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MARK CAIRNS
Mark first picked up a rugby ball aged seven at Edinburgh club Royal High where he played through primary school until attending Royal High School. He continued playing rugby at the secondary school until the age of 16 where he began his Colts rugby at Currie rugby club, reaching the semi-final of the National Under-18 Youth Cup. During this time Mark was also selected to play for a touring under-16 Scottish Wooden Spoon by then coach Sean Lineen.
After finishing school, Mark began his higher education (and continued his rugby) at Loughborough University in 2002, earning selection for Scotland U21 in 2004/05 (earning 5 caps). Cairns graduated in 2005 with a degree in Sport Science with Management (and a BUSA Championship winners medal from the Twickenham final) and returned to Scotland (to live), to Currie (to play) and Royal High School (to coach).
Keen to rebuild rugby at his former school, he set to work alongside Scottish Rugby’s development team to create more opportunities for young people in the area to play the sport. His efforts did not go unnoticed and, after his second season, Mark was invited to coach the under-15 side at George Watson’s College.
An impressive string of academic and rugby achievements then followed: In 2005/06 he reached the Scottish Cup final with Currie; in 2006/07 Currie were crowned Scottish club champions (the first time in the club’s history), Mark earned selection for the Scotland club international team and his under-15 side won the Bell Lawrie Scottish Schools’ Cup (all in the same year that he returned to University to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Education). In 2007/08 Mark graduated with his post grad and the school successfully defended their U15 title. In 2009/10 Mark was part of the Currie side that reclaimed the Premier 1 title, he was again picked for the Scotland club international team (which beat France at Netherdale 13-9) and he secured a full-time teaching role at George Watson’s College where he now coaches the S2 team.
Mark’s notable rugby successes were continued, most recently, when he was selected by Graham Shiel in the Scotland 7s squad for the Wellington and Las Vegas legs of the 2010/11 HSBC Sevens World Series.
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