Ayr recognised for developing all club sections

Ayr have been awarded BT Club of the Month for January for the 2016/17 season.The club’s 1st XV won both their games in the first month of the new year sending them joint top of the BT Premiership alongside league rivals Melrose.Ayr also paved their way to the quarter-final stages of the BT Cup after pushing past Aberdeen Grammar 51-12 in the third round of the competition.The 1st XV will now play Jed-Forest on Saturday 4 March in the hope of progressing towards BT Cup Finals Day on Saturday 22 April at BT Murrayfield.The club’s 2nd XV also performed well and were placed 2nd in BT National Reserve League Division 1 with a fine victory over Boroughmuir’s 2nd XV keeping them at the top end of the table.Ayr Ladies recorded a successful month, overcoming Broughton 48-15 and leading them to a Sarah Beaney Cup quarter-final draw with RHC Cougars, scheduled for Sunday 26 March.Ayr President, Billy McHarg, said: “It is always one of the targets at the beginning of every season to try and win club of the month and for us, we performed well and consistently during the month of January.”The credit is due to all of the coaches involved and the backroom staff who keep everyone ticking over at the club.”Millbrae’s youth section has continued to develop over the years with both U16 and U18 teams making it through to this month’s National Youth League Cup finals for the third consecutive season.In this year’s President’s Conference, the club’s youth section came second to Stirling County in the overall conference stakes and won the U16 conference age-group. McHarg added: “It’s a great achievement that both our U16 and U18 teams reached the finals at BT Murrayfield three years in a row and our aim going forward is to get every team within the top four of their level.It’s difficult to keep at the top every year but we perform well and there is a winning culture, which influences every section at the club.”Ayr have invested in all aspects, including their youth section, two development officers, three modern apprentices and Scotland’s first women and girls’ development officer, Catherine Shennan.There are currently over 500 players registered across the board at the Ayrshire club with several competing at international level.A total of seven 1st XV players have been named in this season’s Scotland Club XV squad including club captain Pete McCallum, who will lead the team out against England Counties at Birmingham Moseley this Friday. Ayr head coach, Calum Forrester, who is currently working towards his UKCC Level 4 qualification, leads the way in coach development at the club with forwards coach, Glen Tippett, appointed Scotland Club XV forwards coach for season 2016/17.In winning the award, Ayr will receive a prize to the value of£1000, through a 12-month BT Sport subscription and£200 cash. They will also win a table for 10 at the Scottish Rugby Club Awards Dinner, and will be subsidised£500 for travel expenses to this event. Ayr will also be on the shortlist for the BT Club of the Year award, to be announced at the dinner. To submit your BT Awards nominations for the month of February, visit: http://www.scottishrugby.org/clubnominations.