Ed Kalman

Scottish Rugby Council member, Malcolm Gillies, was joined by Glasgow Warriors prop Ed Kalman as Whitecraigs received the Scottish Hydro Electric club of the month award for February.

Winning both home and away games in Scottish Hydro Electric National League Division 3 against Trinity Accies (19-14) and Glenrothes (14-22), as well as a 15-0 away Scottish Hydro Electric Cup scalp against National One side, Greenock Wanderers, Whitecraigs currently sit eight points clear at the top of their league and victory over Helensburgh tomorrow would secure them the silverware.

Warriors prop and former Whitrecraigs player, Ed Kalman, said: “Whitecraigs is where I started playing rugby so it’s pretty ironic that I now train at the same ground but as a professional with Glasgow Warriors.

“It’s fantastic that Whitecraigs are receiving the SHE Club of the Month award and that all the hard work is paying off. Whitecraigs have a great name for youth player development so it’s good to see that not only is that continuing, and even improving, but that the 1st and 2nd XV are doing great as well.”

With six after-school clubs attracting over 100 children, and the 2nd XV sitting three points clear at the top of their league, this season could be a fairytale turnaround for the Glasgow club.

Club president, Hugh Henderson, paid tribute to the club’s new development officer, Boyd Carswell: “Getting Boyd in place here has been key; he’s been promoting the club to lots of local schools.

“Thanks to Boyd more and more minis are coming along and we have a very strong S2 team – what’s also been key is our hard work in areas like Neilston and Barrhead.”

The club recently managed to get rugby into the East Renfrewshire Council’s Easter holiday programme and, for the first time in the area, rugby will be one of the core sports for the council’s holiday programme with children getting two hours of coaching a day.

The nomination, described by Henderson as the “icing on the cake”, follows two years of hard work to turn the struggling club around.

Henderson said: “Two years ago we made the decision to change the way the club was managed and now it’s run much more like a business.

“We’ve been through the doldrums. We’ve put in a lot of hard work, and feel that the results of the first and second teams reflect this hard work.”

Anna Crampin, Scottish Hydro Electric sponsorship manager, added: “Whitecraigs are the quintessential club of the month. Two years ago they recognised that action needed to be taken to save their club and since then they have worked extremely hard to turn the club’s fortunes around, from mini rugby right up to senior level.

“This is a truly fantastic achievement and certainly worthy of the February award.”