History
On the 5th of November 1926 in Harris Academy, Dundee, a General Meeting was held by an interested group of Harris former pupils. This group formed what at that time was called ‘Harris Academy Union Rugby Club’ but which later became what we now know as Harris Academy Former Pupil Rugby Football Club.
Harris became full members of the SRU in 1951 in time for their Silver Jubilee. Indeed, 1951 was a particularly good year for the Club. Not only did a Harris team win the Midlands 7s Tournament, but J R Andrews played for the North & Midlands against the touring Springboks at Aberdeen. Harris have had a number of players who played for the North & Midlands including A M Nicoll who played against the All Blacks and J C Craig who captained the side against the Springboks in 1961.
During the 50s Harris played against some of the country’s top teams of the time such as Heriots, Glasgow High, Watsonians & Royal High and one of the brightest stars for Harris of that time was David Lindsay the Harris Captain, a brilliant Stand-off who had a final trial for Scotland but who was never to fulfill the ambition of playing for his country as tragically, he died in ’59 of an infection picked up when holidaying abroad.
Ken McCurrach, Harris Captain in the late 60s who could play equally well at N0.8 or Stand-off, emigrated to Australia in 1970, where he was later capped by his adopted country.
With the advent of the National Leagues in 1973 Harris found themselves placed in Division 5, a position which was not overly pleasing to the Club at the time. However the Club went on take the Div 5 title that season, going on the following year to come 2nd to Marr in National Div 4 and gained promotion to Div 3. This was arguably the most successful era for the Club, under the Captaincy of Les Lamb and Presidency of Ken Gordon. The following season saw the Club come desparately close to promotion to National Div 2. There was a wealth of talent about with the likes of Les Lamb, Bill Booker, Derek Cochrane, Jim Farnan and Ron Hay to name a few. The Club tried desperately hard to continue the upward movement but alas it was not to be and though the Club remained in National Div 3 for a few seasons, the gradual slide back down the leagues was unstoppable.
Harris were Dundee’s top club in the late 70s, early 80s running 3XVs and a colts, but suffered as did most local clubs from the after effects of the School Teachers’ strike of that time. Sadly, by the early 90s, Harris who were by then playing basement league rugby were forced to give up the Brook Street Clubrooms, wind up the playing side and slip quietly out of existence, and would almost certainly have remained in that tranquil, dodo-like state had a group of club ‘worthies’ who had gathered for the Club’s 80th Anniversary / Reunion Dinner in May 2006, not aired the wild idea that it might be brought back to life.
Whether it was the drink or not, there was talk that it might be good to get things going again so in the Season 06/07, friendlies were arranged against Panmure RFC and Madras RFC and those games were the catalyst for the resurrection of the Club.
A Steering Committee was formed with the ultimate goal of re-constituting the Club and so, at a General Meeting held in May 07 Harris Academy FP RFC was formally re-constituted as an active club. Commitments from players who said they would stick with Harris if they got regular rugby proved the deciding factor in the Club applying to join the League System once more.
Harris played in Scottish Caledonia League Division 2(Midlands) in season 07/08 with a creditable 4th place finish. Season 08/09 saw the Club finish 2nd and in Season 09/10 Harris won their League and gained promotion to Caledonia League Division 1.
Harris became full members of the SRU in 1951 in time for their Silver Jubilee. Indeed, 1951 was a particularly good year for the Club. Not only did a Harris team win the Midlands 7s Tournament, but J R Andrews played for the North & Midlands against the touring Springboks at Aberdeen. Harris have had a number of players who played for the North & Midlands including A M Nicoll who played against the All Blacks and J C Craig who captained the side against the Springboks in 1961.
During the 50s Harris played against some of the country’s top teams of the time such as Heriots, Glasgow High, Watsonians & Royal High and one of the brightest stars for Harris of that time was David Lindsay the Harris Captain, a brilliant Stand-off who had a final trial for Scotland but who was never to fulfill the ambition of playing for his country as tragically, he died in ’59 of an infection picked up when holidaying abroad.
Ken McCurrach, Harris Captain in the late 60s who could play equally well at N0.8 or Stand-off, emigrated to Australia in 1970, where he was later capped by his adopted country.
With the advent of the National Leagues in 1973 Harris found themselves placed in Division 5, a position which was not overly pleasing to the Club at the time. However the Club went on take the Div 5 title that season, going on the following year to come 2nd to Marr in National Div 4 and gained promotion to Div 3. This was arguably the most successful era for the Club, under the Captaincy of Les Lamb and Presidency of Ken Gordon. The following season saw the Club come desparately close to promotion to National Div 2. There was a wealth of talent about with the likes of Les Lamb, Bill Booker, Derek Cochrane, Jim Farnan and Ron Hay to name a few. The Club tried desperately hard to continue the upward movement but alas it was not to be and though the Club remained in National Div 3 for a few seasons, the gradual slide back down the leagues was unstoppable.
Harris were Dundee’s top club in the late 70s, early 80s running 3XVs and a colts, but suffered as did most local clubs from the after effects of the School Teachers’ strike of that time. Sadly, by the early 90s, Harris who were by then playing basement league rugby were forced to give up the Brook Street Clubrooms, wind up the playing side and slip quietly out of existence, and would almost certainly have remained in that tranquil, dodo-like state had a group of club ‘worthies’ who had gathered for the Club’s 80th Anniversary / Reunion Dinner in May 2006, not aired the wild idea that it might be brought back to life.
Whether it was the drink or not, there was talk that it might be good to get things going again so in the Season 06/07, friendlies were arranged against Panmure RFC and Madras RFC and those games were the catalyst for the resurrection of the Club.
A Steering Committee was formed with the ultimate goal of re-constituting the Club and so, at a General Meeting held in May 07 Harris Academy FP RFC was formally re-constituted as an active club. Commitments from players who said they would stick with Harris if they got regular rugby proved the deciding factor in the Club applying to join the League System once more.
Harris played in Scottish Caledonia League Division 2(Midlands) in season 07/08 with a creditable 4th place finish. Season 08/09 saw the Club finish 2nd and in Season 09/10 Harris won their League and gained promotion to Caledonia League Division 1.
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