Ross McKnight: From Underdogs to Winning Wolves

MELROSE, SCOTLAND - APRIL 29: Stirling's Ross McKnight celebrates his try with Logan Trotter during a FOSROC Super6 match between Southern Knights and Stirling County at The Greenyards, on April 29, 2022, in Melrose, Scotland. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

The 22 year old former Scotland U20 cap has had his fair share of Super Series experience, playing for Stirling Wolves, Watsonians and the Glasgow Warriors ‘A’ side over the past few years. However, McKnight claims there will be “differences” in the upcoming Sprint.

“Last season, we changed our game plan quite a lot going into the finals, so I think a lot of teams might do that as a bit of a ‘last hurrah’.

“You might see the coaches might be a lot more inventive because obviously you want to win the trophy, but as I said it’ll be the ‘last hurrah’ and you’ll see a bit more exciting rugby.”

Pictured: Ross McKnight representing Glasgow Warriors ‘A’ during the 2023 FOSROC Super Series Sprint.

If he is to play similarly to that of his performance during last year’s FOSROC Super Series Championship, then it will be more than “exciting”. McKnight’s quick feet and dives over the whitewash earned him ‘Top Try Scorer’ of the Championship, bagging an incredible 15 tries overall. Replicating or even topping that number may prove difficult this time around as there are less games in the Sprint than in the Championship, but McKnight is still aiming high.

“I’ve been speaking to Hodgey (Assistant Coach Duncan Hodge) and he’s got ideas on how we’re going to attack and play from the get go.

“The ideas that Hodgey is bringing are quite exciting and it’s the last chance to show everyone’s skills as well.

“I think most teams will have a bit more of a crack, there’s no point in being conservative, you might as well go for it.”

Pictured: Ross McKnight dots down his second try during the 2023 FOSROC Super Series Championship Final against Ayrshire Bulls at Hive Stadium, Edinburgh.

Stirling Wolves kick off their Super Series Sprint campaign with a rerun of last year’s Championship Final when they travel to Millbrae to face last year’s Sprint winners Ayrshire Bulls. There seems to be a shift in mindset within the team, as the Wolves go into this tournament off the back of a rousing win at Hive Stadium last November.

Looking at how the Stirling outfit have dealt with the change in position, McKnight said: “At Stirling, you’ve always gone in as the kind of underdog, not expecting to win that many but now there’s probably a bit of a challenge with what our mindset is going to be because now we’re the ones getting chased.

“There will be conversations that we’re now the ones with the target on our backs rather than chasing.

“Last year we had never won three games in a row, we’d never won here, we’d never won there, and then we ended up winning the final so now it’s just about setting goals but also having fun and just making sure that this last one is the main one to remember.”