Question mark over future of Caithness coach after behind-the-scenes rift
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Caithness Rugby Club is in turmoil on and off the pitch as a major question mark hangs over the future of first-team men's coach Kenny Russell.
He has made clear he plans to quit unless he is satisfied that the club's committee is fully behind him.
It follows a major behind-the-scenes rift which has rocked the club as it looks to recover from shipping more than 100 points in their opening two defeats in the north conference of Caley League 1.
Russell, in his second season at the helm, is awaiting a clear-the-air meet with club president Frank Bremner after the latter returns from holiday.
While reluctant to go into details of the fall-out, the coach said he has "absented himself" until he sees whether he and the president can resolve the impasse.
"The club is going through a really tough time at the moment, on and off the pitch," the 53-year-old Dounreay worker said.
"It's leading to stress and strain for the players and the non-playing staff."
He stressed: "Until I'm given the assurances I'm seeking from the committee, I'm taking a back seat."
Russell, whose career with the club started as a coach for the minis more than 17 years ago, confirmed that as matters stand he will not be leading the team into Saturday's match away to Ellon.
He is happy that he retains the full support of the players.
The Greens were idle last Saturday after scheduled visitors RAF Lossiemouth called off because of a lack of players.
Russell said: "I got phoned on the Thursday to say that they had 17 players but then six of their guys were put on special duties, which meant
they could not make the trip."
While accepting the reason for the call-off as genuine, Russell said it was particularly disappointing as a tribute was planned to Marc Mackenzie, a former player of both clubs.
The 30-year-old lock forward was killed in a motorcycle crash in March 2021 in his home village of Castletown.
Russell said: "We were planning a tribute, as were they, and they wanted to reschedule to when they had a competitive team to take up to play us and afterwards have a few beers and remember Marc."
Given the lack of a game on Saturday and the off-the-field acrimony, the coach is unsure about player availability for the Ellon trip.
The Meadows remains one of the few north venues where the Greens have failed to record a victory.
Last year's runners-up appear to have lost a clutch of regulars this season.
Their first league fixture last Saturday saw them slump to a 46-19 defeat away to Mackie.
That gave the Stonehaven men a third successive bonus point win to allow them to sit joint top with another of the promoted clubs, Moray.
Moray, who lifted the Caley 2 title, proved their intent to continue their upward trajectory with a hard-earned 27-24 victory in Elgin over Highland Seconds.
In the other north conference match, Aberdeenshire decisively took the honours in the Granite City derby, racking up a 64-5 victory at Groats Road.
Caithness Seconds were defeated 73-21 in Invergordon in their opening match in the north conference of Caley 2 against Ross Sutherland. They have another away engagement on Saturday, away to Inverness Craig Dunain.
