Talk about going out on a high note! The final Lunch of the 2024/25 season was an undoubted triumph. To the relief of all, the advertised speaker turned up and was an honest and sincere revelation. Also, the meal was excellent and the company was in fine form with a record turnout challenging the very popular Christmas gatherings. Chairman, Fergus Neil, was first class and even managed to make the routine reports that go with an end of year meeting sound interesting. The Committee’s proposals for the disbursement of excess funds to popular rugby causes were unanimously approved. The jovial atmosphere helped to relax the guest speaker, Kyle Steyn, the Scotland international winger and Glasgow Warriors captain. The South African born Scot, and self confessed Glaswegian, spoke easily from the heart without the need of notes and with no signs of the nerves that he purported to have. This was not a litany of rugby stories, his experiences and heroes, although these were all mentioned. No, this was a humble and insightful account of the core values of the man and how his own role models shaped him into being the person he is today. His description of the importance of the system of values that his own parents and grandparents had instilled in him was refreshing to hear! His maternal grandfather was, in Kyle’s word, the patriarch of the family and his importance in Kyle’s life was almost palpable. A particularly interesting part of Kyle’s talk (and personal history) was when he described his father’s work as a policeman in S. Africa working first for President F.W. De Klerk and then as head of security for President Nelson Mandela. Kyle described his introduction to rugby by recounting an episode at the 1995 World Cup final which saw him being photographed sitting on the great man’s knee with an All Blacks’ cap on his head! There followed an interesting foray into a description of S. Africa politics of the day, all from the Glasgow Warriors captain who had hoisted the URC cup last year after a famous victory in his homeland. He explained how he felt completely at home in Glasgow and was getting used to the Glaswegian fans’ way of direct talking, particularly after a defeat. Not surprisingly, Kyle handled a number of salient questions very well being honest, knowledgeable and direct in equal measures. This very likeable sportsman left with our thanks, a bottle of GROGS whisky and our good wishes for success in the upcoming Cup match against Leinster.