Every rugby club needs those dedicated players who turn out season a”er season and for Hawick Linden Graeme Anderson has been that man since 2004.
And recently Graeme, who normally plays in the centre and is now 35, reached the superb milestone of 200 appearances for the club which is in its centenary year. He is now on 202 outings for the Linden and told The Hawick Paper:
“I just love playing rugby with my mates at the weekend, I always have and even though some of the younger players coming through into the team now are half my age and we also had the break for the pandemic, I always wanted to keep playing in season 2021/22.
There have been great numbers at training this season so far despite the ‘stop-start’ nature of things for us and hopefully we can just get a handful of games in a row under our belts before Christmas and then really kick on from there. There is a great spirit among the boys and I try my best to help the more inexperienced players in games and just try and do my bit for the team. Gary Alexander from the club pointed out to me that I was approaching 200 games a while back and to now be on 202 is great – I’ll keep playing as long as my body lets me, hopefully until I am 40.”
With 2020/21 being ‘null and void’ this is Graeme’s 17th season in the Linden squad since he joined from Hawick PSA and in 2005/06 he turned out 26 times, his most appearances in one season.
“A”er the PSA I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with my rugby, but I did and the years have flown by since,” Graeme, a farmer by trade who started out as a full- back, added.
“While I have been playing we have won four league titles [in 2005/06, 2008/09, 2012/13 and 2018/19] and those have been high points along with all the friends I have made at Linden.”
Meanwhile, having seen their last two Tennent’s East Reserve League Division Two matches postponed, Linden are looking forward to a friendly this evening (Friday) with Hawick Force at Mansfield Park.
It will be a good hit out for the team ahead of their next league match away to Corstorphine on November 27.
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