Royal visitors see Angus rugby charity projects in action

The Earl, who was granted the title of the Earl Forfarshire in March, and the Countess visited Inchmacoble Park, home of Strathmore, as the local Rugby Academy and the ‘Strathmore Clan’ showed off their skills to their special guests.

The Rugby Academy teaches secondary pupils life skills as well as rugby, while the ‘Strathmore Clan’, which has been playing competitively since March, features adult players with disabilities, who play wearing red scrum caps alongside able-bodied players who support them on the field.

The aims are to build confidence and social skills by engaging in a controlled game of contact rugby against other teams, while also accommodating their individual needs.

Chief executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: “At sportscotland we are implementing a world-class sporting system at every level in Scotland with the ambition of changing lives in local communities.

“We are delighted to support the brilliant work being done at Strathmore RFC which is benefitting lots of young people in the area.”

Their Royal Highnesses also learnt about the latest initiative in the club gym – autism-friendly rugby for primary children, which it was the first to introduce in Scotland in May with weekly sessions and saw some of the items used in them.

Speaking about the visit, Strathmore Trust Chair, Stuart Gray, said: “This is well-deserved recognition for everyone involved in these projects benefitting the community of Angus.”

The club’s two-year-old community trust undertakes a number of initiatives designed to increase public participation in sport to benefit their health and wellbeing and develop young people into healthy, positive members of the community.