This year’s Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games will see the first appearance of a Scottish Men’s Rugby 7s team at a Youth Games since the Isle of Man Games in 2011.
Captain of School at Strathallan, Joe was selected for the Scottish U18 team earlier this year. He said it was a dream come true to play for Scotland in the upcoming Rugby 7s.
“I’m really excited, it’s an amazing experience. It’s a high-level tournament but we have an exceptional team who are working well together.”
Joe, who first started playing rugby when he was 7 years old, fell in love with the sport at Belhaven Hill School before moving to Strathallan in Third Form. Now, a Strathallan Rugby Academy player, Joe relished the challenge of transitioning from the traditional 15s game to the lightning-fast 7s format.
“It's a whole different ball game," he said. "The fitness demands are intense, but I'm enjoying the change of pace. It's fast and furious.”
Joe isn’t the only Strathallan student making their mark for Scotland and Great Britain this summer.
As he heads to Trinidad and Tobago, he will join fellow student Evan D who will be making a splash in the pool for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games. Evan will also compete for Team GB in the European Olympic Youth Festival in July.
.png)
Strathallan swimmer Evan D set to make a splash for Team GB & Scotland this summer.
Fellow Strathallan Rugby Academy player Lottie R could also wear the navy jersey over the holidays after she was selected for the Scottish U18 Women’s 7s Training Squad last month. She is currently going through five weeks of training before a squad is named for a Rugby Europe tournament in Prague later this month.
Director of Strathallan Rugby Academy, Andrew Henderson said, "It is fantastic to see all the hard work by our players paying off with such fantastic opportunities opening up for them and is true testimony for the countless hours that they have spent working to get to the level required for selection. It always fills me with pride to see our pupils flourishing through sport as I am a strong believer that it equips them in so many ways for future life. I wish them all the very best for the tests to come and to remember to enjoy every moment. I look forward to hearing about their experiences and what they have each learned."
We wish all our students and former pupils all the very best as they continue to compete at an international level for Scotland and the United Kingdom.
.jpg)