COMPETITIVE rugby is set to make a comeback this weekend as two West Fife clubs begin their new league season.

Dunfermline Rugby Club and Rosyth Sharks will both return to the field tomorrow (Saturday) as the 2022/23 Tennent’s Men’s Caledonia Region League campaign kicks-off.

Having finished as runners-up in Division One last season, Dunfermline go into the campaign with a new head coach at the helm, after Gavin Emerson replaced Stuart Brown, who stepped down from the role in April.

The McKane Park outfit, who host Aberdeenshire on Saturday, won their final pre-season outing, at Lismore by 33-22, last Saturday having also collected the Shield/Bowl trophies at the 2022 Fife Senior Rugby Festival.

Hosted by Glenrothes, two Dunfermline sides, and the Sharks, competed alongside the hosts, University of St Andrews, Madras, Waid Academy and a Royal Scots Dragoon Guards team.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow's matches, following training on Thursday, Emerson said: "We feel confident.

"We've had a good pre-season, some tough fixtures. Tonight was probably the the best Thursday run-through we've had; the guys are looking sharp, starting to communicate in their little sub-sections, so we're feeling confident.

"We don't really know Aberdeen, they're new to the league, so hopefully we go out there and the fans enjoy the game."

Matty Wilson, has been installed as the first XV's captain for the new campaign, said that pre-season had provided the opportunity for much of the squad to get game time.

He added: "Started off a bit slow, but throughout the games, especially into last week, we really started to get a bit of aggression in our game, guys fronting up, really taking that ball and getting some nice tries in as well.

"Hopefully we're getting a good, consistent line-up going forward now, guys playing for shirts in the ones and twos, so it's starting to look good going into the competitive games."

Rosyth, who play in Division Three alongside Dunfermline’s second XV, were Plate winners.

Sharks, who in pre-season returned to play at Harley Street for the first time since before COVID-19, against Murrayfield Wanderers last month, travel to Bannockburn in their opener on Saturday, with Dunfermline’s seconds visiting Grangemouth Stags seconds.

On September 10, Rosyth will play their first home league fixture, against Howe Crusaders, having had to play at McKane Park last season due to an arson attack on their clubhouse in March last year.

All kick-offs are at 3pm.