On Friday night under the floodlights, Whitecraigs P7s travelled to Greenock for a friendly match designed to help both teams prepare for the transition from P7 rugby to the larger pitch and new rules they will experience at U13 level.

Players from both sides ran out of the tunnel to their favourite music before kick-off, creating a great atmosphere for what promised to be an exciting evening of rugby.

P7 Warm up match
The teams began with a warm-up match played under P7 rules, where both sides quickly showed fantastic tackling technique and strong defensive effort. Whitecraigs opened the scoring after some effective rucking through the middle created space for a long run to the try line.

Greenock responded well, working together to move the ball out to the wing and fighting hard to get on the scoreboard.

Multiple tries followed for both teams, with Whitecraigs just managing to edge ahead by the end of the match.

U13 Training match
After the warm-up game, play transitioned to a full-size pitch using U13 rules. Both teams adapted well to the larger field, playing a wider passing game and showing quick thinking and strong transitional play compared to the earlier match.

Learnings from the U13 Game
Players on both sides initially found the wider pitch and additional space harder to defend, but quickly began to adapt their play to take this into account.

Strong tackles to slow down the opposition, combined with the pace needed to chase down breakaway runners, became important as both teams worked hard to push their opponents back.

Thanks and Final Thoughts
A big thank you to Greenock for hosting Whitecraigs and helping create a great learning experience for both teams. Matches like this are a fantastic way to prepare players for the next stage of their rugby journey.

If you're interested in playing for Whitecrags please visit our introducing new players section.