The Teague Scholarship – Archie Bogle

Heriot’s Rugby Club is excited to announce the re-start of our Australian Scholarship Programme; The Teague Scholarship, which had to be put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Teague Scholarship is sponsored by Edinburgh property development firm MNM Developments and will be run in conjunction with Canberra Western District Rugby Club (CWD) in Australia.

Archie Bogle, Tighthead Prop for Heriot’s Blues men, who recently played for the U20s Edinburgh Rugby squad, has been offered this unique opportunity to join the team and experience some high-level rugby in Australia.

Canberra Western District Rugby Club has historic links with Heriot’s Rugby Club, as our Forwards Coach, Jamie Parker played with them previously and has kept up the relationship.

Previous recipients of The Teague Scholarship were Ali Johnston and Callum Bell who were both delighted to be given the opportunity to play in Australia and the feedback they have given is tremendous. When talking about it, Callum Bell said “The Teague Scholarship really was one of my highlights so far at Heriot’s Rugby Club.”.

This opportunity is genuinely sought after by Heriot’s Rugby Club players and in order to make it work, there is a lot of liaisons between the Heriot’s coaches and the Director of Rugby at Canberra Western District to find out which positions have the best opportunity for our Blues Men, and then to identify players they think will get the most out of heading over there. Archie travelled to Australia at the end of April, once he finished his studies at Edinburgh Napier University and will return in September to re-join the Blues squad, bringing his learnings back to the squad.

When we caught up with Archie about being selected for the scholarship he said “I am genuinely buzzing, there is no way I would have been able to do this myself. It is such a great opportunity.” He went on to say, “Going to Australia is a dream, but would have been a bit daunting on my own, but having been in touch with CWD, I know I will be well looked after. They will help me get settled and find me accommodation. They will even help me find a job!”

By sponsoring this Scholarship, Marc Teague of MNM Developments has given the players the perfect opportunity to gain experience, grow their confidence in their playing, and excel on the field. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Marc Teague for his continued support.

Forwards Coach, Jamie Parker said “You really cannot underestimate the value of this for the players, not only do they mentor our young players, they ensure they have the right set up, so it is not daunting for them. All they need to do is experience the rugby and grow their skills so that when they come home to Heriot’s Rugby Club, they are a more independent player who has played senior-level rugby. That then rubs off on all of the other players – It really is a win for both teams.”

Archie played his first 80 minutes for the 2nd XV last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the game. We look forward to catching up with him further along in his journey when he will share some of his experiences.