Marcus Di Rollo is back in the front line at his old club, Watsonians, having taken on the Director of Rugby role prior to the new season getting underway.
And compared to his two stints as club coach the 21 cap former centre. now 47, will have a much wider responsibility according to Richard Kelly who is starting out on his fourth year as president having served a five year stint as vice-president.
“Our ambition is to be one of the leading clubs in Scotland but beyond that we want to have the second team players pushing those higher up.
“And part of Marcus’ responsibilities will be with the third XV who have a role to play broadening our playing base.”
On the distaff side of the club Hannah Crispe will be fulfilling a similar role to Marcus with a remit including getting a 2nd women’s team out regularly.
It can be argued that ‘Sonians, who will be celebrating their 150th season and have a gala dinner planned for 21 November as the centrepiece, have long fulfilled their ambition to be a leading club especially having finished runners-up in the Premiership last season.
But president Kelly makes it clear the drive to go one better under head coach David Wilson, supported by Finlay Gillies, Michael Ker and Richard Snedden is undiminished.
“We have lost the likes of Neil Irvine-Hess and Jason Baggott but we have recruited Harry Clarke, a Scottish under-18 centre and Harry Jackaman, the Scotland under-18 No 8 and captain who has joined from Boroughmuir in order to play in the Premiership but there is so much we continue to take forward from playing in that competition.
“Examples include increased awareness of medical matters, the need to sell the game through social media, things we didn’t think about 10-20 years ago.
“From my point of view it is about giving the likes of the Head of Medicine, Communications and Finance etc responsibility.
“For the 150th celebrations planning started 18 months ago with a focus group from which Ken Cameron and Scott Hastings have emerged as key participants.”
Meanwhile, the milestone was initially marked by a golf outing at Mortonhall GC with next up a Family Day at Myreside on 6 September when Glasgow Hawks are the visitors.
