Aberdeen Grammar coach Greig Ryan knows the road back up the leagues of Scottish club rugby will be an arduous one for his club.
Grammar’s fate was sealed last weekend as they were relegated to National 2.
It has been back-to-back relegations for the Rubislaw outfit but Ryan hopes the lessons learned from the campaign will serve the squad well next season.
He said: “It has been a tough season. It’s been a learning curve for everyone at the club.
“It seems like we’re having the same conversation every week. We’re not a million miles away and there have been games where the score flattered the other team.
“It’s been a tough season physically and mentally and we need to reassess and rebuild from there.”
Pandemic hit hard at Grammar
The club’s struggles this season – they have won three of 19 games – has not come as a surprise to the coaching staff given the need to rebuild the squad.
Ryan said: “It’s been a transitional time for the club since Covid. We’ve had older players including myself, Chris Jollands, guys who have retired, moved on or moved away.
“There’s no doubt we were an older squad. I was 36.”
‘Clubs in the city are competing for the same players’
Across the city, Gordonians have thrived with Jim Greenwood’s side on the verge of winning promotion back to National 2 after winning all 17 of their games to date in National 3.
Derbies will be back on the agenda next season with Gordonians and Grammar competing in the same division.
Ryan said: “Aberdeen is a small place with a lot of rugby teams and we’re all fighting for the same players.
“Gordonians have done really well on that front and they are flying high.
“Jimmy Greenwood and Ryan Morrice have a lot of good players and worked really well to build up their squad.
“We need to rebuild the club back up to where it should be but it is going to take five or six years to do that.
“But it’s not easy.”
Ryan looking to lay down a marker for next season
Grammar’s relegation was confirmed following a 26-15 home defeat by Highland last weekend but Ryan believes there are positives to be taken going into the final three matches of the season.
The Grammar co-lead coach, whose side travel to Biggar tomorrow, said: “On Saturday against Highland the lads put on a great performance but it’s small areas like 2v1s or missed tackles, things we can improve on, which we need to look at.
“The one thing we can’t fault is the players’ work ethic in training or their spirit. They’re still turning up every week and putting in a shift for us.
“We will try blood a few players and get the guys playing a shape we want to play before the break for the summer.”
Conversation