Dalziel Rugby Club marks 33rd annual Festival of Youth Rugby
Over 900 young players descended on Dalziel Park, hailing from across the UK – from local teams like Hamilton, Strathaven, Uddingston and East Kilbride to travelling sides from Ulster, Sale, and Bowdon.
Dalziel Rugby Club marked their 33rd annual Festival of Youth Rugby, a lasting tribute to the late Alan Calder, who founded the tournament in 1991.
Over 900 young players descended on Dalziel Park, hailing from across the UK – from local teams like Hamilton, Strathaven, Uddingston and East Kilbride to travelling sides from Ulster, Sale, and Bowdon.
The turnout underlined the growing status of the Lanarkshire festival as a much-prized date on the youth rugby circuit.
Teams battled it out across multiple age groups, with Dalziel enjoying home success in the U14 boys' and girls' categories.
Club President John Mathieson said: 'To see Dalziel Park packed with young talent, proud families and passionate volunteers is a true reflection of what our club stands for.
'This is our 101st year as a club – and to mark that with our 33rd festival is something really special. The legacy of Alan Calder continues to inspire and unite people from near and far.'
This year's main sponsor, Millburn Construction, received heartfelt thanks from organisers, alongside numerous other generous backers and volunteers.
Festival co-ordinator Graham Calder, son of the late Alan, added: 'We simply couldn't do this without our sponsors, and I want to give particular thanks to Millburn Construction for their outstanding support.
'Behind the scenes, it's the effort of dozens of individuals – giving up their time, energy, and resources – that keeps this festival growing from strength to strength.
'My dad believed in creating opportunities for every child, regardless of ability, to fall in love with rugby. That spirit lives on here.'
* Don't miss the latest hea dlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Lewis Hamilton risks wrath of his beloved Roscoe after he is seen petting Chief Mouser Larry the Cat at meeting with PM
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR LEWIS HAMILTON has risked the wrath of his beloved dog Roscoe... after he was seen petting Larry the Cat. Formula One superstar Hamilton is well known to be a socially conscious person, and leads his Mission 44 project to support young people in their education. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Lewis Hamilton risked the wrath of his dog, Roscoe, after he was seen petting Larry the Cat Credit: Lauren Hurley 5 Hamilton said his 'heart stops' when he gets a message about his beloved pet pooch Credit: Instagram @roscoelovescoco 5 12-year-old Roscoe is often seen alongside Hamilton Credit: Instagram @lewishamilton 5 Hamilton's visit to Downing Street came for a meeting on education reform Credit: Crown Copyright To that end, the 40-year-old was seen in attendance at Downing Street earlier this week for a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to discuss education reform. During his visit, the seven-time F1 world champion took some time out from the meetings to introduce himself to Number 10's Chief Mouser, Larry. Larry has served in the role since 2011 after being adopted by then PM David Cameron. Born in 2007, the tabby is as old as Hamilton's F1 career when he started out with McLaren in the same year. READ MORE IN F1 MAX FUR-STAPPEN F1 stars' pets from driver with THIRTEEN cats to Insta dog and a REINDEER Taking to social media, the (un)official Larry the Cat account shared a photo of Hamilton petting the feline as he laid on his bed by a window. He captioned the post: "Thanks for the stroke. @LewisHamilton - love from the sleeping cat to the prancing horse x." It was a bit of a change of pace for Hamilton, who is usually seen alongside his French bulldog Roscoe. And one fan on social media was quick to point out: "If Roscoe ever sees this picture he will never forgive LH." BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK However, Roscoe's most recent Instagram post showed him being given a tasty treat, showing Hamilton knows the way to the heart of man's best friend. Hamilton has not had the best interaction with cats in the past, revealing last year how he had black cats "thrown" at him. Lewis Hamilton's beloved dog Roscoe diagnosed with pneumonia as carer gives health update He also landed himself in trouble with animal rights activists in 2016 when he was seen playing with a tiger and jaguar during a visit to Mexico City's Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation. But most fans were loving the crossover of two British icons, with one saying: "Two legends in the same photo." A second said: "Oh what an honour! (For Lewis)." A third added: "Prime Minister Larry deigns to share some of his aura with Lewis. I respect that." Another joked: "Ahh I guess Lewis's demands to Sir Keir Starmer proved futile and Lewis went over Keir's head to the real power in Number 10." The Ferrari star admitted last month that he worries about his 12-year-old pooch following a recent battle he had with pneumonia. Hamilton said: "This is a time where every time I get a text message from the lady who looks after him, my heart stops for a second. "Because I'm thinking, 'What's next?' But he's fine now, fortunately. He is doing well. 'I never felt like my voice was heard' - Lewis Hamilton on education reform Hamilton's appearance at Downing Street was for more than just saying hello to Larry the Cat, but in fact was down to his goal of pushing for education reform in the UK. On his visit, Hamilton said: "I struggled in school and never felt like my voice was heard, that's why I know first-hand that ensuring every student feels they belong in school is vital. "I'm grateful that, off the back of this meeting, the government has committed to working with Mission 44 to enact change focused on making the education system more inclusive. "I'm so proud of how far Mission 44 has come in such a short space of time and the opportunity we have to transform the lives of vulnerable students across the country." In a previous interview with the Sunday Times, Hamilton revealed: "When I was in my 20s, I had some really difficult phases. "I've struggled with mental health throughout my life. [I've had] depression. "From a very early age, when I was, like, 13. "I think it was the pressure of the racing and struggling at school. "The bullying. I had no one to talk to.' "He's 12 and a half years old, so he's an old boy and it's unusual for them to live that long." The duo have practically been inseparable for a decade, and even appear together on the front cover of a recent edition of Vogue. When quizzed on Roscoe's next appearance, Hamilton said: "I really want to take him to Silverstone, and particularly Monza, this year. "I plan to put him in a red cape and outfit. I was with him before Miami and he still wants to play. "He's still got that youthful spirit. But he does like to sleep a lot." Roscoe's trainer, Kirstin McMillan, nursed the vegan canine back to full fitness after he fell ill in April, as he was treated with medication and specialist acupuncture treatment. Meanwhile, Hamilton has been struggling to extract the best out of his Ferrari machinery, and - outside of a Sprint Race win - is yet to score a podium with the Scuderia after joining them over the winter. The Brit appeared close to tears during an interview with Sky Sports F1 after he finished P6 at the Spanish Grand Prix. He later showed his class by apologising for snapping at reporter Rachel Brooks. Hamilton will have a chance at redemption at the Canadian Grand Prix on June 15. 5
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton admits he's close to demanding Ferrari change as F1 woes continue
Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult race at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend despite a better qualifying effort, as his difficulties since joining Ferrari continue Lewis Hamilton admitted he could soon ask Ferrari to focus fully on their preparations for the 2026 season. Such a shift would be seen as giving up on what has so far been a difficult debut campaign for the seven-time Formula 1 champion with his new team. Despite all the hype around one of the most high-profile driver moves in F1 history, there has been little for Hamilton to write home about so far in 2025. Other than one victory and a podium, both in Sprint races, his results have been underwhelming. Part of that has been put down to his difficulties adapting to his new surroundings, but it is clear that Ferrari as a team have had a poor start. Last year they ran McLaren close for the constructors' title but, nine rounds into the current season, they are already 197 points adrift of the leaders. They also have not won any of the nine Grands Prix held so far, though Charles Leclerc has managed three podium finishes. The Monegasque is fifth in the drivers' standings with 94 points, one place and 23 points ahead of Hamilton. The Brit's qualifying had been a key issue but the last two races have been encouraging in that regard. He was particularly happy last Saturday night in Barcelona having qualified fifth for the Spanish Grand Prix, two places ahead of his team-mate. But while Leclerc came roaring through on the Sunday, rising to the podium positions, Hamilton struggled for pace. He limped to finish sixth after Max Verstappen's late penalty, having been overtaken by the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg late on, and said it was the "worst race I've experienced". He will hope to have a more competitive Ferrari to drive next time out at the Canadian Grand Prix, but did not sound too confident when asked if he felt that might be the case. "I don't know, if I'm honest," Hamilton replied. And he suggested focusing on their 2026 plans might be a better use of Ferrari's resources, adding: "I don't know what upgrades we have coming. We haven't had an upgrade for quite some time. We'll keep pushing with what we have but, before too soon, I'll be just saying focus on next year. "So building foundations this year, learning about the tools in terms of structure, in terms of our processes, nailing those so when we arrive next year we'll be with the car that we really want." In contrast, though Leclerc knows it will be "very tough" to fight against the dominant McLarens, he vowed: "I'll give everything until the end. "I hope this weekend helps us to do a step in the right direction and then, hopefully with new parts as soon as possible, we can then take the lead in terms of performance on track at least. That will help us to hope for better, but we cannot afford to lose too many races."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton's character clear as rival makes admission about F1 relationship
Isack Hadjar has opened up about his relationship with Lewis Hamilton, admitting that he doesn't seek driving advice from the seven-time world champion as he is still a rival Lewis Hamilton has demonstrated his competitive edge, refraining from giving rookie Isack Hadjar any tips despite their budding rapport. The Formula 1 icon, who is experiencing a challenging debut season with Ferrari after his high-profile departure from Mercedes, has yet to secure even a single podium finish in his opening nine races for the Prancing Horse. At the Spanish Grand Prix, where he achieved a respectable seventh-place finish, 20-year-old Racing Bulls up-and-comer Hadjar opened up about his interactions with Hamilton, who is 20 years his senior. Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he said: "It's always nice to race with him, spend time with him. "Sometimes talking to him is great because he's someone I've supported since I was very young. And now being alongside his father great; we get along well. Obviously, there's a big age gap. There's a lot of respect." Despite sharing track time and forming a personal connection with the seven-time world champion, Hadjar also explained that the nature of their competition limits the extent of Hamilton's guidance. He added: "He doesn't give me much advice because we're still rivals. If I need advice, I'll ask, but I don't need help. I don't like asking for help; I prefer to learn on my own," reports the Express. Elsewhere, Hadjar also explained his excitement to share the grid with Fernando Alonso, who is currently driving for Aston Martin following stints with Renault, Alpine, McLaren and Ferrari. He added: "It's weird because he was in F1 when I wasn't even born. "When he was at Ferrari, I was a big fan. It's very strange, but at the same time, I give everything I have against him when I meet him on the track. "I've been against him in Jeddah, I think. It's great to fight people like that, it's amazing." Yet, when it comes to his early influences, the French-Algerian racer said that his style was more shaped by Hamilton than 2005 and 2006 champion Alonso. He added: "Growing up, I was more of a fan of Hamilton's driving style. "His race management on Saturday when he was in Mercedes. I wasn't watching the Grand Prix, I was just putting on Lewis' onboard camera and watching the race. I learned a lot from him." It's been a standout season so far for Hadjar, who was bumped up to Racing Bulls after Liam Lawson joined forces with Max Verstappen at the main Red Bull team. Despite a rocky start at the Australian GP back in March, the young driver has shown considerable potential throughout the season. Hadjar has managed to finish just one spot behind Hamilton in Japan, Monaco and Spain this year and has outperformed Alonso in every race except the Australian GP - an impressive feat given his relative inexperience compared to the seasoned pros. Currently sitting ninth in the F1 standings, fans are keen to see just how far up the ladder Hadjar can climb this season. His next hurdle is the Canadian GP at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next weekend, as we approach the mid-point of the season.
