Caithness Krakens captain Nicola Mackay says she is “bursting with pride” after leading the team to women’s National Plate success on Silver Saturday.
On the day seven men’s and women’s finals were taking place at Murrayfield and Hive Stadium and Caithness were at the latter taking on Uddingston.
The two tams played out a very entertaining final, the Krakens eventually coming out on top 47-27.
Catriona Brannan and Ellie Hancock tries, the latter converted by Monica Carlin, put Uddingston 12-0 up before Caitlin Harvey with two tries and Justine Mackay with one put Caithness ahead.
Carly Erridge had converted two of them and she then scored a seven-pointer to extend their advantage to 24-12.
Catriona Hopkins then went over for Uddingston before Lauren Gunn’s score, converted by Erridge, made it 33-17 to Caithness.
Uddingston had come to play though and unconverted tries from Jen Schahill and Clare Yule made it 33-27 after a breathless first half.
The second half was cagier as the players tired, but tries from Harvey, completing her hat-trick, and Emmerleigh Smith, both converted by Erridge, secured the silverware for Caithness.
Mackay said: “I am just so proud of the players, it really is hard to put into words what this means to us all, I really am bursting with pride.
“Coming down here and playing in the biggest game of most of our careers, everyone stood up because Uddingston really took the game to us. We battled hard in defence and, in attack, we scored some really nice tries.
“The Caithness support was amazing, they cheered us on throughout the whole game and it really made such a difference to us all and made it extra special. To see friends and family in the stands who had made such a long journey spurred us on in the tougher moments.”
Head coach Mike Flavell said: “The players deserve this.
“All season long they have trained and played with real heart and since the semi-final win against Kirkcaldy a few weeks ago the application and focus has really been excellent.
“We even brought in some new things into our game in that short period and the players embraced it and took everything on board and that culminated in us putting in that type of performance in the final on this big stage.
“Some of the tries we scored were excellent and this is huge for the club. We are the furthest northerly club on the mainland and we compete with football in the local area so hopefully this can help put Caithness on the rugby map.”
In the other women’s finals on the day, Watsonians defeated Hillhead Jordanhill 34-5 at Murrayfield to win the Sarah Beaney Cup with Biggar winning the Shield at the same venue after a 66-20 triumph over West of Scotland.
Defeat for Moray against Cumnock
While silverware was heading back to Thurso and Millbank, unfortunately the men’s National Shield trophy is not making its way to Elgin and the Morriston Playing Fields after Moray were edged out in the men’s National Shield final at the same Hive venue.
They led 27-5 at one point in the second half against Cumnock and were then 32-19 up with just over five minutes to go.
Cumnock scored two quickfire tries and then, with the clock in the red, managed to snatch another to win 34-32 and leave Moray deflated.
Cameron Hughes (2), Finnley Cameron, Neil Alexander and Cameron Ireland were the Moray try scorers with Rory Millar converting the rest of the points.
“It is a really sore one to take, that’s for sure,” Moray player/coach Hughes said.
“We played some good rugby to get ahead, but things changed and we could not wrestle back momentum.
“Often in games this season we have come from behind, but it was the other way around this time and the boys are hurting. As a club we are still very proud of all of their efforts and thanks to our supporters who travelled too.”
In the other men’s finals, Hawick won the Scottish Cup after being Edinburgh Accies 32-29 at Murrayfield with Falkirk lifting the National League Cup trophy at the same ground after a 34-21 triumph over Lasswade. Irvine are the Bowl champions after a 35-32 win over Blairgowrie at the Hive.
