A rugby club set up formally within the last three years has been lauded by a national newspaper for the work it is doing to open up access to the sport in Scotland’s biggest city.

Glasgow East Rugby Club has almost 150 children registered from primary to early secondary age-groups and draws its playing membership from the north and east of Glasgow.  It has seen a 40% growth in playing numbers in the past year. It has been honoured by the Scottish Sun newspaper at a gala dinner, winning the Unsung Sports Hero of the Year title.

David MacDonald (top right) pictured with other award winners

ayers, who are welcomed free to the club, are drawn primarily from areas such as Easterhouse, Mount Vernon, Shettleston, Dalmarnock, Carmyle, Dennistoun and Bridgeton.

The club’s volunteers work closely in tandem with Glasgow Life and Scottish Rugby – who fund their development officer – and local businesses to bring rugby to children who may not have experienced the sport before.

Glasgow East play at Barrachnie Park and welcome all and sundry along on a Thursday night and Sunday afternoons.

They also lay on free buses to take children to support Glasgow Warriors’ home matches at Firhill and their most recent achievement will be recognised at half-time in the Warriors’ next Rabo Direct PRO 12 game against Ospreys on Friday week (28 October).

David MacDonald, the club’s vice-chairman, said: “The motivation for everyone involved in the club is really just seeing the kids smile and enjoy themselves.

“We make a point of taking them along to the Warriors because then it’s a very meaningful thing for the children to say to them that if you stick in then in ten years time you could be playing pro rugby for Glasgow.”

In the last few months the club has run an emerging schools’ festival involving seven secondary schools which was won by St Roch’s Secondary from Springburn in Glasgow and is also embarking on a primary schools festival involving 20 primary schools mirroring the format of the Rugby World Cup.

“St Roch’s had only been playing rugby in an organised sense for about four weeks and some of the team had really only the most basic of kit but when you saw what they were getting out of rugby it brought a tear to your eye,” MacDonald added.

The club is now looking to develop its pitches and is involved in a feasibility study to secure its own clubhouse and the award it has received from The Scottish Sun should help its continued growth.

For more information on Glasgow East Rugby Club please contact vice-chairman David MacDonald on 07875 307340 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .