Hillfoots seal league title with win over Strathmore

HILLFOOTS RFC U13s/14s won the league title after an epic winner takes all clash against rivals Strathmore.

The Tillicoultry side triumphed last Sunday with a comprehensive victory to clinch the championship.

Both sides needed the win to secure the league, with this being the first competitive season Hillfoots youth has participated in for a decade.

Alex Croucher, head coach, said: “It’s a massive achievement and it’s not a season’s work.

“We’ve been building towards it for years and I think it’s a great recognition for players that have worked incredibly hard to develop their games.”

Hillfoots U13s/14s gave themselves a fighting chance for the title after sweeping aside Kinross the week prior.

Their opponents Strathmore had gone the whole season unbeaten, with the Tillicoultry side needing to fully utilise their fitness and physicality to come out on top.

No points were scored in the first 15 minutes of the game as both teams held firm to assert themselves in the contest.

Hillfoots began to pull away in the second half, as their fitness levels shone through and enabled them to win by 20 points.

Alex continued: “Strathmore were very physical, organised and full of confidence. The game was played in great spirit despite the high intensity.

“It really was a showcase of U14 rugby and it was great to have four local schools and every Hillfoots village represented.

“We’ve been working hard all year on fitness and it enabled us to maintain the level of intensity and physicality needed to make our tackles and control the breakdown.

“This was epitomised by player of the match Murray McColl, with everyone in the squad contributing and giving a brilliant account of themselves.”

The past year has been a rebuild for Hillfoots, who started last season with a core of around eight players.

They have since grown their numbers to a squad of 35, enabling them to enter the competitive leagues and fight for the title.

Alex added: “We now look forward to a break over Christmas and to raising our game again in the new league as we continued to build youth rugby in Tillicoultry.”