Kelso Harlequins Update
- DO
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 29
Over the past few months a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes concerning the set up with Kelso Harlequins moving into next season. At the start of the year the club were informed that a number of the Harlequins coaches and committee would be taking a step back from their roles. We would like to take this opportunity to first of all say a massive thank you to Quins Coaches Kev Hendry (14 seasons) and Richie Laing (4 season) for all their hard work over the years. They have worked with a great number of players to support them on their rugby journey. A lot of the current senior squad have been coached by Kev or Richie and they have played a huge part in preparing players for their step up to senior rugby. Their commitment to the Quins has been outstanding and we would like to wish them all the best in the future.
We would also like to say a massive thank you to the Quins committee, Bryan Cassie, Brian MacFarlane, Stuart Ford, Phil Dunkley and Graham Sweenie, who put a huge amount of work in behind the scenes, and on match days, to ensure that Kelso Harlequins runs smoothly. A special mention must got to Keith Green, who has been involved in the Quins for 22 years! Keith has a had a huge impact on the Quins in this time covering a variety of volunteer roles over the years. We hope you enjoy a much deserved rest from your duties but I know that Keith and others in the committee have offered their support at some home games for the 2025/26 season so we look forward to catching up with you then.
Moving into the 2025/26 season we felt that this gave us the opportunity to try something different and really look to develop the player experience at Kelso Harlequins. Like other clubs in the Borders, our Kelso U16 squad will now come under the Kelso Harlequins banner and both our U16 & U18 squads will train together on training nights. Training will be a Monday and Thursday, 6.30pm-8pm at Croft Park. This will increase the number of players and coaches at training which will overall create a better environment for our players to learn and develop and preparing them for the step up to senior rugby. We will also continue to work closely with the senior coaches and players and our U18s will attend skills & gym session on a Tuesday night round at Poynder Park.
Off field we welcome Dave Howieson as Kelso Harlequins team manager. In recent years Dave has spent time with both Kelso Sharks and Kelso 1st XV and will be a great addition to Kelso Quins moving into the 2025/26 season. Bryan Cassie will continue to support Dave and the Quins with sponsorship. On the coaching front, Kelso Harlequins U18’s head coach will be Club Development Officer, Murray Hastie and the assistant coaches will be Ally Ralston & Phil Hume. Murray will continue to work closely with our senior coaches and players on a Tuesday to support the Kelso RFC player pathway. Ally makes the step up from his work with Kelso U16s over the past few seasons and we welcome back former Kelso Sharks coach Phil Hume who has a great affiliation with the Quins and the Club and it great to have him back involved.
Kelso Harlequins U16’s head coach will be Robin Carruthers and the assistant coaches will be David Stewart & Dylan Black. All three coaches have played a huge part in our youth rugby section over the past few years and it’s great to have them involved moving into next season. Both age groups will also be supported by Stuart Lowrie, James Redpath & Stevie Ross. Stuart will support with the scrum & contact and James will support with warm up & skills. Both coaches will play a big part in supporting players & coaches across both age groups. It’s great to have Stevie involved with the Quins again this year and will support with coaching and video analysis.
Coaches and players meetings have already taken place so that everyone involved is aware of the changes for next season. All Kelso Harlequins updates will go through Kelso RFC social media accounts- so please keep an eye out over the coming weeks and months for any updates on the Quins.
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