May 07, 2007

Rory's fallen back in love with rugby

Posted by Assistant Editor on May 7, 2007 11:11 AM | No comments | Print | E-mail author

Rory was delighted to pick up silverware for Hawks
Rory Kerr is now back in love with rugby, and this weekend helped his club, Glasgow Hawks, to lift the Scottish Cup after beating Edinburgh Accies at Murrayfield.

"I'm absolutely delighted," said Rory. "It's the first winner's medal I've won in rugby in a very long time. I think you have to go back to when I was playing sevens for Strathendrick as a teenager to the last time I got my hands on some silverware.

"It wasn't a great game, but it was a good team effort from us. We really stuck in there and played for each other."

Rory is adamant he is far happier back as an amateur. He said: "At Warriors I seemed to spend all my time training during the day and sitting with my feet in a bucket of ice at night to ease the aches and pains. After a while, it was getting boring.

"When my contract ended at Hughenden I needed to get away from the sport completely.

"I went to New Zealand, did some crazy things and experienced life outside the game. Now I am back playing for Hawks for fun and the sheer love of it.

"When I joined Hawks last year I didn't knowall of the boys. But we have gelled more and more as a team as the season has gone on and I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do next season.

"It is great just to be training a couple of nights a week and they are a fantastic club to be involved with. Before joining them I never had much experience of the club scene but now I have found the ideal balance of working for the family heat-pump business and turning out on a Saturday afternoon."

Hawks sealed the win with a try each from John Fitzpatrick and Ally Maclay plus four penalties an a conversion from Mike Adamson. Ed Stuart and skipper Dan Teague touched down for Accies with Gavin Douglas adding a drop goal.

Edinburgh coach Ian Barnes said: "The conditions didn't suit us. It would have been a different game at our Raeburn Place ground although at the end of the day Hawks were the better side.

"We achieved our prime aim of promotion to the top tier and have proved during our cup run we can live with these teams."

Rory is now one of the stalwart performers in the Hawks ranks, and was clearly radiating with positivity afterwards, as he spoke of the seedbed of precocious talent which seems ready to sprout forth from the west of Scotland. "It's been a terrific day for Glasgow and you can't help but be thrilled at the number of youngsters who are coming through the system," said the winger. "These kids love rugby, they are ambitious and they want success, and there is serious competition for places at every age group, so there is no reason why the future shouldn't be bright."

A minute's silence was observed before the game in memory offormer Hawks player Craig Hodgkinson, who died during a Navy match last November.

"I was a good friend of Craig's - most of the boys in our team were," said Rory. "Part of this win was for him."

Photos from Murrayfield can be seen in the gallery.

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