Glasgow Hawks 21 Melrose 15
The winds of change have persistently altered the flight path of the Hawks. In an era of turbulence in rugby, they have come to perch on a field just off Great Western Road, but the character and drive of the club have never substantially changed.
This is a place where hard work by players is rewarded by progression to the rarefied heights of elite rugby. It is also a place where hard work is demanded of those who prowl the sidelines.
The former can be illustrated by the careers of such as Duncan Weir, Richie Gray, Scott Cummings and so many others. The latter finds a perfect exemplar in the kilted figure of Kenny Hamilton, president of the club. He enjoyed a varied day on Saturday. He piped in the haggis at the Burns lunch that preceded the match, commentated on the tries, made announcements, operated the scoreboard, fielded inquiries about the raffle, and nipped from his spot in the stand to change a keg of beer.
He almost certainly did much more, but this is just what I witnessed. ‘I am just showing off,’ he said with a grin as he regained his seat to announce a much-needed Hawks victory in the Premiership, keeping the club off the bottom place in the league.
If Hamilton tends to many needs, he is also the perfect character to describe the history and ethos of Glasgow Hawks. The club were initially formed in 1997 by an agreement between Glasgow Academicals and Glasgow High Kelvinside. Hamilton, then director of rugby at GHK, played a role in this venture and has stayed on to see it develop in ways he could not possibly have envisaged. Nobody could.
The evolution — some say revolution — of Scottish rugby has been a wonder, one that delighted some and dismayed many others. The club game has undoubtedly suffered. The plans of many have had to have been altered dramatically to accommodate the reality of the SRU vision of the game in this country.
Glasgow Hawks win lineout ball during their Premiership victory over Melrose
Kenny Hamilton is a tireless president, fulfilling so many duties at Glasgow Hawks
There was cause for celebration as Hawks secured a vital win at bottom of table
The crowd were treated to an entertaining match between two determined club sides
Hamilton and his colleagues, however, have forged a viable flight path for the Hawks. One senses that it has rarely been easy, but immediately he can be characterised as a ‘doer’. He is pragmatic and positive about the Hawks.
‘I was here at the birth of the club,’ he said in the wake of a highly entertaining match. ‘It was a time when the game was going open, or professional, and we felt there was a need to have a very strong Glasgow presence at the top end of the club game. That was something we had been unable to sustain in the 30 years before then.
‘We put together a very strong side, possibly the strongest Glasgow side there has ever been.’
There was immediate glory and blinding highlights. The Hawks won division two and the Scottish Cup in season 1997-98. The Premiership was won from 2003 to 2006 and the cup was grabbed in 2004 and 2007 as well.
Hawks also beat Toulouse. On a memorable February night at Old Anniesland in 1998, they trounced the French side 37-15 in a challenge match.
Fast forward to January 2026 and they are in a scrap at the bottom in the Premiership at the Kelvinside Academy playing fields. Hamilton, of course, is a link to both events.
‘At the time we beat Toulouse, we had some luminaries,’ he recalls. ‘Tommy Hayes was our stand-off and Glenn Metcalfe our full back. It was a quality team and we were keen to put ourselves into a position of potentially thinking about professional rugby. But Scottish Rugby chose a different route.’
This crossroads pushed many clubs down a different route. Four district sides were established, eventually being reduced to two, Glasgow and Edinburgh, who are owned and operated by Scottish Rugby. Hamilton is diplomatic. ‘I am not sure that is the best model, but it’s the model we have got.’
Glasgow Hawks now nestle in the shadow of Glasgow Warriors, but continue to survive
Club president Kenny Hamilton pipes in the haggis during Burns Supper at Glasgow Hawks
Glasgow Hawks’ players give their everything in the scrum as team edge towards victory
The Hawks now nestle in the shadow of Glasgow Warriors, the professional franchise just up the road. It could all have gone another way. Potentially, the Hawks could have been the leading pro club in the west.
‘Ironically, we had a very good profile and some very good and generous sponsors at that time,’ said Hamilton. ‘Almost immediately those sponsors were attracted to Glasgow Warriors.’
An alternative future awaited the Hawks. ‘We have had a few challenges,’ said Hamilton. ‘We moved from our original base of Old Anniesland. We have been roaming around, been a bit nomadic.’
The principles have never changed. ‘We are committed to providing the best playing conditions for ambitious young talent,’ said Hamilton. ‘Over the piece we have managed to passport a number of young players to the professional game.’
Zander Fagerson, Matt Fagerson, George Horne and many others are graduates of that system.
‘At the moment, three of our players are in the Scotland Under-20s squad and one of our players was put on standby by the Warriors this week. We think we are doing the right things. We have an excellent relationship with Warriors coach Franco Smith. who is a great guy to work with. He invites the best young talent to sample that environment and see what they are made of, see if they have the potential to get there.’
Hamilton’s input is still strong, but he admitted: ‘It is time for someone else to take it on. I have been president in this term of office for seven or eight years and I had a previous spell. It’s difficult in Scottish rugby to secure and keep volunteers. A few younger folk are now showing commitment. We have some younger faces and voices and that is encouraging.’
So what does Hamilton, who has interest in the hospitality industry, derive from his labour of love?
The players form a huddle on a day which saw them emerge as 21-15 victors over Melrose
The Burns Supper provided perfect entertainment ahead of the match on Saturday
An aerial view of Hawks’ ground, with the side playing just off Great Western Road in Glasgow
‘The satisfaction comes from seeing some of these guys advancing through the ranks and getting to pro level or international caps,’ he explained. ‘It is also a bit of fun. There is a lot of hard work but there are a lot of laughs.’
This is evident at the Burns lunch when this itinerant witterer is given a place at a table. My fellow diners include fans, a member of the committee, and someone whose place card readsThe Nutty Professor. The last is the moniker for Duncan Brown, latterly a professor of engineering at the University of Glasgow. He is keen to promote the fun of the sport, but a similarly genial David Hutton also points out the serious purpose of the club.
Once a player at GHK, he has supported Hawks since inception. ‘I like that they bring young boys through to senior rugby and give them a shop window and springboard to play the game,’ he said.
‘The club game is not as big a priority as I think it should be in Scotland. I applaud the committee here who scrape together money to keep the place going. It’s a good set-up for the boys.’
It is a special place for Joyce Roxburgh Tait. Her father, John Roxburgh, who died in 2023, was a stalwart of Scottish rugby as a player, administrator and driving force. He was director of rugby at the Hawks from 2000 to 2007.
‘I suppose I was born into this and travelled to games with my dad as a wee girl then as an adult,’ she said. ‘In his later years, I accompanied him to the Hawks and when he died I decided to come into the committee.’
With an air of reflection, she said: ‘Good times.’ The skirl of the pipes and a wave of laughter in the background suggest they still are.