2019/20 Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy intake announced

The academy, which enters its fifth season, aims to accelerate the development of the nation’s most promising young players at one of four regional centres (Aberdeen, Ravenscraig, Edinburgh and Galashiels), which develop, deliver and monitor individual programmes for selected players.

This season saw six more academy players sign senior professional contracts at Glasgow Warriors (Jamie Dobie, Thomas Gordon, Stafford McDowell and Grant Stewart), Edinburgh (Jack Blain) and Scotland 7s (Kyle Rowe).

The promotion of players through the ranks has, in part, created space for this season’s intake, which sees 19 new faces join the top tier of the system – 13 promoted from the earlier ‘supported’ stages and four new entrants.

The male Stage 3 players will continue to work closely with Scotland’s professional sides, which offer opportunities to develop through training and playing, while the advent of Scottish Rugby’s new top, part-time professional tier – Super6 – will change the competitive landscape for these players, with five allocated to each of the competing teams.

​2019/2020 Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy Stage 3 players (30)*

Retained (13): Connor Boyle (Watsonians), Rory Darge (Melrose), Roan Frostwick (Currie Chieftains), Shaun Gunn (Edinburgh Accies), Cameron Henderson (Stirling County), Euan McLaren (Ayr), Rufus McLean (Watsonians), Finlay Scott (Jed-Forest), Ollie Smith (Ayr), Marshal Sykes (Ayr), Ross Thompson (Glasgow Hawks), Murphy Walker (Stirling County), Dan Winning (Boroughmuir).

Promoted (13): Gregor Brown (Robert Gordon’s College/Gordonians), Matt Currie (Merchiston Castle School), Angus Fraser (Glasgow Hawks), Dan Gamble (Merchiston Castle School), Jacob Henry (Melrose), Grant Hughes (Stirling County), Rory Jackson (Edinburgh Academy/Accies), Rory Jackson (Kelvinside Academy), Charlie Jupp (Heriot’s), Kristian Kay (Glasgow Hawks), Scott King (Heriot’s), Jack Mann (Edinburgh Accies), Cameron Scott (George Watson’s College)

New addition (4): Sam Grahamslaw (Leicester Tigers), Robbie McCallum (Complutence Cisneros), Harry Paterson (Fettes College / Edinburgh Accies), Nathan Sweeney (Loretto School/Musselburgh).

Sean Lineen, Head of National Age-Grades and Academies, said: “The academies continue to produce players for our professional teams on a regular basis and have a major influence on our national age-grade teams – and increasingly on senior professional and national selection.

​“The players are coming through stronger club and school systems, with the introduction of Super6 later this year designed to narrow the performance gap with senior pro rugby and enhance the programme for promising young players in a really compelling playing environment.”
Sean Lineen, Head of National Age-Grades and Academies

The intake for the ‘supported’ stages (one and two) of the programme will be announced after the regional age-grades series, to allow players to demonstrate their future potential and play their way into the programme.

* Clubs / schools listed at time of signing as Stage 3 player with the Fosroc Academy