Rugby 

Saturday’s rugby fixtures were against St Aloysius’ College and it was lovely to welcome back to Countesswells former RGC PE teacher, Mr Currie, who is now Director of Rugby at the Glasgow school. 

The 1st XV played some excellent rugby during their match, putting into practice the wider, more expansive style of game that they have been focussing on in training. The forwards set the platform and allowed the backs to play, with several excellent tries scored from right across the park. The team was delighted with their convincing win.

The opposition proved tougher in the other fixtures on Saturday morning with the U16A losing at home and the S3A, S2A and S1A losing to strong St Aloysius’ teams in Glasgow. The defence in the S3A match was really tested but overall our boys put in a good performance. S2A dominated both halves in their game but were caught a few times by a strong runner running on an arc out wide. This was a very feisty performance from the A team, who grew in confidence as the game progressed. Angus M had a great game controlling play from number 10 while Jacob M and Ross T were fearless in contact. S1A had a close first half with only one try separating the teams. Some simple mistakes in important positions cost any chance of a comeback but the boys played hard all the way through.

The 2nd XV travelled to Banchory to play Deeside RFC after school on Thursday but sadly the game was cancelled due to the late afternoon torrential causing the pitches to become waterlogged. We are hoping to reschedule this fixture for another time.

 

Girls’ Hockey

There was a mix of opponents for girls hockey at the weekend. The 1st XI played the first match of the day, warming up during the beautiful morning sunrise against Albyn School. The girls played some lovely passing combinations and were in control for most of the game which ended in a comfortable win for RGC. Goal scorers included Katie M, Holly M and Grace M with Player of the Match going to Sophie H.

S3A played their fixture away at Rubislaw against Aberdeen Grammar School. The girls performed better as the game went on and after a half time chat about how to create more height and space, the forwards had a lot more chances at goal. Sophie L scored the only goal of the match to secure the win and Hannah J was Player of the Match.

The S2 teams were mixed up for their training matches against each other which saw some good passages of play and off the ball running. P6 and P7 also had training which was a great chance for the girls to build on their skills. 

 

Boys’ Hockey

All three boys teams travelled to Glenalmond for their fixtures on Saturday morning. This was the first game of the New Year for the 1st XI and they started well, playing some great hockey in the first half, unlucky not to score. They conceded goals in the second half due to a lack of concentration but the boys finished the game really well trying to play the right type of hockey. There were plenty of positives in a game that could have been much closer with more attention to small details.

Overall the U15 boys gave a very strong performance against their big and physical 2nd XI opponents. Having played excellent hockey, the only thing we were second best in was the physical part of the game. Glenalmond won the match but our young players did exceptionally well and should be proud of their efforts.

A very strong team performance was in evidence for the U14s on Saturday, which was very encouraging and resulted in an excellent win for RGC. After a hesitant start and a somewhat frosty pitch the boys began to play some neat and fluent hockey which was difficult in such slippery conditions. They created numerous chances, especially in the second half and ran out comfortable winners. It was a good experience to play against quite a physical side as it was a steep learning curve at times trying to cope with this. If anything we were too 'nice' at times and this will need to change in a tough run of matches coming up. Overall, this win was a much needed confidence booster for the team.

 

Netball

The S2As played a nail biting Scottish Cup match against St Ninian’s School from Giffnock last Wednesday, winning by just 2 goals. Both teams started the game really strong with excellent shooting and great defence in the circle. The RGC girls fought to the final whistle and managed to create some lovely passages of play and great feeds into the circle securing the all important final goals that were required for the win.

It was a hard day on court for both the 1st VII and S3 teams who lost against Mackie Academy. Although the 1st VII girls were slow out of the blocks and had to chase the game from the start, their excellent determination saw them finish with flair and confidence. Player of the Match went to Ore K for her ability to close mark and win the ball in the air. Miss Stewart was very proud of how the girls gave 100% right to the end of the match.

The 2nd VII played the next round of their Scottish Cup campaign against Holyrood Secondary from Glasgow last Wednesday. This was a very evenly matched game but sadly the advantage they had over us in the shooting circle was too great and Holyrood secured the win. Special mention goes to Zoe B for her tactical decision making to try and compete with a 6ft shooter in Goal Attack. Player of the Match went to our captain, Frayla, who said she felt this was the team’s best squad performance this season and to replicate a performance like this in our final ASSNA league fixtures would lead us to success. A special mention also goes to Anna L in Goal Attack; the progress she has made this season has been great to see. Mrs Axten congratulated the girls for their determination and the commitment they have shown in all their Scottish Cup fixtures so far.

The S1 Scottish Cup campaign sadly came to an end on Thursday when the lost their match against Strathaven Academy.

 

Basketball

RGC secured an excellent win against Dyce Academy in the Aberdeen League last week. The team was very effective rebounding the ball which led to many of our points. There were contributions from all 12 players and special mention goes to Osman E who stood out with a great overall performance.

 

Team of the Week 

Congratulations to S2 Netball who are our Team of the Week after their fantastic midweek win in the Scottish Cup. This was a very tight game and our girls showed great character to secure a place in the next round. Good luck girls.