Glasgow High Kelvinside , often abbreviated to GHK, is an amateur

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

club in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

. They currently play in Scottish National League Division One.

History

Glasgow High Kelvinside was formed in 1982 by the merger of Kelvinside Academy and

High School of Glasgow The High School of Glasgow is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, co-educational day school, day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the Cathedral school, choir school of Glasgow Cathe ...

rugby clubs; Kelvinside Academicals and Glasgow HSFP. Both Glasgow High FP and Kelvinside Accies were struggling clubs at the time: Glasgow High in the Third Division; Kelvinside Academicals in the Fifth Division.

Impact of professionalism

When professionalism was finally allowed by the

International Rugby Football Board World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rug ...

in 1995, Scotland took a while to adapt. The SRU decided to make Scotland's four district teams professional in 1996. Glasgow's district team became the professional rugby union team now known as Glasgow Warriors. However it was recognised that the amateur Glasgow clubs might provide a better pathway to professionalism for their players if some of the amateur Glasgow area clubs merged. The clubs considered for merger were Glasgow High Kelvinside,

Glasgow Academicals The Glasgow Academical Football Club is the third oldest rugby football club in Scotland. The club was also a founder member of the Scottish Football Union (the future SRU) in 1873. History Glasgow Hawks In 1997 the decision was made t ...

and West of Scotland. Taking an initial letter each from High, Academicals, West and Kelvinside it was proposed the new side would be called the Glasgow Hawks. The Milngavie-based club West of Scotland pulled out of the planned merger. Nevertheless,

and Glasgow High Kelvinside did merge in 1997. The name Hawks was kept for the merged team.

Glasgow Hawks

The merger of the two sides was not without its detractors and a few on each side of the GHK - Academical fence were concerned about losing their history in the new side.

continued as a league side the following year in 1998 but they had to start again at the bottom rung of the league structure.

Glasgow High Kelvinside reborn

Following the Academicals example of starting again, Glasgow High Kelvinside also started again in the bottom rung of the league structure. However they remain associated with the Glasgow Hawks. In June 2014, former Glasgow Warriors and GHK player Cameron Little was announced as the head coach at the club for the 2015–16 season. The club won promotion to Scottish National League Division Three after winning all 18 league matches in the 2014–15 season. It followed that up by winning the Scottish National League Division Three title in the 2015–16 season and gaining promotion to the Scottish National League Division Two in the 2016–17 season. In 2020 Peter Wright "The Teapot" was named as head coach. In the 2021/2022 season, they won promotion to Scottish National League Division One.

Sevens

The club once ran the Glasgow High Kelvinside Sevens tournament. Kelvinside Academicals had a history with Sevens - running their own tournament in 1922 and then from 1974 to 1981, with teams playing for the Minerva Cup. Glasgow HSFP ran theirs on just one occasion in 1929. (Glasgow HSFP won the 1922 Kelvinside Academicals Sevens, Dunfermline won the Glasgow HSFP Sevens of 1929.) When the sides merged as Glasgow High Kelvinside the Glasgow High Kelvinside Sevens tournament still offered the Minerva Cup for its winners from 1982 until it folded in 1989.

Honours

* Scottish National League Division Two: 2021-2022 * Scottish National League Division Three: 2015–16 * Langholm Sevens: 1995 * Clarkston Sevens: 1984 * Greenock Sevens: 1984, 1987 * Ayr Sevens: 1994 * Allan Glen's Sevens: 1984 * Hillhead Jordanhill Sevens: 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 * Hillhead Sevens: 1985, 1987 * Bearsden Sevens: 1990 * Glasgow University Sevens: 1987 * Helensburgh Sevens: 1986 * Lochaber Sevens: 1992 * Cambuslang Sevens: 1990

Notable former players

Scotland internationalists

The following former Glasgow High Kelvinside players have represented

at full international level.

Glasgow Warriors

The following former Glasgow High Kelvinside players have represented Glasgow Warriors at professional level.

References

External links

GHK website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Glasgow High Kelvinside RFC Rugby clubs established in 1982 Scottish rugby union teams Rugby union in Glasgow 1982 establishments in Scotland Sports teams in Glasgow