The clocks have gone forward and the rugby season is racing ahead too – that’s the rugby sevens’ season, when we eagerly anticipate the exertions of the distinctive pink shirted Hearts + Balls Mighty Bovs as they compete across Scotland, and Europe, raising funds, awareness and attracting audiences to the small-side game spectacle.
The man in the training hotseat for both the men’s and women’s teams is experienced coach, Andrew Whitelaw. We sat down with him to find out how he became involved and what the season has in store.
“Over three years ago I got a call from a former colleague to tell me Hearts + Balls Mighty Bovs (HBMBs) were looking for a coach,” he begins. “I knew a few of the players because I’d been at college with them, so a quick reply on Facebook led to a coffee within an hour which subsequently resulted in coaching the very next week, with no turning back since!
“It’s very much seasonal, however,” he continues. “All our players are involved with their own clubs, and this is a bonus team for them. During our season we’ll run one training session per week because we’re fortunate to attract players from across the country and we can’t really ask for more commitment than that.
“Last year we trained at StewMel – primarily because the team was founded there – so we try to return as much as possible. It’s not always easy as this is the time of year when the posts come down and the athletic tracks are marked out but that’s half the fun – the challenge!
“We usually train on a Wednesday night which means we can familiarise people with who’s playing and who’s most likely to be in the squad that Saturday, as no two squads are the same, generally due to availability.”
For Andy, the role doesn’t just involve trying to organise the season, he’s actively trying to encourage as many people as possible to join in – that may be someone who’s been involved before or someone brand new.
“Last year,” he recalls, “we had several players who had played contact rugby but had taken a few years out and were playing touch rugby but, through friends, had returned to contact rugby and wanted to play sevens. It’s not easy but it’s incredibly good fun because you get so many characters who have come together for an understanding of a cause. It gives you a different perspective on what rugby can really do.”
The training, he underlines, is focused on ensuring everyone understands the overall game plan and doesn’t vary between men and women as there’s no difference in how he’s asking the players to play – it’s simply a case of ensuring everyone understands their role.
“We’re not looking for position-specific players. We’re looking for ten to twelve players who can, if asked, do a job in the scrum, then jump into the back line, to keep it simple, rather than complicate things. It’s an opportunity for these sevens’ players to express themselves, whereas they may get lost on a fifteens’ pitch.
“We’ve been really fortunate, particularly with our women’s teams, in that many of them have gone on to represent Scotland within the Six Nations and world fifteens. That’s phenomenal, from a women’s perspective.”
Selection involves players putting their hands up to be involved via a sports app. “All the other WhatsApp groups are saved for match-day information or banter!” adds Andrew.
Competition involvement begins to be mapped out each January when interested players intimate their availability, then team formation begins.
“We realise life gets in the way, however,” says Andrew. “The prolonged Scottish Rugby season also means some players might get tied up in fifteens to finish league fixtures or be involved in a Cup run.
“Club takes priority over us though we’re usually lucky to have numbers. On the odd occasion where there are more players than squad numbers allowed, that’s when discussions happen within our leadership group. Dylan and I sit in the middle and listen to the pros and cons of all the players, and squads get selected from there.
“This year, for example, we’ve got different Saturday and Sunday tournaments on the same weekends which is going to be exhausting but we have enough players to field certain people for the Saturday tournament and choose other players for the Sunday event. Selection is based on merit and how many tournaments we have, but then someone may appear through word-of-mouth and we can consider them too.
“We’re fortunate to have incredible squad depth with sixty-six players on the books just now – that’s more than some of the grassroots rugby clubs! It shows we’re there to be competitive and it’s also a friendly environment which people want to be part of.
“It’s both exciting and terrifying, however, as it gives players opportunities to get to the next level of the game and then we experience challenges getting them back to play for us!”
Harking back to that Facebook message and the ensuing coffee date, however, did Andrew ever envisage his coaching career heading on this trajectory?
“In some ways we’re like a massive dysfunctional family that doesn’t see each other most of the year – then when we do, it clicks!” he laughs.
“However, it’s a family I didn’t know I needed, to be honest, but it’s a family I’m now incredibly proud to be part of because we’re not just fielding teams for the sake of putting teams into tournaments – we have a purpose.
“Primarily it’s people enjoying their rugby for the pure love of playing rugby and now some of those people have become my best friends.
“At the heart of it, this shows that when people come together, anything can happen.”
The teams will be involved in eight tournaments this season – keep following us for information on each event as per the list here:
