Moray Rugby Club's very own version of Scotland star Duhan van der Merwe leads try surge as head coach Cameron Hughes hails title-winning effort
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Crowned Tennent’s Caledonia North Division 2 champions in their centenary year, Moray Rugby Club have what it takes to rise the ranks even higher.
Player/coach Cameron Hughes, who scored the first of ten tries in a 66-10 romp over RAF Lossiemouth which sealed the title on Saturday, sees no reason why Moray can’t progress to the national leagues.
They will now play in the top north division, with the next step up from there being into the Tennent’s National League with the bigger clubs from the Borders and Central Belt.
“It’s something we are all looking forward to,” said Hughes. “I still don’t think this is the finished article for us.
“For all the games we have won this season, we probably haven’t played a full 80 minute game, which I think is quite exciting.
“Previously for a few teams who have been promoted to Caley 1, that’s been their ceiling. But I think for us we are not touching it yet.
“All the boys realise with the potential we have as a squad, we can potentially get a bit of national rugby at some point which would be awesome.”
Moray’s campaign opened with defeat to Highland Raptors, before they won their next 15 league encounters in a row to steamroller their way to league glory.
On the way, the team scored more than 120 tries with an attacking brand of rugby adopted by their first team coach.
Hughes returned to the Moray area two years ago when he was appointed as the club’s first full-time rugby development officer, as well as coaching for and playing for the team.
Playing at centre, Hughes has managed to score 15 tries over the campaign yet is only the club’s fourth leading points scorer.
Full back Rory Millar must surely be the highest scorer in Scottish club rugby after amassing a stunning 279 points from 16 tries, 83 conversions and nine penalties.
Powerful winger Lewis Scott has battered his way through for 26 tries over the course of the title-winning year.
“The type of rugby we play, we look to find that space out wide and Rory moving to 15 has been a really good call for him,” Hughes said.
“He’s got so many attributes, he’s fast, he’s got a good side step and a kicking game and in that 15 channel, he is thriving.
“Big Lewis Scott on the wing is our version of (Scotland international star) Duhan Van Der Merwe really. He runs straight and he’s a hard man to bring down.
“Our structure is really based around our forwards and the way they have added to their game in terms of their ball carrying and the ball movement we have from 1 to 8 has been a game changer. They create the space and we are quite fortunate that we get to finish it most of the time.
Moray also beat Division 1 side Ellon in the National Shield to prepare them for the level of opposition they will face next season.
“That was a real confidence booster,” Hughes added. If we can beat a team of that quality we can beat others.
“Ellon have had a couple of big results and the gap isn’t as big as we might have thought it was. We deserved to win it as well.
“No-one really planned this to happen in our centenary year. I didn’t want to rush things, if we were going to get promoted I wanted it to happen naturally and it has been a natural progression.”
