GREENOCK Wanderers’ busy weekend schedule was decimated by the weather – resulting in all rugby activity at the Fort Matilda ground being postponed.

First to fall foul of the heavy rain were the two important league games on Saturday between Wanderers and Ardrossan and the reserve tie between Wanderers and Marr.

Club president John McDougall and other officials did a 10am pitch inspection on Saturday morning on the playing surfaces at the Octavia Terrace facility and quickly identified that both pitches were waterlogged and therefore unplayable.

President McDougall said: “It is really disappointing having to cancel the games particularly at this stage of the season, but we have to err on the side of caution.

“Both pitches were saturated and holding pools of water which would have been dangerous for the players, especially when it came to scrummaging and driving mauls where players could easily lose their footing, causing serious injury.

“The games will be rearranged as instructed by the Scottish Rugby Union at a later date.” Elsewhere, the pioneering Ladies team were also left frustrated when they were forced to cancel their hastily arranged fixture against Inverness on Sunday.

The ladies were due to host a tri-team tournament involving themselves, Caithness and Annan but when that fell through officials managed to obtain a replacement fixture at Fort Matilda against Inverness Ladies set for noon on Sunday.

Another pitch inspection, this time held late on Saturday afternoon, unfortunately showed the playing surface had not recovered sufficiently to allow the match to go ahead and it was cancelled.

The Wanderers Ladies’ side is going from strength to strength and with growing numbers they hope to be included in mainstream competition next season where they will compete in both a national league and cup competition.

Captain Caitlyn Haldane, pictured below, along with coaching and management team John McIntyre and Brendan McGroarty, have moulded together a spirited group of players who continue to develop and learn the rudiments of the game while playing an open and attractive style of rugby.

Their results to date have been impressive, particularly when account is taken of the fledgling nature of the team.

Other news from Fort Matilda includes the dates being released for the forthcoming end of season functions.

The club prizegiving will take place on Friday 3 April and few would bet against some of the ladies players being nominated in several of the categories after what has been an outstanding inaugural season for them.

The annual club dinner will be held on Saturday 11 April and the culmination of the social calendar for the season, the formal ball, has been arranged for Saturday 30 May.

Members and guests are cordially invited to all events and full arrangements are currently on the club website. Tickets can be obtained from the usual sources.

Wanderers, weather permitting, will be back in action on Saturday when the top team hosts Aberdeenshire in a re-run of the abandoned game from 17 January when referee Damien Timpson was forced to blow for full-time after 48 minutes due to straining a calf muscle which resulted in him being unable to continue. Wanderers got off the hook that day, as they were behind 38-0 at the time and the result would have stood if the game had reached the hour mark.

With Aberdeenshire still clinging onto an outside chance of promotion this season Wanderers will have to front up big time to avoid the prospect of another heavy defeat.

The reserve side will travel to Old Anniesland to face Glasgow High/ Kelvinside in a Reserve League West First Division match and on Sunday the Ladies will head to Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby, where Edinburgh Wanderers Ladies are hosting another National Training and Development League event.

Captain Haldane is hopeful that as many of the squad as possible can make the trip to the capital to take part in what promises to be another competitive afternoon’s rugby.

Several new players will form part of the travelling party and they will get their first taste of competitive action in the shadow of the national stadium.

l Wanderers are sponsored by Texas Instruments.