The Scottish Touch Academy took four teams to the European Youth Touch Championships at the University of Warwick in August: Boys 15s, Mixed 15s, Mixed 18s and Mixed 20s. It was the Academy’s largest group of teams since before Covid and the first time it has sent a Boys 15s side. All four reached bronze medal matches, and two came home with medals.
Across the tournament, 62 players competed in 30 games and scored 183 tries. Seven players earned their 25th Academy cap and one reached 30. They were backed by 22 staff: coaches, a coach development lead, a youth development lead, team and tour managers, physios and a photographer.
The work started long before August. More than 100 players came to trials this year, 96 joined the high-performance squads, and the teams trained together over 11 sessions. The pathway also runs beyond youth level. Ten Academy players represented Scotland at Open level, and twelve Academy coaches and team managers represented Scotland at Open or Senior level at the European Touch Championships in Vichy.
Players and families have been clear about what the summer gave them. One player said: “I liked the attention the coaches gave each player and how they reacted to our feedback.” A parent described the trip as “a phenomenal memory for everyone that went beyond touch rugby and developed life and social skills in the children”. Another player went straight back to training after Warwick and has already decided: “I will definitely be trialling for next year, it was that good.”
Looking ahead
Next year starts soon. The 2027 cycle opens with taster sessions in November. Academy trials follow in December, and squad training starts in January. The tasters are open to all new players and to current Academy players. We are encouraging Academy players to come along for some practice before trials.
Taster sessions
- Sunday 8 November: RPC Dundee, Caird Park, Mains Loan, Dundee, DD4 9BX. 2pm to 5pm.
- Saturday 28 November: Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, O’Donnell Way, Motherwell, ML1 2TZ. 1pm to 4pm.
Register your interest for the tasters here.
The target for next summer is the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup, with dates and venue still to be confirmed. The Academy hopes to take more than four teams if the numbers are there, at Under-14, Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20. Those are the new age categories the Federation of International Touch (FIT) is introducing this year.
The November tasters are open to everyone: new players, and Academy players who want some practice before the December trials. That includes anyone who was at Warwick.
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