Ayr Rugby Club has today announced the appointment of Frazier Climo to the newly created post of Youth Rugby Performance Director.
Frazier, a highly respected former player and current assistant coach of the 1st XV, will oversee the performance of the club’s Youth Section from Under-13 to Under-18.
This appointment ties in with the work Frazier does for the Ayr Community Rugby Trust and the programmes they deliver into local schools.
A club spokesperson said: “We recognise the importance of our vibrant youth section, and want to ensure our players are given the best resources to maximise their potential.
“With phases 1 and 2 of the Millbrae redevelopment nearing completion, our facilities will be first class, so it is vital we build a structure that will produce on the park for years to come.
“As part of this move, Frazier will also become the Head Coach of our U18 team from next season.
“We believe the future success of Scottish Rugby is dependant on raising the standard of youth rugby and we want to lead from the front with everything we are doing at Millbrae.”
On his appointment, Frazier said: “This is an incredibly exciting time at the club and I look forward to working with our young players and existing coaches to take the youth section forward.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, February 6, Ayr Rugby Club is hosting what should be another day to remember.
The official opening of the new access road and 3G pitch at Millbrae, Alloway, will see a variety of activities take place.
The day will coincide with the visit to Millbrae of former British Lion and Scotland Captain, Rob Wainwright, and hundreds of cyclists on the Doddie Weir Grand Tour.
With the upcoming Scotland versus Ireland rugby match on Sunday, February 9, Ayr Rugby Club is teaming up with Northern Ireland’s Orchard Cycling Club to raise money for the Doddie Aid charity.
The Ayr/Orchard team will be captained by David Neill, who grew up in Ayr and now lives in Portadown.
David and his crew will join former Scotland skipper Wainwright, and 500 other cyclists in the “Doddie’s Grand Tour 2025” challenge.
The challenge is not for the faint-hearted. Starting in Dublin on February 4 and travelling 120 miles to Belfast, before crossing the Irish Sea to Cairnryan. Once on Scottish soil, the cyclists will criss-cross the country, covering 700 miles in four days, arriving in Edinburgh in time for the Scotland/Ireland match at Murrayfield.
And on Thursday around 200 cyclists and support crew from the “Doddie’s Grand Tour 2025 Challenge” are going to visit Millbrae and be the first to use the new road.
And to mark the opening of the 3G pitch, Ayr Community Rugby Trust will host a tournament for 150 children from local schools, and Ayr’s Walking Rugby group will play an exhibition match.
The event is expected to start at 9.30am, as cyclists start to arrive from their starting point in Biggar.
The official “opening” will take place around 11.30am, with Rob Wainwright and Alan Macdonald, from the Macdonald Legacy, cutting the ribbon in front of invited guests.
The cyclist will then leave en-masse on their way to Greenock. Everybody in the local community is welcome to attend and join the celebrations.
The rugby fraternity have long been big supporters of Doddie Aid, if you can, show your support by making a donation through the following link: https://loom.ly/oxeaSGo