Dalziel Rugby Club fancied league title win if season hadn’t been voided

The coronavirus-interrupted and unfinished 2019-20 campaign was written off by the governing body after the fixtures on March 7, frustrating high flying teams like second placed Dalziel, who trailed Tennent’s West Division 2 leaders Strathaven by 15 points but had four games in hand to overturn this deficit.

The Motherwell club’s communications officer Elaine Neilson told the Times and Speaker: “We were very confident that we could win the league if we had kept our form up.

“So it was a bit frustrating that things ended how they did.

“But we understand that that’s the way it had to be.

“We don’t have any problem with the decision that was made by the SRU (in null and voiding the season).

“It bodes well for having some positivity to get back stuck into things for next season.

“We had won 11 and lost just two league games, which was a really good season because that was off the back of being demoted two years in a row.

“We got a really strong team together, we had really good turnouts at training and that started to show, not just with the first team but down into the seconds and thirds as well because there were more people at training.

“We’re really heartened by the attitude from the coaching staff and the players, looking forward to next season to see what we can do.”

Dalziel’s tally of 53 points from 13 games in the season just abandoned was an impressive return.

Also impressive is the fact that the club has just launched a new initiative offering to deliver shopping and medicine to vulnerable people living in Lanarkshire during the current Covid-19 lockdown.

Elaine said: “Our players have been very keen to offer these services to people in the community.

“A lot of the players are maybe furloughed or not working as much as they would be normally.

“They’re missing out on a team sport, they’re missing out on being together with people.

“So they were really keen to still come together as a team and see what they could offer to help.

“When we were talking about it amongst ourselves we decided we wanted to help the people who had had the shielding letters (asking them to remain in self isolation at home) or just anyone that was struggling. It’s nice to put the offer out there.

“We cover quite a wide area. Although we are Motherwell based, there are guys coming from Cumbernauld and Kilsyth down to Lanark.

“So our players can cover quite a wide area.”

If you would like to nominate someone to receive a home delivery, please contact Dalziel RFC via the club’s Facebook page.