Future is bright for Ross Sutherland’s young squad
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Ross Sutherland Rugby Club chairman John Scott believes there were enough signs over the 2021/22 season to be optimistic that the future is bright.
The Invergordon outfit ended up fourth in Caledonia North Two, right in the middle of the seven-team division – not in title contention but well clear of a repeat of 2019/20’s relegation battle.
In that sense, progress has been made at the Naval Grounds, but there was also a sense that they could have been closer to the top.
With Aberdeenshire winning promotion coupling with an extra year of development for Ross Sutherland’s youngsters, then, Scott is looking forward to what is in store next season.
“It was an interesting year,” he reasoned.
“We played some excellent rugby throughout the season in the senior team.
“In parts, we were really, really good. We struggled a little bit with availability at times due to injuries and a nervousness post-Covid.
“That’s fair enough – some guys couldn’t always be there because of work commitments.
“I think a mid-table finish, post-Covid and with the age of squad we had, was quite exceptional and probably a fair reflection.
“Hand on heart, we were capable of finishing in the top three, so I’m a little bit disappointed we didn’t get that, but we have to be content with where we are.
“The availability of players and coaches was a struggle at times because of Covid and work commitments.
“The one big thing for us though has been the unearthing of new talent and new players coming to the club. We had under-18s before Covid who are now 20-year-olds coming through into the squad and really making their mark.
“If we had everybody available, we could probably have a squad where eight to 10 of our under-18s two years ago start for the first 15. That’s exciting for the future.”
