Dundee happy to be a 'stepping stone' for talent in quest to maintain club's steady progress

LIKE CURRIE and Ayr, Dundee HSFP are something of an outsider to the establishment of Scottish rugby.

The Edinburgh clubs that emanated from private schools, the famous Border clubs, West of Scotland and even the relative newcomers Glasgow Hawks, by dint of their early success, are regularly viewed as the firmament in the Scottish game.

Dundee HSFP RFC was founded in 1880 and joined the first 30 or so SRU member clubs in 1920, so are hardly newcomers, but their inability to remain at the top table has moved them outside the solid core of leading lights. However, inspiration has come from the sides last year christened the 'New Firm' of Scottish rugby, Currie and Ayr, who have driven a bulldozer-wide trail through that tidy landscape with a welcome degree of strength and style. Dundee have striven to find a balance between retaining their strong links with the High School, but at the same time widen their attraction across what remains a football-orientated city and provide an outlet for ambitious rugby players. The school's development of rugby and investment in facilities mean the rugby club has to retain good relations for the sake of its own future, but it also needs more of Tayside's youth to switch from the round-ball game.

Keeping Dundee among the top clubs in Scotland is one way to help turn some heads and last season's fourth-place finish, in their first season back in the top flight, is the sure route to consolidation. Their website has several mentions of how a season ore two at Mayfield could provide the perfect stepping stone to the professional ranks, with a good style of rugby on offer. Dundee's director of rugby Ian Rankin is also working hard to tap into the university links in the city. He acknowledges that the early start to this season does not help, with many student players needing to find accommodation to return and play some weeks before the term begins, but he is keen to explore further attractions around the universities in any case.

"I am always keen to provide an avenue for people in this area to progress their careers," he explained, "and we talk a lot about how we can provide a stepping stone into professional rugby for local lads, those who come here to study and others from surrounding areas.

"We are currently looking at sports scholarships at university. It is something that is used a lot down south and abroad to help young people keen to pursue their studies and who also harbour ambitions in sport. I think there is scope for us to be doing more of that. Scottish rugby is changing and a lot of clubs are moving towards a semi-professional route, which would be tough for us, but I think our fourth place last season proved you can still compete with the leading sides.Having money doesn't necessarily mean everything is right within the club."

That desire to provide a stepping stone to the pro ranks is clear, however, in Rankin's recruitment of some of the east coast's top young talent, namely Scotland U19s centre Fraser Clark from Howe of Fife, and a tri of under-18 caps in Jamie Urquhart from Dollar Academy, Gavin Robertson from Melrose and Andrew Redmayne of Kilmarnock, who have headed to Tayside to study. Dunfermline stand-off Ali O'Connor is now teaching at Bell Baxter and so pitches up as does Harris no8 Richie McIvor, while former Ulster second row Andrew Linton, Simon Forrest, a hooker from Otago, Canadian Conor Wade and Rick McKenna, a stand-off-cum-full-back from Taranaki have landed in the city, which should ease the loss of Cammy Ferguson and Stefan Dryer to Heriot's, Aubrey Horton to Glasgow Hawks and the retired Lindsay Graham.

Rankin is a shrewd operator and is also hopeful of some Glasgow backs being available from the draft, a system he believes has huge benefits to the pro players but also in lifting the standards of the club game.

"We're all looking at Premier One being a real performance tool for Scottish rugby, and that's the approach we have in Dundee - to use the club game to bring through talent and help it progress to the next level. To be successful at that though you have to be competitive at the top and that's the aim again this season. But we know it's going to be tough."

COACHES: Ian Rankin, Alan Clarke and JJ van der Esch.

CAPTAIN: Richie Hawkins

INS: Fraser Clark (Howe of Fife), Jamie Urquhart (Dollar Acad), Gavin Robertson (Melrose), Andrew Redmayne (Kilmarnock), Richie McIvor (Harris), Ali O'Connor (Dunfermline), Andrew Linton (Ulster), Simon Forrest (Otago), Conor Wade (Canadian rugby) Rick McKenna (Taranaki).

OUTS: Cammy Ferguson and Stefan Dryer (both Heriot's), Aubrey Horton (Glasgow Hawks), Lindsay Graham (retired), Shannon Wilson (Morgan Academy coach).

DRAFT PROS: Peter Horne, Peter Murchie, Hefin O'Hare, Rob Dewey, Graeme Morrison, DTH van der Merwe (all Glasgow).

LAST SEASON: Fourth in league, second round of cup