Harris Academicals RFC

Scottish rugby union club, based in Dundee

Rugby team

Harris Academy FPRFCFull name| Harris Academy Former Pupils Rugby Football Club

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Union| Scottish Rugby Union
Founded| 1926; 99 years ago (1926)
Location| Dundee, Scotland
Ground(s)| Elliot Road
President| Marc Wilson
Coach(es)| Ryan Beattie
Captain(s)| Graham Hopkins
League(s)| Caledonia Midlands Non-League
2024–25| Caledonia Midlands Two, 3rd of 9

Team kit

Official website
www.harrisrugby.com

Harris Academy FPRFC is a rugby union club based in Dundee, Scotland, that was founded for the former pupils of Harris Academy on 5 November 1926. The club ceased to exist throughout the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s due to dwindling numbers. However, the club was reformed in August 2007 by former players combined with a large senior squad of players who had left the school the previous season. Those places had had a successful tour to Latvia in which they beat a local club side before beinvolved beaten by a Latvian under 19 select squad.

The club plays its home games at Elliot Road and a new partnership with the Hillcrest Bowling Club who provide a club house offering post-match food and beverages.

Harris FP's currently compete in Caledonia Midlands Non-League.

The club are currently going through a rebuilding phase during a difficult time for rugby in Dundee with player numbers dwindling across the city. Despite this, the club committee, under the leadership of current President Mr Marc Wilson have worked tirelessly to develop the club and alongside the coaching team have increased player number to 40 registered players for the current season.

The club is coached by Ryan Beattie (head coach) and club stalwart Kenny Clarkson (assistant coach) with training sessions held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Elliot Road.

Player numbers are bolstered with excellent links with the Higher Education institutions in Dundee with some excellent young players pulling on the hoops in recent years.

## 2008/09 season

[edit]

In this season, Harris made its first real promotion fight. The club began the season by making Bruce "Brucee" Beckett Head Coach; he far exceeded their coaching expectations having been with the much better Dundee HSFP. Under his direction Harris narrowly missed out on promotion to Alloa RFC, and reached the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup competition where they were narrowly defeated by Hillfoots RFC (a club 3 leagues above Harris).

## 2007/08 season

[edit]

Pre-season training began in late June for the club's first season back at competitive level. Numbers were constantly increasing in the buildup to the season, with Harris playing "friendly" warm up matches in the form of Madras RFC and an inner squad match. Coaching for this season came largely in the form of sessions taken by Kenneth Clarkson at both Elliot Road when weather permitted it and in the Harris Academy boys gym. On match day Bruce Dyer (club treasurer) acted largely as the club manager. In this season the club qualified for the top half of the split, as they finished in the top half of the league after round 1 of games eventually finishing 5th in the Caledonia 2 proving that they were a more than adequate addition to the roster. The club reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish Plate competition who were they eliminated by eventual winners Aberdeen University RFC. The club went on to tour to Whitley Bay and Newcastle where they competed in a 10-a-side tournament.

## Honours

[edit]

* Midlands District Sevens[1]
* Champions: 1951
* Howe of Fife Sevens[2]
* Champions: 1979

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Midlands District Sevens". 7 June 2019.
2. ^ "Howe of Fife Sevens". 7 June 2019.

Sources

1. Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)
2. www.harrisrugby.com
3. www.scottishrugby.org

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Rugby union in Dundee

Governing body|

* Midlands District Rugby Union

National League teams|

Dundee Rugby

Regional Leagues teams|

* Dundee University Medics RFC
* Harris Academicals
* Panmure RFC
* Stobswell RFC

College and university teams|

* Abertay University RFC
* Dundee University RFC

Women's rugby|

* Abertay University Women
* Dundee University Women

Tournaments|

* Dundee City Sevens
* Dundee HSFP Sevens (defunct)
* Morgan Sevens (defunct)

Defunct clubs|

* Dundee HSFP
* Morgan Academy RFC

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* e

Scottish Rugby Union Caledonia Championships 2021–22

Caledonia Region Division 1|

* Aberdeen Wanderers RFC
* Blairgowrie RFC
* Caithness
* Dunfermline RFC
* Ellon RFC
* Garioch RFC
* Glenrothes RFC
* Grangemouth Stags
* Hillfoots RFC
* Orkney RFC

Caledonia Midlands Division 2|

* Alloa RFC
* Carnoustie HSFP
* Dundee University Medics
* Harris Academicals RFC
* Kinross RFC
* Madras Rugby
* Panmure

Caledonia North Division 2|

* Aberdeenshire RFC
* Banff RFC
* Mackie Academy RFC
* Moray RFC
* North Police Scotland RFC
* Ross Sutherland RFC

Caledonia Midlands Division 3|

* Bannockburn RFC
* Crieff and Strathearn RFC
* Dundee Morgan
* Montrose and District RFC
* Rosyth Sharks
* Waid Academy F.P.

Caledonia North Division 3|

* Aberdeen University RFC
* Huntly RFC
* Kinloss RFC
* RAF Lossiemouth RFC
* Shetland RFC
* Stornoway RFC

Caledonia Midlands Division 4|

* Aberfeldy RFC
* Arbroath RFC
* Bo'ness RFC
* Stobswell RFC

Caledonia North Division 4|

* Aberdeen Taexali
* Aberdeen University Medics RFC
* Deeside RFC
* Dyce RFC
* Fraserburgh RFC
* Inverness Craig Dunain RFC
* Peterhead RFC
* Turriff RFC

Caledonia Midlands Non-League|

* Abertay University RFC
* Dundee University RFC
* Stirling University RFC
* University of St Andrews RFC

Caledonia North Non-League|

* Robert Gordon University RFC

* v
* t
* e

Rugby union in Scotland

Governing body|

* Scottish Rugby Union

National teams|

| Men's|

* Men's
* A
* B
* Scotland Club XV
* Emerging Scotland
* U-21
* U-20
* U-19
* U-18
* U-17
* U-16
* 7s

|

Women's|

* Women's
* 7s

Competitions|

| International|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* Rugby World Cup Sevens
* Sevens World Series
* Commonwealth Games
* Sevens Grand Prix Series

|

Professional Club|

* United Rugby Championship
* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup
* 1872 Cup

Amateur Club|

* Scottish League Championship
* Premiership
* National League: Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, Division 4
* Regional Leagues \- Caledonia, East, West
* Border League
* Inter-District Championship
* Scottish Cup
* Scottish Women's Premiership

Junior rugby|

* Age-grade Championships: U20, Borders Competitions, Scottish Rugby Schools' Cup

Defunct|

* Super 6
* Grampian Alliance League
* Highland Alliance League
* Championship League A and B
* Scottish Unofficial Championship
* Scottish Women's Rugby Union

Teams|

| Professional|

* Edinburgh
* Glasgow Warriors

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Defunct|

* Border Reivers
* Caledonia Reds

See also|

* History
* League System
* Scotland international players
* Scotland 'B' international players
* Murrayfield Stadium
* Scotland Sevens
* Borders Sevens Circuit
* Melrose Sevens
* Melrose Cup
* London Scottish F.C.
* Calcutta Cup
* Centenary Quaich
* Auld Alliance Trophy
* Doddie Weir Cup
* Cuttitta Cup
* Hopetoun Cup
* Douglas Horn Trophy
* Scottish Rugby Academy
* Scottish District rugby structure
* John Macphail Scholarship

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