East Kilbride Pirates will play home matches at Hamilton Rugby club in the new season after striking a deal with their neighbours.

Scotland’s oldest surviving American Football team are switching to Laigh Bent after playing their home fixtures at the Hamilton Palace grounds for the last four seasons. 

“We enjoyed our time at Hamilton Palace and were well looked after by South Lanarkshire Leisure, however, we were looking for somewhere we could be more at home and also improve our pre and post-match facilities," explained Pirates' chairman Matthew Davies.

"We have been impressed with the approach of the Rugby club and we look forward to building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship.”

The Pirates regular season starts in May and runs to the end of August, with five home games starting on May 24 with the visit of the Merseyside Nighthawks.