Garnock RFC

Garnock Rugby Club is an amateur rugby union club based in Glengarnock in Scotland. They currently play in West Division One.

Garnock
Full nameGarnock Rugby Club
UnionScottish Rugby Union
Founded1972
LocationGlengarnock, Scotland
Ground(s)Lochshore
League(s)West Division One
2019–20West Division One, 4th of 10
1st kit
2nd kit

History

The club was formed in 1972 as the result of a merger of the Old Spierians and Dalry High School FP clubs.[1] This was a response to the amalgamation of feeder schools Spier's and Dalry High (along with Kilbirnie Central and Beith Academy) to form Garnock Academy, which happened around the same time. The Old Spierians club had been founded in the early years of the 20th century and joined the Scottish Rugby Union in 1911.

National league competitions were introduced in Scotland in season 1973–74 and Garnock had some initial success, being promoted to Division 3. However, this was followed by a period of decline and in 1986 they were relegated to the Glasgow District League.

During most of this early period, the club did not have a permanent home and played matches in Beith, Dalry and Kilbirnie. In 1985, a new clubhouse and playing fields were built on the site of the former Glengarnock steelworks[2] next to Kilbirnie Loch. After only eight years, the clubhouse was condemned by the local council as being fundamentally unsound and the club had to resort to using Portakabins for changing facilities.

Despite this setback, the 1990s were a period of success for the club, going from National League Division 7 to National League Division 3 in consecutive seasons. In 1999, Garnock were runners-up in the national Bowl competition. Success continued into the next decade, with the team gaining promotion to Premiership Division 3, being runners-up in the Shield in 2007[3] and winning the same competition in 2008.[4]

In August 2009, the club announced plans to build a new clubhouse at Lochshore.[5]

In June 2021, work began at Lochshore to build a new community hub which will include a café area as well as changing facilities to be used by the rugby clubs and other groups. It is hoped that this will be ready to open in Autumn 2022.[6] [7]

Notable players

Centre Ian McInroy played for the club in the 1990s before going on to captain Scotland under-21s and win several caps for the Scotland 7s team.

Winger David Shedden, who played for Old Spierians in the 1960s, won 15 caps for Scotland while playing for West of Scotland.

Honours
  • Arran Sevens[8]
    • Champions: 2023

References
  1. "Garnock Rugby Club - Club History". Archived from the original on May 9, 2008.
  2. Bath, Richard (May 7, 2000). "Seven-year itch for a clubhouse to call home has Garnock into self". Sunday Herald. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  3. Stuart, Lewis (May 7, 2007). "Hawks swoop on cup - but where are the fans?". The Times. London. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  4. "Garnock 31-24 Kirkcaldy: Garnock at last find winning formula for Murrayfield final". The Scotsman. May 5, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  5. "Garnock Vision - New Clubhouse Project". Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
  6. "Construction starts on exciting new venture at Lochshore". North Ayrshire. June 28, 2021.
  7. "New Community Hub to be built in Garnock Valley". CCG Construction Group. May 5, 2021.
  8. "Arran Sevens". June 10, 2019.

55.747449°N 4.66887°W / 55.747449; -4.66887

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