This weekend’s rugby and football fixtures around Helensburgh

THE Christmas and New Year break is a distant memory as all of Helensburgh’s amateur sports teams return to action this Saturday, January 12, following the festive period.

Helensburgh Rugby Club, on a high after their 31-19 win away to Clydebank last weekend in their first fixture of 2018, play their first home match of the new year against Wigtownshire at Ardencaple, looking to banish memories of a narrow 14-10 defeat when the teams last met in Stranraer in October. Kick-off is at 2pm.

And it’s a busy weekend for the three amateur football clubs in the Helensburgh area, too.

Ardencaple FC’s first home fixture of 2019 sees them host Blantyre RGM at the Navy Pitch in Rhu at 2pm on Saturday in the Central Scottish AFL.

And just yards down the village’s Cumberland Road, Rhu Amateurs welcome East Kilbride YM to Ardenconnel Park in a Caledonian AFA league match, also kicking off at 2pm.

For Helensburgh FC, though, the new year begins with a lengthy away trip to Kintyre and a Greater Glasgow Premier League fixture against Carradale AFC at Kinloch Park in Campbeltown, kicking off at 1.30pm.