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Press & Journal Article - Ewan Smeaton (Wanderers 1st XV Head Coach)
Mike Westwood8 Jul - 14:25
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A version of this article by Gary Heatly of GH Media, and the image, first appeared in the The Press and Journal on July 4th.
Ewan Smeaton first joined Aberdeen Wanderers RFC over 25 years ago after seeing an advert in the Press & Journal and now the club stalwart is getting ready to lead the coaching panel for the senior men’s section during season 2024-25.
Pre-season training got underway recently with Ewan at the helm and, as a familiar figure around the club, he is well known by many of the current senior squad who have progressed through the youth system.
As a result, they have previously benefitted from his tutelage and guidance as a youth coach both at Aberdeen Wanderers and within schools rugby.
His passion for the game matched with his enthusiastic and supportive coaching has been a large part of the continued success of the youth section and he now hopes to use those skills to help the seniors.
It was a tough season in 2023-24 with the first team being relegated from Caledonia One, but they have wiped the slate clean and start their Caledonia North Two campaign away to Shetland on August 31.
They will then host Deeside at Groats Road on September 7.
“I am feeling positive about the future,” Ewan said.
“I have been involved with the club now for over 25 years after I moved to the area and I have been connected to Aberdeen Wanderers in some shape or form since.
“Firstly, I played for the club and then, over the last few years, I have coached a variety of age groups within the youth set up from under-13s to 18s.
“Because of that it feels like a natural progression for me to be taking on a coaching role with the seniors because maybe of the players coming through into that team I have worked with before.
“The under-18s who are just moving up now I worked with as recently as two seasons ago and hopefully those connections can help them feel comfortable coming into the senior environment and plating their part.
“Last season everyone involved on the coaching and playing fronts gave It their all, but it was tough and, as a club, we hope that having someone heading up senior coaching going forward will give us that bit more structure and a base to build from.
“Pre-season will be a key period for us and we want to see guys, new and old, coming along and getting involved.
“At this level of rugby we know that people often cannot make every training session and every game due to work and family commitments. That is fine, we just want people to commit to coming along when they can and if we can get a wide enough group together then that will help us plan sessions and plan for certain matches.
“I am very passionate about Aberdeen Wanderers and I know lots of other people are, there are so many good things going on at the club and we will all come together and have a good season.”
Ewan is originally from Bradford in England and he first moved to the north east in 1998 to attend teacher training college.
And his first link up with Aberdeen Wanderers came because of an advert in The Press & Journal.
“I was sitting in the flat one day when I was studying at the old teacher training college in the Hilton area and I saw the advert promoting things that were going on at Aberdeen Wanderers,” he revealed.
“I headed down to the club on a Saturday soon after, I think the first team were away that day, but Bill Glendinning was coaching his under-16s.
“We got chatting and the rest is history. Bill is still very much involved at the club and there are so many good people who want to see Aberdeen Wanderers do well and that is a positive driver for me.”
Ewan will along at the club on July 27 for The Sam Lobban Trophy, a charity rugby sevens tournament hosted annually to raise funds and awareness for Mental Health Aberdeen, and looks forward to meeting old and new players then if not before.
Email rugby@aberdeenwanderers.com if you are interested in joining Aberdeen Wanderers.
Pre-season training got underway recently with Ewan at the helm and, as a familiar figure around the club, he is well known by many of the current senior squad who have progressed through the youth system.
As a result, they have previously benefitted from his tutelage and guidance as a youth coach both at Aberdeen Wanderers and within schools rugby.
His passion for the game matched with his enthusiastic and supportive coaching has been a large part of the continued success of the youth section and he now hopes to use those skills to help the seniors.
It was a tough season in 2023-24 with the first team being relegated from Caledonia One, but they have wiped the slate clean and start their Caledonia North Two campaign away to Shetland on August 31.
They will then host Deeside at Groats Road on September 7.
“I am feeling positive about the future,” Ewan said.
“I have been involved with the club now for over 25 years after I moved to the area and I have been connected to Aberdeen Wanderers in some shape or form since.
“Firstly, I played for the club and then, over the last few years, I have coached a variety of age groups within the youth set up from under-13s to 18s.
“Because of that it feels like a natural progression for me to be taking on a coaching role with the seniors because maybe of the players coming through into that team I have worked with before.
“The under-18s who are just moving up now I worked with as recently as two seasons ago and hopefully those connections can help them feel comfortable coming into the senior environment and plating their part.
“Last season everyone involved on the coaching and playing fronts gave It their all, but it was tough and, as a club, we hope that having someone heading up senior coaching going forward will give us that bit more structure and a base to build from.
“Pre-season will be a key period for us and we want to see guys, new and old, coming along and getting involved.
“At this level of rugby we know that people often cannot make every training session and every game due to work and family commitments. That is fine, we just want people to commit to coming along when they can and if we can get a wide enough group together then that will help us plan sessions and plan for certain matches.
“I am very passionate about Aberdeen Wanderers and I know lots of other people are, there are so many good things going on at the club and we will all come together and have a good season.”
Ewan is originally from Bradford in England and he first moved to the north east in 1998 to attend teacher training college.
And his first link up with Aberdeen Wanderers came because of an advert in The Press & Journal.
“I was sitting in the flat one day when I was studying at the old teacher training college in the Hilton area and I saw the advert promoting things that were going on at Aberdeen Wanderers,” he revealed.
“I headed down to the club on a Saturday soon after, I think the first team were away that day, but Bill Glendinning was coaching his under-16s.
“We got chatting and the rest is history. Bill is still very much involved at the club and there are so many good people who want to see Aberdeen Wanderers do well and that is a positive driver for me.”
Ewan will along at the club on July 27 for The Sam Lobban Trophy, a charity rugby sevens tournament hosted annually to raise funds and awareness for Mental Health Aberdeen, and looks forward to meeting old and new players then if not before.
Email rugby@aberdeenwanderers.com if you are interested in joining Aberdeen Wanderers.
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