Kirkcaldy Rugby Club in good shape to tackle coronavirus crisis

Kirkcaldy Rugby Club are pulling together during the crisis. (All pics by Michael Booth)

That’s the message from club president, Graeme Hannah, as activity at Beveridge Park comes to a grinding halt due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Hannah admits it’s a difficult time for the club, the players are unable to train and the SRU has said there will be no games until after March 29 at the very earliest, but he remains optimistic.

“We’re just looking to be as positive as we can,” said the president.

Kirkcaldy's last match before the league was cancelled was against Peebles at Beveridge Park

“We’ve just come through a period where storms and poor weather had resulted in cancellation of quite a few games, and that applies to our youth and ladies teams as well.

“Now with the coronavirus it has made things worse.

“We had two games scheduled before the end of the month.

“It’s looking like they’ll extend the postponement beyond the 29th so from a playing point of view it’s not great.

Pictures and film are being uploaded via the club's social media to engage with Blues fans.

“We’re obviously not allowed to train either, that’s all been pulled, so we’re just encouraging players to keep fit as best they can.”

With no games scheduled and events in the clubhouse being cancelled the club is likely to suffer financially also.

Hannah says: “We work hard each year, raising money for the club, but you can never foresee these sort of things.

“The basic running of the club relies quite heavily on our bar takings and any money we make from First XV games.

“So from a financial point of view losing a couple of home games, especially if the league has now ended, has an impact.

“We had a ladies lunch organised which is a busy day at the club.

“It generates a lot at the bar as well as what we charge the ladies for their lunch, so we’ve lost income there.

“And we will lose out on what is probably our biggest day of the year which is the sevens outing.

“It’s looking like that’s not going to happen either.

“However, the SRU are offering a hardship fund to clubs which we will obviously look at and see if we’re able to apply for it.

“Scottish Rugby are very generous in some ways and we get paid a Club Minimum Standards and Club Sustainability Award each year.

“We have to show that our governance is good and we have achieved that every year.

“You have to send in a whole lot of documentation and we’ve done that already so there shouldn’t be any issues there, which is a bonus.”

During this period of inactivity, Hannah says the club is making a real effort to engage with the supporters.

“We’re using our social media quite a lot just now just to keep everybody in touch with each other,” he said.

“We’re using our Facebook to create a ‘Blues Family’ where we’re offering to help anybody who is self isolating.

“If there are members who are needing support, needing their dog walked or having prescriptions picked up, things like that, then they can post on there and we can try and help.

“We’re also posting old Kirkcaldy rugby games on there, so youngsters can see how rugby used to be played - properly! - and pictures and things.”

Hannah has a final message for Blues fans may have concerns over the club’s future – “our club is strong and we’re in a good place”.

He added: “Kirkcaldy rugby has a reputation for being pretty down to Earth and gritty and always going forwards, so I think that’s what we’ll do.

“And as well as looking in to our club we’ll be looking out to the community as well.”