and community over the years.

Click below to relive the magic with highlights from last year’s parade, and get ready to make this year even brighter!

Clubhouse Bookings

Please note we have Christmas Parties booked on the following Fridays

Friday 5th Dec – Bingo, Baubles & Bubbles with Kirsty Hamilton Beauty (tickets available via KHB)

Friday 12th Dec – Cuiken Primary School

Friday 19th Dec – Midi’s & Rugby Coaches.  Coaches are welcome from 8:30pm and speak to Stuart Hogg if interested in attending.

Other Uses

Our bar facility is open from 7:30pm on Fridays, Saturday non match days 5pm and occasionally now on a Sunday afternoon (thanks to our awesome WXV & Panthers)

If you have an idea for a social event you’d like to share please speak to our social team Blair Gilligan and Craig Doyle.

Additionally if you have an idea that to encourage more members to fill the lounge on a Friday evening please speak to Robbie Mactaggart

MacWood Fuels Player Points

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, Penicuik RFC’s attack has kept the scoreboard glowing all season long. Thanks to Macwood Fuels—suppliers of kiln dry logs, stave and kindling for your home fires—we’re proud to highlight the players who’ve lit up the pitch with their points-scoring power.

From scorching tries to cool-headed kicks, every score has added fuel to the fire of Penicuik pride. Just like Macwood’s logs, our players have kept the heat burning strong week after week.

So whether it’s warming your hearth at home or heating up the scoreboard at the weekend, remember:

All we need is fuel… Macwood Fuels! https://www.macwoodfuels.com

We now have a tied lead for the top scorer of the season.  1xv captain Alan Haynes now joins 2xv captain Ally McCormick on 35pts.

Other points last week seen 1xv Greg Shillinglaw notch his first double of the season.

In the run into 2026… who will end 2025 as the top dog???

This Season

Tries : 66

Cons : 35

Pens : 8

Total : 426pts

Top Try Scorer : Logan McCreath (U14) 5

Top Goals : Ally McCormick 14

Top Appearances : Andy McLellan 7

Like Father Like Son

If you were watching closely during the Midi side’s recent clash with Royal High, you might’ve spotted a familiar name lining up at openside flanker.

No, Jamie Thorne hasn’t discovered the secret to eternal youth — it was his son, Jack, proudly wearing the No.7 jersey that Jamie made his own for over 15 years in Penicuik’s 1XV.

Jamie’s journey began in the Midi section himself (see if you can spot him in the photo below), before making his senior debut in the 1999 season — pictured here against Walkerburn. He went on to captain the 1XV during the 2007/08 and 2008/09 campaigns, leading the charge during a thrilling push for promotion from the old East 1 division. That run ended heartbreakingly in a play-off defeat to Waysiders Drumpellier, but Jamie’s leadership left a lasting mark.

After finally hanging up his boots in 2015, Jamie took a well-earned break before returning to the club in a new role — coaching the next generation in the Hunters section. Today, he’s the lead coach for our P7s, still giving back to the game and the club he loves.

Now, as Jack begins his own Penicuik Rugby journey, there’s something special in seeing that No.7 shirt passed down — not just a number, but a legacy.

Good luck, Jack. You’ve got big boots to fill, but you’re already making your own mark.

This Week

Hunters Kids Rugby – Building Skills for Life!

The snow and winter snap resulted in all the action at the weekend cancelled, thanks to Dalkeith for letting us check the pitches right up to the final moments as all our Hunters were keen to get rugby action in. (Action video below)

The slightly warmer (albeit wet) conditions allows our sides to return to outside training on Wednesday evening

Hunters Kids Rugby – Building Skills for Life!

Where our young Hunters squads put the pedal down with:

• Dynamic jumping drills to boost agility

• Quick‑thinking cone challenges to sharpen reactions

• Tackling practice with teammates and pads to build strength

Every leap, sprint, and smash is another step on their rugby journey – learning teamwork, resilience, and confidence both on and off the pitch.

A huge thanks to Oval 4×4 – Land Rover and Jaguar Specialists, who keep Land Rovers and Jaguars running smoothly – and now help keep our kids’ rugby engines firing too! Whether it’s tackling pads or tackling potholes, they know how to keep things in top gear.

Parents – if you’re looking for a sport that drives your kids forward, rugby is the ultimate off‑road adventure. Bring them along and let them discover the thrill of the game, the friendships, and the fun.

This Weekend

This Sunday we escape the wet and cold of EH26 and head to the beach……..(well Cavalry Park home of Portobello Rugby)

Meet time is 10:45am for a 11am ko.

The Portobello club house will be open for Hot Drinks and toilet facilities

Set your Sat Nav’s to EH15 3QE – Team pitch locations are below.

With the Fort shopping only 5mins from the ground why not catch the rugby then hit that Christmas shopping!

Fixtures Coming Up

7th Dec – Corstorphine (a)

14th Dec – Xmas Party

Coming Up

Dates For Your Diary

14th Dec : Hunters Christmas Party – details to follow

Last Weekend

From Dave & Geoff

Monday

The weather finally played ball — the pitches drained well and we got a proper session in. We opened with some handling drills to get the girls moving, before working on our attacking shape. From there, we built into a kick return game, then sharpened things up with a 1v1 attack drill against a live tackler. We wrapped up with a scrag game to finish on a high. The girls trained well overall… at least when they were listening!

Wednesday

A big welcome to Libby, who joined us for her first session tonight — hopefully she enjoyed herself in amongst the usual chaos. We kicked off with dodgeball to get everyone warmed up, then moved into passing drills. That led nicely into an attack-focused exercise, working hard off the ball and keeping the tempo high.

Next up was tackle practice — both front-on and side-on — and let’s just say Olivia was making her presence felt! We closed out with a small-sided touch game, which brought plenty of energy (and plenty of chatter). I’ll admit, I may have let the odd “shut up” slip out, but that’s part of the fun with this lively bunch.

A huge thank you to our sponsors, Perfect Clean, who help keep our Panthers looking sharp. Just like their ability to scrub away the toughest challenges, our girls swept aside obstacles with spotless teamwork, sparkling effort, and polished performances.

For parents watching, it was clear: rugby with the Panthers isn’t just about sport—it’s about confidence, resilience, and fun. If your daughter is looking for a team where she can shine, the Panthers are ready to welcome her.

This Weekend

Panthers on the Prowl – Girls Rugby Evolution Series This Weekend!

 Sponsored by Perfect Clean – keeping our rugby spotless and our standards sky-high!

This Sunday, our fierce and fabulous Panthers make the trip to Berwick Rugby and Scremerston Park for the latest installment of their Evolution Series.

We look forward to hearing and seeing their action shots of how they got on.

Coming Up

Dates For Your Diary

20th Dec : Xmas Party

This Weekend

This Saturday morning, our U14s welcome Corstorphine/Forrester to Montgomery Park for a 10:30am kick-off. After a strong week of training, the boys are eager to show our members exactly what the next generation of 1XV talent looks like.

It’s not just the players putting in the work — their coaching team has been sharpening their skills too, attending the SRU’s coach development and pathways roadshow on Monday evening to ensure they’re bringing fresh ideas and challenges to every session.

We’d love to see as many of you as possible down at the park to cheer on the lads and support them on their rugby journey.

The selected side to face Corstorphine/Forrester is listed below.

And in more good news, we’re delighted to support Corstorphine’s U16s against Royal High, with Toby, Logan, Lucan, and Arran stepping up to make themselves available.

Best of luck, gents — go well!

This week marks a huge milestone for Penicuik Women’s Rugby! 💙❤️

We’ve officially received our brand-new match strip — and it’s more than just a jersey. It’s a statement of intent. The new kit represents Penicuik’s commitment to investing in women’s rugby, building a clear pathway, and creating a strong future for girls and women in the sport

It’s a proud moment that celebrates just how far we’ve come in such a short space of time. Here’s to new beginnings, bold strides, and the next chapter of women’s rugby in Penicuik
This isn’t just a jersey drop — it’s a statement.

We’re investing in our women’s side.

We’re building a future.

We’re proud to be part of the movement.

1xv

This Week

This Saturday, our 1XV head to Leith for the rearranged fixture from November. Games at the Academy are always worth watching, and this one will be no different.

With a short timescale accepted to re-arrange the game, a number of players had already made Christmas shopping plans.

Click below for the leaked team sheet (we know the coaches love to keep us in the dark so kudos to the spy in the camp for smuggling this out)

Here’s a link to the highlights of a 2021 game which seen the Leith side come back from behind to win 15-5 Leith v Penicuik

Memory Lane

Looking Ahead

Leith have won 3 of their 7 games this season, scoring 165 points and conceding 220. They sit 14 points ahead of us, but with Forrester’s recent deduction, the gap between ourselves and them is now just 3 points. That makes this fixture crucial — we need to come away with something to keep our league position secure.

With two teams set to be relegated and three currently in danger, every remaining fixture is going to be vital. Neither Forrester nor ourselves have faced Royal High this season, so the margins are tight. If RHS were unable to complete their fixtures, the points difference would remain unchanged, but we can’t rely on that — we need to earn our safety on the pitch.

Below are the remaining fixtures for the bottom three sides.

Around the League

• Livingston and Corstorphine remain 1st and 2nd, though both had games rescheduled due to opposition shortages.

• Hawick Harlequins and Forrester were deducted 3 points under NCR 4.22.1 for insufficient players.

• RHS vs Leith was postponed due to weather and will now be played on 4th April.

• Corstorphine have the chance to close the gap on Livingston with a short away trip to RHC.

2xv