Orkney Rugby Club set to celebrate landmark anniversary

Orkney Rugby Club will celebrate turning 50-years-old this weekend, with a super Saturday of celebration to mark the milestone.

Not only is the club set to hold a dinner dance at the Pickaquoy Centre on Saturday night, playing host to over six hundred people, with ex-Scotland internationalist Al Kellock as guest speaker, the club will also welcome the UK’s premier touring rugby club, the Penguins, for a match against Orkney’s First XV at Pickaquoy, scheduled to kick-off at 2pm on Saturday afternoon.

Ex-Scotland internationalists Barry Stewart and Iain Fullarton are named in the 24-man squad, as well as ex-Ireland international Simon Best. Holder of 77 Scotland caps Nathan Hines will coach the side, which will also include a Belarusian and two players from Roma.

Vice-chairman of Orkney Rugby Club Ian Carse said it was a “huge boost” that the Penguins had agreed to visit the county.

“We’ve got some tremendous players coming — some of them well-known, some of them not so well-known. It’s fantastic,” said Mr Carse.

“I think what we will see from the Penguins is loads of energy. They will throw the ball around, and they’re as fit as fiddles. That, I think, will be the key factor; they’ll move our team around all over the place, so it’s just as well that we’ve got a young, fit team!

“It should be entertaining rugby, and that’s why we would like a big crowd there, because it will be well worth a watch.”