Jersey Reds have added an additional match to the club’s schedule for the current season, with Ayrshire Bulls visiting the Island from Scotland on the final weekend of March.
The Bulls are the reigning Champions of the part-time professional league north of the border, the FOSROC Super6, and will be using the friendly match on Saturday March 26th as part of their preparation for a new campaign beginning in mid-April.
It will be the first time the Reds have taken on Scottish opponents since a trio of matches against Ayr RFC in 2014 and 2015, with the fixture enabling the home side to bridge the gap between the conclusion of the RFU Championship season and Championship Cup matches scheduled for April and May.
Jersey Director of Rugby Harvey Biljon said: “It will be great to welcome Ayrshire Bulls to Stade Santander International – we are looking forward to the challenge of taking on a team whose last match was a cup final win.”
Peter Horne (pictured above), the former Scottish international and now Head Coach for the Bulls, added:
“Everyone at the Bulls is excited to test ourselves against some quality opposition. We have an aspirational squad and competing against a full-time professional outfit who are flying high in the Championship will motivate the boys to bring out their best and help us prepare for the new season.
“It will also be a great chance for our guys to enjoy each other’s company for a couple of days somewhere slightly warmer and sunnier than the west coast of Scotland!”
First staged in 2019, the FOSROC Super6 provides a stepping stone between the domestic club game in Scotland and the fully-professional teams based in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with six teams based at established clubs. Last October the Bulls defeated Melrose-based rivals Southern Knights in the final of the tournament by 26-16.
Two members of the current Reds squad, Steve Longwell and Tom Everard, formerly played for the Bulls, as did Jersey Reds Athletic prop Ewan Davies.
The Reds and Ayr RFC were paired in the 2013/14 British & Irish Cup, with the Reds winning 28-16 on home turf but the Scots taking revenge with a 14-13 win at Millbrae. In August 2014 Ayr visited Jersey again for a pre-season match which resulted in a comfortable win for the Island side.
The fixture on Saturday March 26th will kick off at 3pm, with ticket details to be announced shortly. For full fixture information, including the Championship Cup, see HERE.
