THE RBS RugbyForce weekend at Langholm proved to be a great success, with considerable work carried out on and around the Milntown pitch and buildings by a group of hard-working volunteers, writes John Smith.
And the club were delighted when SRU president Alan Lawson turned up on Saturday for the first day of the nationwide event.
And Scotland rugby internationals Stuart Hogg and Lee Jones put the youngsters through mini rugby skills, signed shirts and conducted a Q and A session.
The RBS RugbyForce 2012 initiative was launched last week by Gala international Chris Paterson and developed to encourage clubs across Scotland to open their doors to the local community, raise the profile of the game and launch the new domestic rugby season.
There was a good turnout of volunteers, including players and coaches, who turned up to help mend and spruce up Milntown, with considerable work done on the pitch improvement. The women kept everyone fed and watered over the weekend.
A number of RBS employees were there to give their support and the youngsters certainly enjoyed themselves.
The RBS staff presented a cheque to the club and the Saturday ended with a barbecue and beer for the volunteers, who had worked tirelessly on what was a rather hot day. The volunteers were back on the Sunday for another busy day.