This weekend sees the Roughnecks return to Fordell Firs for our second annual training camp ahead of the 2020 British American Football Association Nation League (BAFANL) season.
The troops will travel south tomorrow evening for four training sessions across the weekend including a scrimmage session with the Dumfries Hunters on the Sunday afternoon. Last year’s camp saw 4am wake up calls and swamp runs, and it’s with the promise of kinder wake up calls that the playing staff return this weekend!
Gamu during a kick-off return against the Dumfries side
Camp is one of, defensive captain, Gamu Mukuredzi’s favourite parts of the season since it’s a weekend entirely composed of football, both on the field and in classroom sessions:
“It’s a great chance for both rookies and vets to really show off their abilities and work together to become better individually and improve as a team. I know I have some things I’d like to work on and this time won’t be taken for granted!”
Offensive captain Scott Gillies missed last season’s camp having rejoined the team towards the end of last season and he is particularly looking forward to the weekend away:
”Personally for me I’ve been looking forward to preseason and especially camp. [I] Can’t think of anything better than time away with my brothers doing what I love most. It will give the team a big opportunity to bond and really come together for what will be our toughest season yet”
Gillies joins the touchdown celebrations during a previous encounter with the Hunters
Both captains are looking forward to the double sessions on Saturday and Sunday, with Gamu particularly enjoying the intensity of the sessions as offence come against defence with new play scripts, blitzes and coverages being implemented throughout the weekend.
”I think this is a great opportunity for myself really embrace the roll of a being a leader” said first year captain Gamu, “and [also] pushing myself to that next level and earning the trust and respect of my fellow teammates”
It’s not all action however, with scheduled downtime set to include the traditional rookie show, and no doubt repeated showing of classics ‘Remember the Titans’ at Gillies’ request.
We’d like to thank the Dumfries Hunters for travelling to Dunfermline for the Sunday scrimmage session, and are grateful for the facilities provided to us at Fordell Firs, and the pitches we’ll be training on at Duloch Community centre - the home of the Dunfermline Kings.
