HELENSBURGH Rugby Club begin their 2019/20 league campaign with a trip to Lanarkshire to face Dalziel RFC this Saturday.

The Motherwell outfit, who were relegated from Division One last season, will host the Grizzlies in West Regional Division Two before a repeat fixture, on the same ground, in the preliminary round of the SRU West Regional Shield on September 7.

And it promises to be a tough opening double-header for coach David Calderwood’s young side.

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What was a young Burgh side achieved their number one priority last season by staying up, but if anything the squad this year features even more inexperienced players fresh from the youth set-up at Ardencaple.

It is hard for any teenager to make the transition from playing age-group rugby to coming up against bigger opposition, but this is the scenario facing many of the Burgh players.

There are still a few hoary old veterans, but the goal this season is for the young Greens guns to adapt to senior rugby and help maintain their league status.

Calderwood said: “It’s been a long off-season so the boys are looking forward to getting back into competitive rugby in Lanarkshire. We’re hoping to start with a performance that takes this young squad forward.

“Most of them were part of the Under-18 team that won the Scottish Schools Plate final two years ago. They know how to play rugby, now we have to see how they go against the big boys.

“At the end of the day, it’s 15 against 15 and I know if the lads play to their abilities, they can be a match for anyone.”

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Burgh’s pre-season saw a narrow loss to old friends Forrester from Edinburgh, followed by a harsh lesson down in Kilmarnock, against an Ayrshire side that are evidently keen to return to their former glory days.

The kick-off at Dalziel Park is at 2pm, and Burgh would welcome any travelling supporters.

Helensburgh’s fixture list for the coming weeks is as follows (league fixture unless stated otherwise): August 31 v Dalziel (a); September 7 v Dalziel (a) (Shield); September 14 v Strathaven (a); September 21 v Paisley (h); October 5 v Oban Lorne (h); October 12 v Waysiders/Drumpellier (a); October 19 v Clydebank (h); October 26 v Wigtownshire (a); November 9 v Dalziel (h); November 16 v Cumnock (a); November 23 v Strathaven (h); November 30 v Paisley (a); December 7 v Uddingston (h).