Captain's Views

It is my privilege to welcome you to Rubislaw, which sees the return of Aberdeen Grammar back to the top flight of Scottish Rugby for the 2011-2012 season.

After the excitement and ecstasy of leaving it until the last game of the season last year to get promoted we will be looking to cement our place in Premier 1 this season. The league structure will follow the same format as last season, but will cut from 12 to 10 teams at the end of the season, so we have set ourselves the challenge of finishing in the top 8 before the split this season, helping everyone's nerves and finger nails to stay intact.

The end of last season also brought us sadness with the passing of Brian Clark. Brian had been at the Club for 30 years as a player, coach and most recently Director of Rugby. The void Brian has left at the Club is immeasureable, and it's going to be strange not seeing Brian pacing up and down the touchline at Rubislaw this season supporting the boys. I only knew Brian for the last 5 seasons but would like to thank him for making me feel so welcome at the club, and for every piece of advice and knowledge he imparted on me. Our thoughts are with Brian's family and our season's efforts, back up in Premier 1, will be dedicated to Brian.

This season has beought many new personnel to the club, on and off the pitch. Gordon Thomson again will head up the committee, being backed by new and old faces alike. The work that has gone on up the stairs in the committee room has been tremendous, ensuring Aberdeen's smooth transition back to the top flight. On the pitch we have made many new aditions to strengthen and bolster our squad, all of whom will be looking to make a big impact this season. Coaching-wise, Alex and Kev will be looking after the 1st XV and the 2nds will be boosted by the addition of Rob Potter who, along with Craig Parslow, will make sure we have strong competition for every position coming through the ranks. This pre-season has been one of the toughest and most comprehensive I can remember completing at the club. This is thanks to the club working closely with RGU who have been conducting strength and conditioning testing on every player at the club, but also to Rod Aspe who has been brought in as our new Conditioning Coach. The boys have well and truly been pushed to our limits every conditioning sesion, be it at Rubislaw or the dreaded Balmedie beach runs. A big thank you goes out to Rod who has had a massive impact on not only the conditioning of every player but also the camaraderie and work ethic the squad has developed.

So this brings me to thank all of the sponsors and supporters at Rubislaw this season. Be sure, your support is invaluable to us and we will be looking for your support to push us that extra inch in every game this season, pushing us on to victory.

Here's to Grammar, back up in Premier 1 where we belong and where we'll be staying.

Yours in Rugby.

Rob Lawson (Club Captain)