After relegation from West Division 1 was confirmed on Saturday, Helensburgh Rugby Club’s head coach Adam Hart says it gives the club a chance to rebuild.

The Grizzlies lost their last home game of the season 45-12 to league leaders Carrick, and the result meant that they are now unable to catch either Oban Lorne or Kilmarnock.

But the Ardencaple side are hoping a spell in West 2 will give their side a confidence boost, after only picking up one win this season.

Hart said: “To be honest it’s not a bad thing for us, it’s a chance to rebuild which is what we need to do with the work that’s been going on this year it’s just another part of the rebuilding process.

“Hopefully next year we should get quite a few wins and it’ll give us a bit of a confidence boost for the guys especially for the guys who are there every week. They are coming on a lot, the league is just a very tough league to come into as you’re starting to train or get into it a wee bit more.”

The Burgh were 19-0 down at half-time, but the home side came back into the game via tries from Craig Bowman, scoring his second try in two games after scoring in their win against Irvine earlier in the year, and Connor Slader.

But the hosts were punished by several breakaway scores, as Carrick ran away with a bonus point win.

He added: “In the first half we didn’t make the right decisions in the key areas.

“In the second half we came out flying, we kept possession well and managed to get a few tries back, we were just unfortunate they managed to score a couple of breakaway tries.

“We built up some good possession and then all of a sudden there was one small spell where they had their guys down wing who were able to capitalise on it

“It was annoying the fact that we had to earn every yard whereas the luck seemed to be with them, the bounce of the ball and they could just capitalise on it.”

Helensburgh can draw on fellow West One rivals Oban Lorne from their transitional period in the club, having risen from West 3 to West 1 in four years.

“You look at the likes of Oban, they were in West 3 not that long ago, they won West 3 at a canter, they won the regional and national bowl and then all of a sudden they were in West 1, they finished fourth last year and are struggling again this year.

“The reason they’re struggling this year is because they’ve got an ageing squad.

“And that same squad from West 3 came right through, they’ve had the same guys playing and training and it’s similar to what we’re doing now as well.”

With Scotland at home this weekend, Burgh’s next tie will be away to Annan on Saturday, February 11.

This Saturday there will be several minis games on at 12.30, with a barbecue on and showing the Six Nations games at the clubhouse, all are welcome.