Glasgow Hawks
Encyclopedia
Glasgow Hawks are an amateur rugby union
team in Glasgow
, Scotland
. They were Premiership Division One champions for 3 consecutive seasons from 2003/04 to 2005/06.
declared that amateurism was no more.
At that time there were differing views as to whether Districts or Premier clubs in Scotland would take the game forward into the professional era and, with a number of top Glasgow players moving east, Glasgow rugby was looking extremely vulnerable.
It was suggested that hell would freeze over before Glasgow Academicals (1866) and GHK(1884) might merge but during season 1996/97 Brian Simmers decided it was worth looking at. After meetings with the SRU, Dunc Paterson, Bill Watson, Jim Telfer
and Bill Hogg, and meetings with senior players from both clubs , Fergus and Murray Wallace, Walter Malcolm, Cammy Little, Gordon Mackay, Chas Afuakwah, Stuart Simmers , he produced a proposal for rugby at Anniesland which created a new club, Glasgow Hawks, but retained the "founder" clubs, Glasgow Academicals and GHK. Discussions had also taken place with West of Scotland to come on board but these did not progress. However the "W" in HAWKS still remains!
This initial structure was finalised with the help of Sandy Neilson(GHK), Lorne Crerar (GHK), Richard Eadie(GHK), Graham McKnight(GA), Sandy Bannerman(GAC), David Jerdan(GHK), Kenny Hamilton(GHK), David Williams(GHK) and Hugh Barrow and it was agreed that this was preferable to a straight merger as it would maximise player numbers at Old and New Anniesland. Ownership of Glasgow Hawks RFC Limited would be one share (50%) each held by Glasgow Academicals Sports Club (now Glasgow Academical Club) and GHK (now Glasgow High School Club Ltd.). It was also agreed that Hawks 1 st XV would play alternately at Old and New with the 2nd XV playing at the unused ground. (For cost and facility reasons Hawks moved entirely to Old Anniesland in 2001 and as a result of poor ground conditions, Hawks 2 nd XV agreed, in 2007, to play at New Anniesland).
Brian Simmers established with the SRU that Hawks would take over the top club's (GHK) position in Premier 2 from the end of season 1996/97 but was unable to persuade them to allow GHK and Accies a position in the National Divisions and they therefore had to start at the foot of the Regionals.
This structure was presented to each of the "founder" clubs at EGMs, both held on 3 June 1997, and a massi ve majority at each club agreed the proposal. Glasgow Hawks was in business! In June 2003 Glasgow Hawks became a full member of the SRU.
, Derek Stark and Murray Wallace joined by Cook Island internationalists Tommy Hayes
and Mike Beckham. Hawks won the second division league title, the Scottish Cup and were 2 nd XV league champions. At the end of this very successful season 8 players moved out of Hawks to professional rugby in Scotland and beyond.
1999/2000 Hawks lost to Boroughmuir in the Scottish Cup Final and played the Co-optimists to mark the opening of the Jimmie Ireland stand at Old Anniesland and combined with West of Scotland, again to play the Co-optimists, to mark the opening of their new stand at Burnbrae.
2001/02 Hawks are runners-up to Hawick (losing in extra time) in the Scottish Cup Final.
2003/04 Hawks win Premier 1 Championship, Scottish Cup and 2nd XV Championship.
2004/05 Hawks retain Premier 1 and 2nd XV LeagueChampionships
2005/06 Hawks secure the hattrick of Premier 1 Championships at Meggetland, the first time in 80 years that a club from Glasgow has achieved this honour.
2006/07 Hawks win the Scottish Cup for the third time and in May 2007 beat the Royal Navy in a memorial match for Craig Hodgkinson.
It has always been a policy of Hawks to test themselves against "foreign" opposition:
1998, Stade Toulousain
, France
1999, Club Atlético del Rosario
, Argentina
2003, Tour of South Africa (3 matches)
2004, Sale Academy
2005, Racing Club de France
2006, Capitolina
, Rome.
All of these games were won except against Capitolina.
Hawks has accepted the introduction of the professional districts and agree with the decision by the SRU in 2007 to reduce the number of districts to two on the grounds that they are effectively funded and therefore should become successful in Celtic and European competition, which must be of benefit to the national team.
Hawks also believe that the next level below these teams should be Premier 1, which should include periphery professional and academy players, playing in their club of origin, competing in a strong domestic league and in a X Border competition against the English Academy sides thus creating a very strong second tier of semi professional rugby.
In their "foreign" fixtures Hawks has proved time and again that Premier 1 clubs can succeed at that level and as a result Hawks has been able to serve the Scottish game effectively by preparing and producing players capable of taking the next step into professional and international rugby.
OVER 10 YEARS:
Directors of Rugby:
1997/99 Iain Russell
1999/00 Kenny Hamilton
2000/07 John Roxburgh
2007/08 Hamish Fyfe
2008/09 Peter Wright
Hawks Coaches:
1997/99 Iain Russell/Bill Macdonald
1999/2000 Bill Macdonald/Shade Munro
2000/01 Shade Munro/David Wilson
2001/03 Shade Munro/Jim Barrie
2003/05 Peter Wright/Rob Ackerman/Colin Ireland (2005)
2005/06 David Wilson/Mark Sitch
2006/07 David Wilson/David Cockburn/Keith Robertson
2007/08 David Wilson/David Cockburn
2008/09 Peter Wright/Davie Wilson/Jamie Dempsey
2009/10 Peter Wright/Jamie Dempsey/Chris Reid
2010/11 Peter Wright/Jamie Dempsey/Chris Reid
Hawks 1st XV Captains:
1997/98 David Wilson
1998/99 David Wilson
1999/00 Scott Hutton
2000/01 Scott Hutton
2001/02 Chris Docherty
2002/03 Iain Leighton
2003/04 Chris Docherty
2004/05 Eric Milligan
2005/06 Eric Milligan
2006/07 Steven Duffy
2007/08 Mark Sitch
2008/09 Steven Duffy
2009/10 Rory Mackay
2010/11 Rory Mackay
Hawks Players Capped:
9 Scottish Caps, 1 "A" cap, 5 Sevens caps
Scotland "Club" Caps: 6. Scotland U 21 Caps: 25. Scotland U19 Caps: 11
Hawks Players awarded professional contracts: 37
Hawks Coaches awarded professional contracts: Shade Munro
, Peter Wright
.
Glasgow Award for Services to Rugby: 2004 John Roxburgh 2005 Tom Howie
Glasgow Player of the year: 2004 Mark Sitch.
Scottish Rugby Team of the year: Glasgow Hawks 1998 and 2004.
Scottish Premier 1 Player of the year: 2005 Richard Maxton.
Glasgow Team of the year, all sports: 2004 Glasgow Hawks
Officials:
Chairman:
1997/98 Brian Simmers
1998/99 Brian Simmers
1999/00 Brian Simmers
2000/01 Brian Simmers
2001/02 Brian Simmers
2002/03 Tom Howie
2003/04 Tom Howie
2004/05 Brian Simmers
2005/06 Kenny Hamilton
2006/07 Kenny Hamilton
2007/08 Kenny Hamilton
2008/09 Kenny Baillie
2009/ Alan Macintosh
Secretary:
1997/2007 Hugh Barrow
2007/ Gordon McCallum
Treasurer:
1997/03 Richard Eadie
2003/07 Kenny Wilson
Chief Executive:
2008/09 Kenny Baillie
Glasgow Hawks RFC was formed in 1997 with the merger of the first XV teams of a long established club - Glasgow Academicals FC (1866) and the newer Glasgow High Kelvinside RFC (1982), they requested West of Scotland to join them when they first formed, but West rejected. Glasgow Hawks play at Old Anniesland.
In their initial season The Hawks won the second division championship and the Scottish Cup and have continued in the first division since, and have since been beaten finalists on two further occasions.
From 1997 merger:Glenn Metcalfe
Derek Stark
Gordon McIlwham
Murray Wallace
Tommy Hayes
Mike Beckham
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. They were Premiership Division One champions for 3 consecutive seasons from 2003/04 to 2005/06.
The short history of Glasgow Hawks RFC
In Paris on 27 August 1995 a meeting of the International Rugby BoardInternational Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
declared that amateurism was no more.
At that time there were differing views as to whether Districts or Premier clubs in Scotland would take the game forward into the professional era and, with a number of top Glasgow players moving east, Glasgow rugby was looking extremely vulnerable.
It was suggested that hell would freeze over before Glasgow Academicals (1866) and GHK(1884) might merge but during season 1996/97 Brian Simmers decided it was worth looking at. After meetings with the SRU, Dunc Paterson, Bill Watson, Jim Telfer
Jim Telfer
James "Jim" Telfer is a Scottish rugby union coach and a former rugby player. A former headmaster at Hawick High School and chemistry teacher, he has won fame as a Scottish forwards coach who gave punishing training sessions to his players...
and Bill Hogg, and meetings with senior players from both clubs , Fergus and Murray Wallace, Walter Malcolm, Cammy Little, Gordon Mackay, Chas Afuakwah, Stuart Simmers , he produced a proposal for rugby at Anniesland which created a new club, Glasgow Hawks, but retained the "founder" clubs, Glasgow Academicals and GHK. Discussions had also taken place with West of Scotland to come on board but these did not progress. However the "W" in HAWKS still remains!
This initial structure was finalised with the help of Sandy Neilson(GHK), Lorne Crerar (GHK), Richard Eadie(GHK), Graham McKnight(GA), Sandy Bannerman(GAC), David Jerdan(GHK), Kenny Hamilton(GHK), David Williams(GHK) and Hugh Barrow and it was agreed that this was preferable to a straight merger as it would maximise player numbers at Old and New Anniesland. Ownership of Glasgow Hawks RFC Limited would be one share (50%) each held by Glasgow Academicals Sports Club (now Glasgow Academical Club) and GHK (now Glasgow High School Club Ltd.). It was also agreed that Hawks 1 st XV would play alternately at Old and New with the 2nd XV playing at the unused ground. (For cost and facility reasons Hawks moved entirely to Old Anniesland in 2001 and as a result of poor ground conditions, Hawks 2 nd XV agreed, in 2007, to play at New Anniesland).
Brian Simmers established with the SRU that Hawks would take over the top club's (GHK) position in Premier 2 from the end of season 1996/97 but was unable to persuade them to allow GHK and Accies a position in the National Divisions and they therefore had to start at the foot of the Regionals.
This structure was presented to each of the "founder" clubs at EGMs, both held on 3 June 1997, and a massi ve majority at each club agreed the proposal. Glasgow Hawks was in business! In June 2003 Glasgow Hawks became a full member of the SRU.
Rugby
In season 1997/98 contracted players were playing for Premier 1 clubs and Hawks, funded by generous sponsors, had managed to pull together a formidable squad. The majority were Scottish representative players with eventual internationalists Glenn MetcalfeGlenn Metcalfe
Glenn Hayden Metcalfe is a former rugby union footballer who played at fullback for Glasgow, Castres and Scotland.-Career:...
, Derek Stark and Murray Wallace joined by Cook Island internationalists Tommy Hayes
Tommy Hayes
Tommy Hayes is a Cook Island rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half.Cook Islands international, joined Moseley RFC for the second half of the 2006/07 season after spending seasons with Bristol, Worcester Warriors, and six seasons with Glasgow, and has also...
and Mike Beckham. Hawks won the second division league title, the Scottish Cup and were 2 nd XV league champions. At the end of this very successful season 8 players moved out of Hawks to professional rugby in Scotland and beyond.
1999/2000 Hawks lost to Boroughmuir in the Scottish Cup Final and played the Co-optimists to mark the opening of the Jimmie Ireland stand at Old Anniesland and combined with West of Scotland, again to play the Co-optimists, to mark the opening of their new stand at Burnbrae.
2001/02 Hawks are runners-up to Hawick (losing in extra time) in the Scottish Cup Final.
2003/04 Hawks win Premier 1 Championship, Scottish Cup and 2nd XV Championship.
2004/05 Hawks retain Premier 1 and 2nd XV LeagueChampionships
2005/06 Hawks secure the hattrick of Premier 1 Championships at Meggetland, the first time in 80 years that a club from Glasgow has achieved this honour.
2006/07 Hawks win the Scottish Cup for the third time and in May 2007 beat the Royal Navy in a memorial match for Craig Hodgkinson.
It has always been a policy of Hawks to test themselves against "foreign" opposition:
1998, Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
, France
1999, Club Atlético del Rosario
Club Atlético del Rosario
Club Atlético del Rosario is a sports club from Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. The sports currently practised at the club are rugby union, field hockey, cricket and tennis.-History:...
, Argentina
2003, Tour of South Africa (3 matches)
2004, Sale Academy
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
2005, Racing Club de France
2006, Capitolina
Unione Rugby Capitolina
Unione Rugby Capitolina is an Italian rugby union club. They are based in Rome.-History:The team was founded in 1996. Capitolina won the Italian under-19 trophy in 2002/3 beating rivals Lazio-Primavera Rugby in the final held at Stadio Flaminio....
, Rome.
All of these games were won except against Capitolina.
Hawks has accepted the introduction of the professional districts and agree with the decision by the SRU in 2007 to reduce the number of districts to two on the grounds that they are effectively funded and therefore should become successful in Celtic and European competition, which must be of benefit to the national team.
Hawks also believe that the next level below these teams should be Premier 1, which should include periphery professional and academy players, playing in their club of origin, competing in a strong domestic league and in a X Border competition against the English Academy sides thus creating a very strong second tier of semi professional rugby.
In their "foreign" fixtures Hawks has proved time and again that Premier 1 clubs can succeed at that level and as a result Hawks has been able to serve the Scottish game effectively by preparing and producing players capable of taking the next step into professional and international rugby.
OVER 10 YEARS:
Directors of Rugby:
1997/99 Iain Russell
1999/00 Kenny Hamilton
2000/07 John Roxburgh
2007/08 Hamish Fyfe
2008/09 Peter Wright
Hawks Coaches:
1997/99 Iain Russell/Bill Macdonald
1999/2000 Bill Macdonald/Shade Munro
2000/01 Shade Munro/David Wilson
2001/03 Shade Munro/Jim Barrie
2003/05 Peter Wright/Rob Ackerman/Colin Ireland (2005)
2005/06 David Wilson/Mark Sitch
2006/07 David Wilson/David Cockburn/Keith Robertson
2007/08 David Wilson/David Cockburn
2008/09 Peter Wright/Davie Wilson/Jamie Dempsey
2009/10 Peter Wright/Jamie Dempsey/Chris Reid
2010/11 Peter Wright/Jamie Dempsey/Chris Reid
Hawks 1st XV Captains:
1997/98 David Wilson
1998/99 David Wilson
1999/00 Scott Hutton
2000/01 Scott Hutton
2001/02 Chris Docherty
2002/03 Iain Leighton
2003/04 Chris Docherty
2004/05 Eric Milligan
2005/06 Eric Milligan
2006/07 Steven Duffy
2007/08 Mark Sitch
2008/09 Steven Duffy
2009/10 Rory Mackay
2010/11 Rory Mackay
Hawks Players Capped:
9 Scottish Caps, 1 "A" cap, 5 Sevens caps
Scotland "Club" Caps: 6. Scotland U 21 Caps: 25. Scotland U19 Caps: 11
Hawks Players awarded professional contracts: 37
Hawks Coaches awarded professional contracts: Shade Munro
Shade Munro
Donald "Shade" Munro is a Scottish rugby union player, who played at lock/second row.He was selected to tour New Zealand in 1990 , the year of Scotland's 2nd Grand Slam, but he unfortunately suffered an horrendous leg break playing for Scotland against a West of Scotland International Select...
, Peter Wright
Peter Wright
Peter Maurice Wright was an English scientist and former MI5 counterintelligence officer, noted for writing the controversial book Spycatcher, which became an international bestseller with sales of over two million copies...
.
Glasgow Award for Services to Rugby: 2004 John Roxburgh 2005 Tom Howie
Glasgow Player of the year: 2004 Mark Sitch.
Scottish Rugby Team of the year: Glasgow Hawks 1998 and 2004.
Scottish Premier 1 Player of the year: 2005 Richard Maxton.
Glasgow Team of the year, all sports: 2004 Glasgow Hawks
Officials:
Chairman:
1997/98 Brian Simmers
1998/99 Brian Simmers
1999/00 Brian Simmers
2000/01 Brian Simmers
2001/02 Brian Simmers
2002/03 Tom Howie
2003/04 Tom Howie
2004/05 Brian Simmers
2005/06 Kenny Hamilton
2006/07 Kenny Hamilton
2007/08 Kenny Hamilton
2008/09 Kenny Baillie
2009/ Alan Macintosh
Secretary:
1997/2007 Hugh Barrow
2007/ Gordon McCallum
Treasurer:
1997/03 Richard Eadie
2003/07 Kenny Wilson
Chief Executive:
2008/09 Kenny Baillie
History
For the History of the club prior to 1997 please see Glasgow Academicals RFC#HistoryGlasgow Hawks RFC was formed in 1997 with the merger of the first XV teams of a long established club - Glasgow Academicals FC (1866) and the newer Glasgow High Kelvinside RFC (1982), they requested West of Scotland to join them when they first formed, but West rejected. Glasgow Hawks play at Old Anniesland.
In their initial season The Hawks won the second division championship and the Scottish Cup and have continued in the first division since, and have since been beaten finalists on two further occasions.
Current Honours
- 1997/98 - Winners of Premier Division 2 and Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
- 1998/99 - 3rd in Premier Division 1
- 1999/00 - 2nd in Premier Division 1 and Runner-up in Scottish Cup
- 2000/01 - 6th in Premier Division 1
- 2001/02 - 5th in Premier Division 1 and Runner-up in Scottish Cup
- 2002/03 - 3rd in Premier Division 1, Runner-up in Integrated Tournament
- 2003/04 - Winners of Premier Division 1 and Scottish Cup
- 2004/05 - Winners of Premier Division 1
- 2005/06 - Winners of Premier Division 1
- 2006/07 - 5th in Premier Division 1 and Scottish Cup.
Notable former players
For Internationals from the club's predecessor clubs please see:- Glasgow Academicals RFC#International Players
- Glasgow High Kelvinside#International Players
From 1997 merger:Glenn Metcalfe
Glenn Metcalfe
Glenn Hayden Metcalfe is a former rugby union footballer who played at fullback for Glasgow, Castres and Scotland.-Career:...
Derek Stark
Derek Stark
Derek Stark is a Scottish former footballer who played as a defender. Stark spent his whole career with Dundee United before retiring in 1984 due to injury. Stark, who played part-time for most of his time, considered quitting football in 1982 to join the police but remained at Tannadice to go...
Gordon McIlwham
Gordon McIlwham
Gordon McIlwham was a Scottish rugby union player for Glasgow Hawks, Bordeaux-Begles and Munster. He played as a Prop. He also played for Scotland at an International level. McIlwham was coach of the Canadian rugby union team....
Murray Wallace
Murray Wallace
Murray Ian Wallace was a Scottish international rugby union player, who played for . He was capped three times between 1996-97.He is six foot three and weighed 210lbs...
Tommy Hayes
Tommy Hayes
Tommy Hayes is a Cook Island rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half.Cook Islands international, joined Moseley RFC for the second half of the 2006/07 season after spending seasons with Bristol, Worcester Warriors, and six seasons with Glasgow, and has also...
Mike Beckham