On Saturday 22 Aug 2026, the U15 boys attended a pre-season friendly tournament hosted by RGC at Countesswells. It was their first outing of the season, providing an opportunity to shake off the cobwebs and put into practice what they have been working on in training. Four teams took part, with each side playing three matches.

Mackie v Wanderers
Mackie started well. They held their structure and worked effectively through their pods, taking the ball into contact, recycling quickly and going again. When an opportunity appeared , they moved the ball wide, and Brax MacAskill, playing at outside centre, broke through the Wanderers defence before sprinting clear to score under the posts. With no kicking tee available, Sandy Broadley attempted the conversion from a drop kick but was unable to add the extra points. Wanderers responded well and scored two converted tries to move into the lead. Mackie continued to battle and made Wanderers work hard for every score. Strong carries from captain Calvin Sadio and Hughie Russell consistently gained valuable territory, while Douglas Robertson, Dylan Main and Jayden Mogba put in some excellent tackles around the field. Late in the game Wanderers added two more tries, although the final score came from what appeared to be a knock-on that went unnoticed by the referee.
Final Score: Mackie 5 - 26 Wanderers

RGC v Mackie
RGC gathered the kick-off well and immediately broke through the Mackie defence to score. The early setback disrupted Mackie's game plan, and the boys briefly lost both structure and confidence. RGC took advantage and ran in several more tries before Mackie were able to regroup. Once they settled, Mackie defended with much greater resilience and forced RGC to work harder for their scores. They also began to look more threatening in attack and, with a little more confidence and urgency, could have made the contest much closer.
Final Score: Mackie L - W RGC

Moray v Mackie
There was little recovery time after the RGC match, with the boys heading straight back onto the field to face Moray. There was just enough time for a short team talk to clear their heads, refocus and take the field with renewed confidence. Both sides went toe-to-toe and looked evenly matched. Mackie maintained their structure, attacked when opportunities presented themselves and defended strongly throughout. However, Moray struck first with a converted try. The boys responded with intensity and purpose, mixing direct carries through the middle with wider attacks out to the backs. They worked tirelessly in defence, making Moray fight for every metre, and it took some time before Moray managed to score their second try. Mackie never gave up and continued to look dangerous. Late in the game they moved the ball wide. Brax broke through the defensive line before finding Douglas, who had joined the line from full-back and charged down the wing. Drawing in the defence, Douglas produced a superb offload to Stefan who perfectly positioned in support, broke through the last line of defence and crossed under the posts. In the closing stages, despite Moray maintaining their lead, it was Mackie who looked the more threatening side. Unfortunately, they ran out of time before another scoring opportunity could materialise.
Final Score: Mackie 5 - 14 Moray

Other Special Mentions
Calvin Sadio captained the team superbly and led both on and off the pitch. Strong carries, solid tackling and a high work rate set the standard for his teammates. He also communicated well during team talks and with the referee. A great showing from him

Harvey Parley, playing at hooker, was a powerful presence in attack, making strong carries that the opposition defence certainly felt

Sandy Broadley, at stand-off, communicated well throughout. He could be heard calling plays, directing the pods and taking responsibility to carry the ball himself when required

Finlay Young worked tirelessly at scrum-half, moving the ball quickly from rucks and scrums, even when under significant pressure

Jayden Mogba, in his first full season with the team, showed impressive strength in the tackle, at the breakdown and with ball in hand

Bruce Davidson, a new addition to the coaching team, has been working with the boys on their structure and pod play, and the improvement is already evident. It is great to have you as part of the team

Innes Davidson, as a Mackie player from last year U18, helped the boys warm up and provided words of encouragement behind the posts when needed. It is great for the boys to get his input

Summary
There are plenty of positives for the boys to take from these opening fixtures. They were competitive against both Wanderers and Moray, two teams they found challenging last season. Their pod work and overall structure were encouraging, allowing them to maintain possession and work their way up the field effectively. The backs used the ball well, showing good handling skills and creating several threatening attacking opportunities. Most importantly, the boys demonstrated commitment, resilience and plenty of potential for the season ahead. If they continue to build on these foundations, there is every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.

Mark Goalen, U15s Coach

A big thank you to the U15 Boys Team Sponsor - Donald Rae & Sons, for their continued support of the team!