Highland Rugby Club plan to place 100 rugby balls throughout the region as part of their centenary celebrations.
And they want to hear from you – as they look for spots to leave the balls in order to encourage play by people of all ages.
The Inverness club is asking people where they would like a rugby ball placed in order to encourage people, of all ages, to just pick it up and have some sporting fun.
The eye-catching initiative has been driven forward by development officer Ruaridh MacDonald.
MacDonald described how the game-plan will work to engage people to get involved.
He said: “The idea is for anyone at all who is interested to pick up the ball and have a kick or pass around with it.
“Some people might want to play or try rugby in the end, while other people might just want to have fun for 10 minutes. If that happens, it has done its job.
🏉🏉100 Balls for the Community🦅🟢🔴
Where would you like a ball to be left?
As part of our Centenary Celebrations, we are going to leave 100 balls in parks and open spaces around our area for people to play with. #HighlandCentenary #HereForHighland #TheHighlandWay pic.twitter.com/ih7caxd0IN— Highland Rugby Club 🦅 (@HighlandRFC) June 14, 2022
“It’s not really about the club, it’s more about the communities. Now that we can all get out and about again after Covid, everyone can go out and enjoy it.
“We’re looking at putting balls at the likes of Nairn and Dores beaches, so it won’t just be in parks. The rugby balls will be as clearly visible as possible – we want them to be used.
“We tried it before Covid, so it’s not a brand new idea, but I felt we could do it again this year and tie it in with our 100-year celebration.
“Our previous development officer, Iain Chisholm, first thought of this idea and it has developed from there.”
Wide area will be covered by club
And MacDonald explained just how far the rugby balls might reach.
He added: “It will cover all of our rugby catchment area, including Drumnadrochit, through the city (of Inverness) and to Nairn and down to Grantown and Kingussie.
The web address for the Centenary Events Calendar has been updated (see updated web link in photograph) or click on the link below to go straight to the site👇https://t.co/KxCqshnnCa#highlandcentenary #thehighlandway pic.twitter.com/L0rg6V7eaX
— Highland Rugby Club 🦅 (@HighlandRFC) November 3, 2021
“We have had a few requests from over the (Kessock) Bridge, but that is Ross Sutherland area, so we might not venture that far.
“Also, we wouldn’t want to use shinty pitches in Kingussie for example, so we will be cautious about where to put the rugby balls.
“We have put the question out there, but we have a list of places already in mind. We just wanted to know whether there is any area we have missed.
“Although it’s 100 balls for the club’s centenary, we actually will have 148 balls. We have contacts throughout the area with our community coaches and if we are passing an area which has requested it we will leave a ball there for the community to use.
“These are balls not used by the club any more, so we felt the best use of them was to put them out for community use.”
You can get in touch with the club via its social media channels to suggest a place for a rugby ball to be discovered.
Conversation