Wigtownshire welcomed Irvine to Ladies Walk for the final competitive home fixture of the season — and what better occasion than the traditional Sponsors’ Day. With a healthy crowd of new and well-kent faces lining the touchlines, basking in sunny (if slightly Baltic) conditions, Shire were keen to put on a show.
The reverse fixture back in October had ended 38–24 to Shire, though not without a late 10-minute panic that saw three Shire players enjoy an early bath courtesy of the sin bin. Irvine’s blueprint that day was clear — keep it tight in a 15-metre channel with their sizeable forward pack — while Shire preferred to fling the ball to every blade of grass available. The expectation was more of the same.
And it didn’t disappoint.

⚡ First Half – Fast, Fluent, and Ruthless
After over a month without competitive rugby (thanks to weather and international interruptions), Shire started like a team who had been pacing the house in their boots. Sharp in defence, sharper in attack.
Blair Forsyth opened proceedings with a beautifully timed line, slicing through the Irvine midfield to score the first of the afternoon. Five minutes later he repeated the trick almost identically — copy, paste, under the posts. Shire were 14–0 up inside 20 minutes and Irvine hadn’t had time to blink.
Next up, Bruce Burnett produced arguably the try of the afternoon. Slick backline interplay mesmerised the Irvine defence long enough for Bruce to carve through and touch down. The conversion drifted wide, but Shire were well in control.
Then came a moment of near individual brilliance. Jason McKie sprinted half the length of the park, evading and bulldozing defenders alike, only to be hauled down five metres short. Fortunately, Neil Forsyth was in close attendance to “pick-pocket” the spoils and dive over under the sticks. Bonus point secured before the half-time oranges.
Half-time: 26–0

? Second Half – Wings Unclipped
Shire resumed exactly as they had finished, refusing to let Irvine’s heavyweight pack settle.
With the weather improving, so too did the availability of Bryce Gilliland, returning from a four-month hibernation. He quickly reminded supporters he still knew where the try line was, grabbing a rapid double out wide — both finished with pace after exploiting overlaps.
Bruce Burnett added another, though not content with the simple option of strolling in untouched down the wing, he opted to cut back inside and beat a couple more defenders for good measure before dotting down under the sticks. Style points matter.
43–0
To their credit, Irvine never folded. A series of penalties handed them territory deep in the Shire 22 and their big pack rumbled over for a deserved score. The conversion was missed, but it was no less earned.
43–5
Shire responded with short-range efforts from Jack McConnell and Scott Forsyth, before Neil Forsyth decided if others were helping themselves to doubles, he’d be having some too — finishing proceedings with his second of the afternoon.

? Summary
A tremendous all-round performance in both attack and defence against a significantly larger forward pack — particularly impressive given the month-long layoff. Credit to Irvine, who continued to battle and ensured the afternoon was competitive throughout.
On Sponsors’ Day, Shire delivered exactly what was ordered: entertaining rugby, plenty of tries, and a fitting home send-off.

⭐ Man of the Match
Leswalt Village Store Man of the Match:
Blair Forsyth — for his early quick-fire double, composed orchestration of the backline, and a solid 7 from 10 from the tee.

? Next Up
Shire now face a three-week wait before returning to action, travelling away to Bishopton on 21st March as the promotion push continues.

? Squad
Starting XV:
B. Burnett, B. Gilliland, B. Forsyth, S. Forsyth (c), R. McAuley, J. McKie, N. Forsyth, A. Dunbar, I. Allan, J. Rennie, M. Pirrie, B. Sharples, J. McConnell, S. McCauley, J. McGarvie
Replacements:
J. Rankin, A. Slavin, A. Paxton, N. Loughrey, R. Drysdale, A. Ingram
A big thank you to all sponsors and supporters who continue to back the Shire — we’ll see you on the road to Bishopton!