Kirkcaldy Rugby fixtures for 2023-24 season unveiled

That’s the same opening-day opposition as last season but with a change of scenery, the Fifers having started off their 2022/23 campaign with a 20-19 victory in Midlothian last September, though they were subsequently sanctioned two of the points they picked up for breaching international clearance rules.

The Fifers also won the reverse fixture at Beveridge Park, postponed from December, at the beginning of April, by 38-17.

That bonus-point win saw the Blues draw level on 53 points with their visitors, easing fears of ending up among the five teams relegated in the summer as part of the reorganisation that sees National 2 slimmed down to tean teams, from 12, next time out, though they remained sixth in the league.

Rhys Bonner, Craig Hamilton, Gavin McKenzie, Dayle Turner and Finlay Smith touched down for the hosts, with Smith converting all five and adding a penalty.

There wasn’t much to separate Kirkcaldy from Lasswade come the end of the season last time round, the former finishing fifth in the table, on 65 points from 22 fixtures, and the latter one place and seven points worse off.

The two teams’ next meeting will be on Saturday, September 2, at 3pm, with the reverse fixture following on Saturday, November 11, at 2pm.

Next up for Kirkcaldy is an outing to Aberdeen to take on Gordonians, last season’s National League Division 3 champions, on Saturday, September 9, at 3pm, with the reverse fixture lined up for Saturday, November 18, at 2pm.

Week three of next season – Saturday, September 16 – sees the Fifers hosting Newton Stewart, with kick-off at 3pm, and the reverse fixture in Dumfries and Galloway is on Saturday, December 2, at 2pm.

A trip to Edinburgh to take on Stewart’s Melville follows on Saturday, September 23, at 3pm, with the capital side heading in the opposite direction on Saturday, December 9, at 2pm.

Aberdeen Grammar head south to Beveridge Park on Saturday, September 30, at 3pm and the Fifers play them on their home turf on Saturday, December 16, at 2pm, concluding their campaign for 2023.

Saturday, October 7, brings a trip to Stirling County, with kick-off at 3pm, the reverse fixture being the Fifers’ first diary date for 2024, on Saturday, January 13, at 2pm.

Kirkcaldy are at home to Berwick on Saturday, October 21, at 3pm, and they head south of the English border to play them again on Saturday, January 20, at 2pm.

Another home game follows on Saturday, October 28, versus Falkirk, with kick-off at 3pm, and the reverse fixture is on Saturday, January 27, at 2pm.

November begins with a journey to the Borders to play Peebles on Saturday the 4th at 2pm, and the Pees head in the opposite direction on Saturday, February 17, with kick-off at the same time, to wrap up proceedings for the season, postponements permitting.