A local rugby side are boasting three major accomplishments across various levels.

Sport Aberdeen clubCAP members, Aberdeen Wanderers R.F.C, recently celebrated reaching the Scottish Shield Girls Final, winning the Club Youth Red Conference League and a morale boosting victory in the quest for second place in Division 2 North.

Four of the Wanderers U18 Girls side combined with girls from Ellon, Huntly and Montrose for the Scottish Shield Final. Just a week after celebrating the one year anniversary since the first girls’ training session with Aberdeen Wanderers, the combined team travelled to Murrayfield for the final against Auchterarder on 25^th March. Despite losing 66-5, it is a truly remarkable achievement to reach this stage and a sign of the continuing progress in girls rugby, particularly after just one year.

Commenting, Aberdeen Wanderers Youth President Guy Mullinor said:

“The club are over the moon with the girls’ achievements. This shows how determined our girls’ section is and demonstrates their hard work and dedication.”

The celebrations continued on 2^nd April when Deeside Wanderers were presented with their pennants and certificates for winning the Club Youth Red Conference at Groats Road. Both Deeside R.F.C. and Aberdeen Wanderers combined to create a single entry into the newly formed SRU youth conference structure which allowed boys from S1 to U18 to play competitive league games.

Involving over 600 boys, the league produced an excellent competition with the final weekend deciding the eventual winners, with Deeside Wanderers crowned champions.

The award was presented by Mike Monro, SRU Caledonia North regional representative.

The celebrations would continue in the afternoon as the senior side put on a fantastic performance to see off Shetland in the Division 2 North clash. The clubCAP members were able to produce a dominant display as they defeated their league rivals emphatically, 148-0. The result keeps the side in second place in the league as they look to cement this position going into the final round this coming weekend with another home tie against Garioch.

The club are eager to ride this wave of momentum and continue promoting the growing club to any players regardless of age, gender or ability which is reflected in the clubs effort to introduce a 2^ndXV into a league next year.

Should anyone be interested in training with the club they are encouraged to contact them via info@awyrfc.com

Visit our clubCAP page to find out more about the accreditation scheme.

The winning design for the Deeside Mineral Water Bottle Competition for 2016’s Baker Hughes 10K has been chosen.

After whittling down over 150 entries from school children across Aberdeen, judges from Deeside Mineral Water, Baker Hughes and Sport Aberdeen were able to narrow down the stiff competition to one lucky winner whose design will now feature on every bottle at the prestigious race.

Lewis and Marilyn of Forehill Primary School finished runner up to eventual winner Sam Duncan from Brimmond Primary School, who judges noted had an excellent understanding of the theme for the Baker Hughes 10K which he expressed in his design.

Over 14,000 bottles will be produced for the Baker Hughes 10K with Sam’s design set to appear on each and every one of them. Sam will also be invited to see the bottles being produced and has bagged a number of goodies and prizes too.

As an added bonus, Sam will also be starting the race and setting off thousands of runners on their 10K journey.

Martin Simpson, MD of Deeside Mineral Water said; “I was delighted to be part of the label judging and really enjoyed going through the designs.  The number and variety of entries was amazing and it was great to see such diversity and some really great ideas.  We look forward to welcoming Sam to the factory in Ballater to see his winning design being produced for the Baker Hughes 10k.”

The 2016 Baker Hughes 10K will take place on Sunday 15th May with entries still available here.

Following Great Britain’s historic win against Belgium in the 2015 Davis Cup Final, when Team GB hoisted the trophy for the first time in 79 years, the LTA wanted to celebrate this momentous occasion by delivering the Davis Cup Trophy Tour across the country to thank the tennis community including players, coaches, venues and volunteers who supported the team on its incredible journey. It also wanted to inspire a new generation to pick up a racket and get involved in tennis.

The events are free for all to attend and give people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see and be pictured with the impressive Davis Cup Trophy up close and personal. In addition, there was a host of free tennis activities on offer enabling tennis fans of all ages to have a go.

The Davis Cup Trophy Tour will visit over 50 destinations, the fourth being Tuesday’s visit at Westburn Tennis Centre, Aberdeen. If you would like to visit the Centre to see the trophy in all it’s glory click here for sign ups and more information.

Leon Smith, Davis Cup Captain, said; “Winning the Davis Cup was an incredible moment for me and all the team. Lifting the trophy on the court in Gent was an amazing feeling and I’m eager to ensure a lasting legacy following this historic achievement. Taking the trophy across the country and being able to share this momentous achievement with the nation is an important part of this legacy. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction when they see the Davis Cup and sharing a bit of that passion we had on court will hopefully encourage others to get involved and choose tennis as part of their everyday lives”.

Michael Downey, LTA Chief Executive, adds; “The Davis Cup win is one many will remember for the rest of their lives and is a key vehicle that can drive interest in our sport. The LTA is proud to be able to share this incredible achievement with the British people and those who loyally supported and backed the team. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire and captivate a nation and we want to use this Trophy Tour to bring more children and adults into our great sport and thank the tennis community for believing we could do it.”

Matt Kerswell, Sport Aberdeen’s Tennis Development Manager, said; “It’s been thrilling to watch GB’s Davis Cup teams, and especially the contributions of ‘our’ Scots to that exceptional run of victories. Sport Aberdeen is proud to be associated with the Trophy Tour and we’re looking forward to renewing acquaintance with the Trophy after a successful 2016 campaign.”

Tennis Scotland Regional Development Manager Mike Kolacz said; “Winning the Davis Cup with such a huge Scottish involvement was an unprecedented achievement and it is entirely appropriate that the tour begins north of the border. I’m sure people of all ages will be inspired to pick up a racket for the first time as a result of us lifting the Davis Cup.”

To find out further information about the Davis Cup Legacy visit: www.lta.org.uk/daviscuplegacy

Beacon Volleyball Club have earned renewed their accreditation with clubCAP and Sport Aberdeen.

The club were presented with their certification during a training session at the Beacon Leisure Centre on Monday 28^th March.

It comes after a series of meticulous reviews and checks were conducted to ensure the club operates in a structured way in accordance with set criteria. The club passed these tests with flying colours to regain their clubCAP level.

The clubCAP accreditation program is a quality assurance scheme where sports clubs work towards certain standards to prove they are running in a well organised manner. The standards cover club management, equality and ethics, coaching, duty of care and child protection.

Coach Ally Reid was delighted with the clubs award.

“clubCAP is not only a way to prove the crediability of this club, it also gives us that target and motivation to continually improve our standards. It shows the level of work we all put in and we’ve proved what a great club this is.

I’d urge anyone interested in picking up the sport for the first time or wants to get back into their game to come give us a try at Beacon!”

The Granite City Roller Derby Team held the first of five planned fixtures at the Beach Leisure Centre back on Saturday 20^th February.

A sport on the rise in the UK, the team are hoping to ride this wave of popularity to success with victory in their first home game proving to be a catalyst on a great day for the Aberdeen side.

Granite City’s ‘Northern Fights’ were due to play Durham Roller Derby, however, sadly, they had to pull out due to unfortunate circumstances. The forfeit allowed granite to start the season with an automatic 300 point win.

However the Roller Derby community pulled together to form a coalition team from various locations around Scotland, Granite City taking the win with a final score of 324 – 63.

Following this result, the team have since been on the road, traveling to Durham where they met stiff competition in Spa Town but were ultimately victorious 238 – 140.

The next fixture see’s the team head to Blackpool and return home to the Beach Leisure Centre 25^thJune where entry is free.

A collection of Sport Aberdeen employees, associates and customers have completed a 24 hour cycle challenge in aid of Sport Relief.

The challenge began on Thursday 17^th March concluding the following evening at the Beach Leisure Centre.

103 cyclists shared five stationary bikes in their effort to cycle 1248 miles, the length of Britain and back. A solid effort, the team would complete the challenge with over an hour to spare and reached their target of raising £1000 for Sport Relief.

Special mention goes to Sport Aberdeen Rugby Development Officer, Ross Finlay, who racked up a total of 70 miles for the cause. clubCAP members Sooyang Do also committed a group of volunteers to the cycle whilst also raising money for Sport Relief in a challenge of their own.

The martial arts group also invited the public to take up the Sooyang Do Challenge by inviting newcomers to test themselves whilst raising money, with the club providing the venues and coaches. The club raised £440 for their collective efforts.

But the fundraising did not stop there. A local Sainsbury’s, based on Wellington Road at Covebay, were eager to be involved with the national money raising effort. Keen to try a cycle challenge of their own, Sport Aberdeen supplied the branch with a stationary bike to encourage customers to reach into their pockets.

Ensuring members of staff cycled continuously during store opening hours, the group were able to raise £350.

Sport Aberdeen would like to thank everyone who made a donation to any of these challenges and congratulate everyone on their efforts to raise money for Sport Relief 2016.

Money will be raised for the 2016 Appeal by staff, volunteers, associated clubs and members of the public cycling on stationary exercise bikes for 24 straight hours at the Beach Leisure Centre.

The challenge aims to rack up 1206 miles, the equivalent of cycling the length of Britain and back with all raised money going towards Sport Relief. This includes a number of volunteers and staff cycling through the night, all to raise money for the cause. Regular updates on progress will be announced on social media as the challenge continues.

Sport Aberdeen staff are already buzzing for the event and can’t wait to start racking up the miles.

If you would like to help by volunteering for a stint on the bike please email here.

If you would like to make a donation to the cause simply visit the Sport Aberdeen Giving page here.

A number of ‘Grow Your Club’ Workshops are set to be held at Sport Aberdeen venues in the coming months.

These workshops are designed by ACVO, Aberdeen’s 3^rd Sector Interface, for those who wish to develop and grow a successful and progressive club for the future. The workshops will raise awareness on how to improve business management knowledge and skills to help clubs develop and sustain a thriving sports club.

The workshops are designed for key individuals running sports clubs in Aberdeen. Further support will be provided by ACVO and Sport Aberdeen if needed, following attendance at the workshops. There will also be opportunities to network with like-minded sports clubs and individuals to enhance your learning.  

The first session will be on:

• Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations & Community Amateur Sports Clubs

Should your club become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) or a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC)?

This workshop will discuss the key features of both structures for constituted clubs. It will look at the advantages and disadvantages and how your club would become either a SCIO or a CASC.

More info on the following sessions coming soon: 

• Recruiting Volunteers on 26 April
• Funding on 19 May
• Event Management on 16 June 

Save the Date!

An exciting new opportunity  is coming to Aberdeen as former Internationalist and local netballer, Emily Gray, visits the city.

After forming a company specialized in running sports camps in multiple fields, the Netball sessions have finally reached Aberdeen.

The Camps were created to boost local participation rates in partnership with Netball Scotland and Local Talent Camps. They offer children aged 12 – 16 of any ability the opportunity to pick up a new sport or brush up on their skills whilst being coached by past and present Scottish National Athletes.

The 2-day long fun and action packed camps are tailor-made for all sporting abilities, whether a budding internationalist or a complete beginner, and provide a great forum for young people to improve their skills, make new friends and benefit from LTC’s top quality coaching!

The first netball camps here in Aberdeen have been launched and are running at the following venues:

– 27th/27th March – Cults Sports Centre
– 9th/10th April – Alex Collie Sports Centre
– 28th/29th May – Beach Leisure Centre

All information on times, costing’s, camp timetables, national athletes involved and the easy to use booking form are available on the LTC website at: www.localtalentcamps.co.uk

The website it LIVE and you can BOOK ONLINE NOW: www.localtalentcamps.co.uk

If you need any further information or would like some LTC flyers to distribute to children please get in touch with Emily at info@localtalentcamps.co.uk

As part of Apprentice Week with Skills Development Scotland, Sport Aberdeen is praising the program and the success it has bred.

Sport Aberdeen introduced a new 12 month modern apprentice program in 2014 which invites anyone aged 16 – 24 to gain a relevant S/NVQ qualification over the course of a year while gaining vital experience in their sporting field and being paid.

Launching on 1st December, The Sport Academy Apprenticeship was the first of its kind in Scotland. Kick-starting a career in sport, mentors were allocated to each participant as they underwent personalised training based on their needs and preferences while teaching core skills and industry specific training

As well as full Sport Aberdeen staff benefits and gaining imperative knowledge and understanding of the workplace, apprentices could potentially find themselves fast tracked for future roles within the company.

With the programs first full year concluded, a number of apprentices have spoken about their experience.

Amy Morrison left school unsure of her direction but soon found her feet with Sport Aberdeen. Assigned to a role within the Booking Department, her responsibilities whilst also undertaking on the job training such for SVQ Modules, dementia awareness, walk leader, external customer service and fire warden.

“I have received great support from all the office colleagues and have felt like a valued member of a great team. I have grown in confidence and have accomplished such a lot over the year. I was given sole responsibility for the booking office within 10 months and am learning new skills all the time. I am happy I have been offered full time work with Sports Aberdeen and feel I have more to offer and to learn from them.

Cassie Cowper is an eager young lady with a bright future ahead of her. Eager to get stuck into work, she has also had to find the balance between her new apprentice role and representing Aberdeen FC Ladies and the Scotland Football Team! Coaching in multiple sports, she quickly adapted and valued her experience.

“Working from Sports Centres, I was able to develop my social and coaching skills so I was always learning a lot. Overall I am very happy with my decision to leave school and join the scheme. I have learned lots of news skills and met a lot of new people.”

Arran Buchan began his year at The Beacon Centre, where his main focus was customer service and coaching. Staff at the venue, including his mentor, were quick to praise Arrans growing confidence, skillset and ability. His willingness to help with any task earned him the Sport Aberdeen Employee of the Month Award for April and such was his level of commitment and improvement, he would later win the prestigious Employee of the Year Award. A hugely impressive feat for an Apprentice.

“I would 100% recommend the Modern Apprenticeship to everyone. You will gain a lot of experience in both Operations, the behind the scenes running of Active Schools clubs and Coaching. Also, you will gain a qualification that relates to most Industries and will get full guidance throughout the year by Direct Partners.”

Alex Wilkinson applied for the Apprenticeship after hearing about it through his career advisor at school. Assigned to the Marketing Team, Alex developed a whole new range of skills throughout his year. He also worked with Active Schools helping with after school clubs and events.

“I really enjoyed my time as it’s a good feeling to know you are helping kids progress their skills while having fun and I am now confident enough to deliver sessions on multiple activities.

I felt this year has been a very successful one for me and I have matured a lot and it was given me a good idea on what I want to do when I am older.”