TEAM

Dumfries

Madras College FP

Kinross

Ways. Drumpellier

Lenzie

Forrester

Broughton

Leith

Cumnock

St Boswells

CLUB HISTORY

Following the traditional end of season Old boys versus Cumnock Academy 1st XV game in March 1961, Jim Donaldson, Kenny Blair and Ross MacPherson discussed the possibility of forming a local rugby team. Indeed a Cumnock Academy FP club had been discussed on and off for a few years. The main stumbling block was however a lack of changing and training facilities at the Cumnock Academy School.

It was decided to approach the Head Teacher of the newly built St Conval’s School. After assurances that the new club would indeed be open to all, irrespective of class and creed the Head Teacher gave his permission for his school facilities to be used. Following an advert in the Cumnock Chronicle on 29th September 1961, inserted by Ronnie Houston and Allan Davidson, a meeting was held in the Dumfries Arms Hotel Cumnock on Friday 6th October with a view to forming Cumnock Rugby Football Club. It was at this meeting that Cumnock Rugby Football Club was officially formed. The following weeks Cumnock Chronicle read “Birth of a New Club”.

The report went on to state that although rugby had been played at Cumnock Academy almost consistently since 1935, this was the first effort to form a senior Rugby Club in the District. Until now rugby players in the district have had to travel to Ayr, Kilmarnock and even Glasgow clubs to continue playing, may of them achieving First XV status. Now it is hoped that the Club with these new facilities at Broomfield will be able to arrest this flow of talent from Cumnock. With this thought in mind, messrs R Houston and A Davidson (Ayr Rugby Club) and J Donaldson (Kilmarnock Rugby Club) got together and decided there was sufficient enthusiasm in the district to warrant the formation of a club. The enthusiasm was amply rewarded by the attendance at the meeting where there was between twenty and thirty prospective members present and the promised support from a like number.

The question of colours, practice nights, games etc was discussed and a running Committee was formed to deal with these problems for the remainder of this season. The Committee consisted of J Donaldson, J Ferguson, J R McClure, R Houston, W Morris, R Jess and A Davidson. The meeting was chaired by Mr J McClure who, in closing, said he was particularly pleased with the turn out and hoped that those present would pass on the word to any one interested. The first official committee meeting was held on 17th December 1961 when the under noted were elected.

A typical early First XV game was against the Ayr Seconds on 8th December 1961 when the team was D Johnstone, W Lammie, W Morrison, W Cooper, A Stirling, A Blackwood, A Davidson, F Little, S Stobie, A Blair, J McAtee, B Gunn, J Jenkins and K Blair.