Dave Carson admits departure of player/coach Rory Cross is a blow to Highland Rugby Club
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Rugby Club head coach Dave Carson admits the departure of Rory Cross will be a big loss for the club.
The former captain at Canal Park is moving on from both the rugby club and the area as a whole, as he is moving to Canada.
As well as being a key part of Highland’s rise through the Scottish Rugby pyramid on the pitch, in recent years Cross also served as strength and conditioning coach in a bid to help deal with the increased physical challenges brought about by the national leagues.
So Carson is sad to see him go, for his impact both on and off the pitch.
“He will be a big miss,” Carson stressed.
“He’s been a great player since he came back from uni 10 years ago, and he has been a great player, and then he moved into S&C.
“We knew we needed that as we started moving through the leagues to compete against the other teams. Before, some boys did gym work and some boys didn’t.
“That was from the seniors all the way down to the juniors, but Rory set up a programme for them all when we went into Caley One.
“It made a massive difference. Rory got them doing exercises that would help them as rugby players, not just lifting weights all day.
“He played a couple of games this season just before heading off, and he has been a fantastic player for us.
“He has great vision and a great turn of pace. He’s been with us since we started climbing up the leagues, so he has learned a lot and he reads a game really well.
“He has a calming effect on some of the younger players on the pitch during close games, so we’ll miss him not just off the pitch but on the pitch too.”
After playing such an instrumental role in the club’s journey in recent seasons, Highland will need to replace him off the pitch at least, with Carson adding: “We’ve been speaking to people about taking over from Rory.
“We’re just waiting to hear who they’re going for, but they have got someone ready to take over to keep the good work that Rory has done going on.”
