Warrior Ed lets school kids get up close and personal

Apr 2 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

TOMORROW’S rugby stars of West Lothian were put through their paces last week when an international star passed on pearls of his wisdom to county schoolchildren.

Livingston Rugby Club hosted a festival last Friday for secondary pupils from across West Lothian.

Almost 40 pupils in S1 and S2 at Whitburn, Armadale and Broxburn academies took part in the fun-filled day and were delighted when Scotland A and Glasgow Warriors player Ed Kalman dropped in to pass on coaching tips to the young players.

Ed also hosted a question-and-answer session which gave those in attendance a glimpse into the life of a professional rugby player.

Livingston Development Officer Craig Bolan organised the event and admitted it was a great success.

He said: “It was great to have Ed at the festival passing on his knowledge to players, some of whom were playing rugby for the first time.

“The players had a fun afternoon and Ed was really enthusiastic when helping with tackling drills and answering some challenging questions.”

The festival also gave players a chance to participate in competitive games against other schools and the standard of rugby was very high.

The support from teachers at the three schools was invaluable and helped to boost participation levels across West Lothian.

Meanwhile, Broxburn have launched a team at S1/2 level this year while at senior level Broxburn and Whitburn are currently taking part in the Central and West Lothian Schools cup for the first time.