The Saltire Energy Caledonia Cup, the largest Youth Rugby Finals Day in the country, will be hosted by Scottish Rugby and Sport Aberdeen on Sunday 1 May at Sheddocksley playing fields.

A total of 32 teams from across the Caledonia region will congregate in Aberdeen. The sides have competed in a series of regional leagues and then Cup, Shield, and Bowl knockout rounds, culminating in 24 boys’ and 6 girls’ teams reaching Sunday’s Finals Day event. The series of games will be played in three intervals, with the first kicking off at 10.30am.

Sport Aberdeen will also be investing additional resources to introduce two new rugby pitches to the facility at Sheddocksley with the vision of bringing regular rugby activity to the community following the Finals Day.

“We are thrilled to be co-hosting this prestigious rugby event with Scottish Rugby and sponsors Saltire Energy.

“We hope the event will act as a catalyst for rugby development in the Sheddocksley, Mastrick and Northfield areas, inspiring more young people to participate in a sport which is not only enjoyable, but helps to develop key life skills including teamwork and communication.

“We wish all participants the best of luck for the day and would be delighted to host an event of this scale again in the future.”

Tony Dawson, Sport Aberdeen chairman

Ahead of the event Vicky Cox, Scottish Rugby Competitions and Compliance Manager, said: “The Caledonia Youth Finals Day promises to be another exciting event in the Scottish Rugby calendar.

“We’re delighted to continue supporting our Caledonia clubs and communities to access a long-standing and meaningful competition that encourages participation and opportunities for players from across this unique and vibrant region.

“With teams from all over the Caledonia region competing, it will no doubt be an event to remember, particularly following a two-season hiatus due to Covid-19.”

In recognition of the event, Scottish Rugby will be displaying the Calcutta Cup in the main marquee, to allow those present on the day to see the trophy in person.

This year’s competition is sponsored and supported by Saltire Energy, which joined Scottish Rugby as a partner on a three-year deal in July 2021.

Chief Executive at Saltire Energy, Mike Loggie said: “We are delighted to support the Caledonia Cup, as it very much signifies the positive impact sport has within our communities. Saltire Energy takes huge pride in supporting Scottish Rugby, whose core values of respect, leadership, achievement, engagement and enjoyment are fundamental to all that we stand for. “I wish all involved the very best of luck, the day will no doubt hold many successes but most importantly it will be a fun, exciting and enjoyable event for all involved.”

Image: Stirling County, winners of the Caledonia U18 Youth Cup in 2019 when the Caledonia Cup was last contested in Perth (Scottish Rugby/SNS).