DUNFERMLINE Rugby Club have been promoted to the national leagues after they won their title deciding game on Saturday.

Gavin Emerson's men's first XV welcomed Aberdeen Wanderers to McKane Park for their final match in Tennent's Men's Caledonia Region League, Division One, in the knowledge that a win would see them finish top.

Dunfermline turned on the style to complete a bonus-point, 102-0 victory that ensured they finished two points clear of nearest challengers, Ellon, and earn promotion to National League Division Four for next season.

They are also one game away from playing in a showpiece match at Murrayfield in the National Shield, in which they will travel to play Stewartry this weekend, but, ahead of the Aberdeen match, head coach Emerson said: "For me, the main thing is just getting the league done, and moving Dunfermline Rugby Club into the national leagues where we belong.

"Winning a national shield would be phenomenal, but if I had to pick, I would take the league every day of the week. That leaves the future for the club, for the juniors wanting to be up there in years to come."

The match had been postponed three times previously, with the last scheduled meeting on February 25 unable to take place due to Aberdeen not being able to raise a team.

Prior to that, experienced player, Stuart Roy, said: "It's a long time in the making.

"We’ve been close the last few years I would say so, this year, we’re hopefully going to pull through and get us back where we belong.

"Personally, it’s massive. As a team, it’s huge, because we’ve been knocking on the door for years but, as a club, it’s everything.

“To attract and retain talent, you have to be playing at a higher level. The club’s needing that.

“We’re in a good place in a lot of aspects round about the club – playing numbers, social events – but one thing we’ve been missing is playing back at a decent level.

“This is the first step to getting back to where we should be.”

In recent seasons, Dunfermline have just come up short in their quest for promotion, with losses in lengthy away trips to teams such as Orkney proving their undoing.

This year, however, they were victorious in key games last month at Caithness, and closest challengers Ellon, and skipper, Matthew Wilson, commented: “I think it comes from consistency of selection, and consistency of guys coming down here on a Tuesday and Thursday, and being available for those trips on a Saturday as well.

“Before, we’ve fallen short because we’re pulling together a team to take to Aberdeen. This year, we’re picking guys who want to go there, so it’s good on that part that we’ve had a real, consistent selection for the full year.

“We went to Ellon with 19 guys fighting to get their shirts that weekend, and anyone that didn’t get picked, was on the bus up there to support us along with all the other people.

“You feel appreciated when those guys still want to come up and support you, and you understand how much it means to them as well. Even if they’re not playing, they want this team to do well, so it is nice.

“It’s thoroughly enjoyable. It’s not just focused on getting the backs the ball and play there, it’s the forwards. They’ve all really improved in the way they play ball. They’re not just going to carry and run over guys, they want to attack, find space and play good rugby.

“It’s through the full one to 15, plus subs coming on as well. Everyone wants to find space and score tries. It’s really enjoyable to play.”

Fellow player, Scott Murphy, added: “We’ve always been close but we’ve just always missed that bit of stability and cohesion.

“This year, we seem to have found it with the squad we’ve got, and the coaching staff have been fantastic this year, which has really, really helped and pulled us forward.”

We will have more on the team's triumph in this Thursday's Press Sport.