Currie Chieftains were delighted to officially open newly upgraded changing rooms during season 2025/26 which have now been transformed into dedicated female changing facilities thanks to a £1,000 award from Aldi Scotland’s Sports Fund.
Over the past couple of years, the Currie girls’ section has experienced remarkable growth with player numbers almost quadrupling at the Edinburgh outfit. The section is now in a strong and sustainable position and offers girls only training from under-10s right through to under-18s. This provides a a clear, supportive pathway for young players to develop and progress within the Balerno-based club.
With larger player number comes the need for changes in facilities and the club’s head of girls’ rugby/under-18 girls’ coach Niall Angus explained: “Our girls had started using the external/away changing rooms during 2024/25 more out of necessity than anything else because there was starting to become more and more games crossing over with the boys’ fixtures.
“Fast forward to pre-season ahead of 2025/26 and myself and fellow girls’ coach James McCaig, had a sit down to discuss the campaign that was coming up, the goals the girls had set themselves and how we could help them achieve those. As part of that, the changing rooms came up and we wanted to see how we could make them a little bit better for the girls.
“We applied to the Aldi Scotland’s Sports Fund and, when they replied, I nervously opened the email and I was delighted to see that we have been awarded £1,000 . We told the girls at the end of the next training session that we’d been awarded money towards the changing rooms and they were absolutely buzzing.
“I looked at the fixture list and identified that there was a total shut down over the Christmas period so that was our chance to make it happen.
“James and I made a start on the work and then we were joined by a number of parents and the girls.
“They all put in a massive shift over the Christmas break to sand, paint, rip out the urinals and sinks and transform something that I previously referred to as the ‘goulag’ into a clean and bright space and a changing room that the girls could call their own and be proud of.
“Without their help, this transformation could never have happened and I was so grateful for all the help.
“Since the facilities have been open the response has been amazing, the girls love them, they have their flag on the wall and it’s their changing room.
“Club members who saw the facilities for the first time could not believe the change from what it had been to how it looks now.
“Even now a few months after completing the changing room, I’m still receiving compliments from other coaches and past players about the facilities and that’s great for us to hear.”
The changing room facilities were officially opened on February 17 by former Currie Chieftains’ girls’ player Karis Craig who has gone on to represent Scotland at under-18 and 20 levels, play in the Celtic Challenge and play for Watsonians.
“The opening was attended by former and current players from the under-10 girls right through to the under-18s, along with parents and everyone was celebrating the journey of the girls’ section,” Niall added.
“On display were special items from our history, including the very first girls’ strip and the tour flag from the first-ever girls tour in 2024,
“We are now looking forward to having a senior women’s team hopefully in place for the first time in 2027/28 which will consist of a majority of our current under-18 players, something that has become more of a reality in recent times.
“Whilst we still have a lot of things to work on, it is exciting times ahead for the club in terms of female rugby.
“To have a pathway from girls’ rugby right up into a senior women’s team will only benefit and strengthen the club going forward.”
Some of the Currie Chieftains’ girls are pictured outside the new facilities
It is shaping up to be an exciting 2026/27 season for women’s rugby in Scotland and GH Media will be covering it in detail – if any companies are keen to support this content please send an email to gary@gh-media.co.uk