WINTER arrived in Troon with a vengeance and wiped out all of Marr Rugby’s matches.

The Marr College youth sides had been scheduled to meet local rivals Ayr/Wellington whilst Marr’s senior 1st XV and 3rd XV squads were due to be at home to Peebles and Ardrossan and the 2nd XV planned to travel to Biggar.

However by 8amt was clear that the overnight frost and sub-zero temperature meant that no matches would be played.

This meant a rugby free(ish) day at Fullarton but certainly not a day off. Marr College 1st XV coaches Keith Dunsmuir and Gregor Ness set up a gym session for their players to help prepare for their forthcoming Scottish cup semi-final.

They are due to meet Queen Victoria School, Dunblane or North Berwick High School on January 30 at Troon.

Meanwhile many of Marr Rugby’s senior players took part in an extended training session starting in the gym and then followed by a workout on the beach. Several of the 1st XV enjoyed a well-earned opportunity to rest and recover from recent injuries and the good news is that this includes the impending return from long term injury of McKenzie Pearce. The player sustained a broken foot and been unable to play since early October ans his return helps to strengthen Marr’s senior squad at a time when it is under growing pressure from injuries and other factors leading to player unavailability.

For the remainder of the season, Marr Rugby will be without the services of full-back Rory McGee who is shortly about to embark on a six-month sabbatical and carry out charity work with the Bhubesi Pride Foundation in nine African countries, starting in Kenya. Bhubesi Pride assembles teams of committed volunteers to carry out annual rugby coaching expeditions, using the sport as a tool for education and development in Africa.

The club are supporting Rory and he has taken a career break from his role as Rugby Development Officer for the club.

Rory has been a key figure in Marr Rugby’s 1st XV since 2009. His development officer role is being covered on a temporary basis by Zane Burn who has been acting as Assistant Development Officer and who will ensure continued delivery of the school of rugby at Marr College.

The Troon club's player/coach Paul Burke will have to give up his coaching role and he is likely to be unavailable for any of Marr’s remaining matches. after a work promotion which will shortly see him become Acting General Manager running Bannatyne's in Inverness. This is a great and much deserved career move for Paul who has been pivotal, along with head coach Craig Redpath, in transforming Marr’s players’ individual and team performances at senior level.

On the playing front Marr Rugby now start to build for the coming weekend’s matches. The 1st XV travel to make their first ever visit to Raeburn Place in Edinburgh where they will play Edinburgh Accies, Scotland’s oldest rugby club. Marr Rugby’s 2s have an important home fixture against Aberdeenshire whilst the 3s are also at home against table leaders Greenock 2s..