Touchline Topics covers Club News If you wish to contribute drop Colin a line on CaledonC@aol.com

Touchline Topics

New Season Updates

( updated 27 August 2009)

They come and they go -----

Four new signings to handsel the new SRU registration system

• Colin Rae of Gordon Road Crieff , a sound addition to the pack
• Ewan Kennedy from Pitlochry
• Matthew Kesson from Dunblane , scrum half who put in a sparkling performance against Inverleith
• Aaron Thomas from King Street Crieff or should that be Cardiff ??

Welcome guys and enjoy your stay with the Blue and Golds

Two transfer requests that have been completed .

• Jamie Coffey to Highland RFC . Best of luck Jamie  sorry that the teuchters pinched you . Highland  ? Is that not the outfit that the old bearded bee keeper from Comrie used to play for??
• Mark Dow , the big 2 XV second row to Watsonians .
• Sean Horan has moved to Perthshire although no formal transfer has been received to date . Again we all wish Seany the best of luck but trust  we will see him back at the Braidhaugh at some future date.

In the pipe line ------

As you will realise in the present economic climate it is extremely hard to attract players from overseas not just to Strathearn but to Britain as a whole . The restrictions imposed on non EU citizens with regard to working visas is difficult to get around . Thanks to Peter , Alan and Lawrence for working away steadily to try and attract players to Strathearn . As I write this at start of the season we are awaiting confirmation of a number of potential recruits . We have an Australian Number Eight come blindside flanker or lock from Townsville  in Northern Queensland . Kurt is 6’2”/ 187cm and 107 kg /16st 12 lbs so should bulk up the scrum a bit !We have a job lined up and all being well should be here in a few weeks .

Also in the pipeline is another lock from South Africa . Darren is another big one , at 6’3” and 17 stone 8 lbs /112kg and to quote the source who recommended him to us “ a confident ball player with great ball skills . Reads the game well and loves to run with the ball .Has great confidence in the line outs “ .

There are some more possibilities and will keep you posted as to developments .

Player Registration

The SRU have introduced a much simpler player registration system which is now live and working well . I will post in the Clubhouse a list of registered players which includes Girls , Minis , Midis , Second XV and 1 XV players . Please check out and if NOT there please email me at CaledonC@aol.com or telephone  me on 01764 653156 or give details to your captain . I require , full name , date of birth , address and telephone number .

Club Email Service

Apart from our own web site (http://crieffandstrathearnrfc.co.uk ) , you may or may not know that the club also run an email information service . Any Club member can join . Just email Colin on CaledonC@aol.com with your email address and you will be added . We know have close on 100 subscribers and apart from Club News and information , match reports are sent out on Sunday mornings as well as League details and Cup draws etc .

Scottish Rugby Television

Many of you will know Ron Evans of Scottish Rugby Television . Ron from Ayr runs Scottish Rugby Television as well as organising and collating match results and tables for the SRU web site . Scottish Rugby Television has covered our fixtures . A Cup game at the Braidhaugh as well as that memorable Murrayfield Plate final . Their web site is worth book marking but you will probably have to download from the site QuickTime which allows you to view . It is free . The site is http://www.scottishrugbytv.com .

Forum of Scottish Rugby Supporters

As an alternative to Twitter or Facebook why not click on to the Forum of Scottish Rugby Supporters . You will have to register to access the Message Board but is worth doing so . The web page is http://www.fosrs.org.uk and once registered and into the Message Board / Discussion Forum page where

 you can read and post contributions . There is an active on going discussion forum covering Caley 1 . An anonymous contributor posting under the name Brandane seems to know a lot about happenings at the Braidhaugh why not click on and add your piece ?

News on the Fabric Front

Thanks to Duncan and Alistair McLean

Duncan's update