The Franchises Are Not Just About Playing Rugby

I THINK Scottish Rugby, as a whole, accepts, if/when Super Six happens, it increases Murrayfield's already considerable influence in the game. The six Super franchise clubs will be joined at the hip to headquarters and will be expected to not even ask: “How high”, when Murrayfield says: “Jump.”

Since Murrayfield intends, only the six franchises will be able to pay players, they will have a big bit of extra incentive when it comes to recruiting players for instance. Indeed, on this point, I have had one or two senior club officials suggesting to me, perhaps the Union should be looking at a compensation package for clubs producing players who are attracted to the franchises and maybe on to the two full-time teams.

I mean, what is the use of a normal amateur club putting resources into youth development, just so the local franchise can cream-off the very best, with no recompense for the club?

Questions needing answers

I have actually raised just this point before, and, I believe it is something which needs addressing. I actually got the following response to this point from regular commenter pegj, who said:

“You mention a compensation system for grass root Clubs who develop talent, but I fear this has already been dealt with in the Super6 documents published:

"franchisees will be the foremost representative of the domestic game in a significant local catchment area and must seek out and use every opportunity to be the flagship of the game in sports halls and community sports activities, working in co-operation with Scottish Rugby’s development officers"

"School catchment areas will be identified and responsibility for building relationships with specific schools allocated to each franchisee in co-operation with Scottish Rugby’s Schools and Youth department"

“As with the recent schools/youth policy, grass root Rugby Clubs are being marginalised in the development of rugby in their communities.”

As we all know, youth/schools rugby in Scotland already operates a two tier system – with the major rugby-playing rugby schools kept apart from the state sector, and the clubs sector also kept apart. With Super Six, an element of this rugby apartheid will I fear come in.

The franchised clubs, and their feeder schools, plus any clubs that they can bribe into being feeders, will have advantages not available to the other clubs.

But, let's also look at the bit in italicised bold type – which is a direct quote from the SRU bumph on the franchises.

To me that reads as if the franchise club will be obliged to take the lead in grass-roots development within its catchment area. OK, there is that wee caveat about: “in co-operation with Scottish Rugby’s Schools and Youth department.”

Where is the cash coming from?

But, I haven't seen any mention of SRU cash to run this grass-roots development remit, so, already, before the thing is even off the ground, the finance guys at the franchises will have to find ways of making their cake go further.

Now, I know that at least three of the potential franchise operators (if we assume Ayr, Melrose and Stirling County can have their considerable doubts about Super Six assuaged) already run good grass-roots development programmes, while, Ayr at least has a good local academy system in place and actively-encourages schools rugby in South Ayrshire.

Again, I can speak only about the Ayr model, of which I know a wee bit, but, it is one thing “selling” rugby across South Ayrshire, another working across the SWARC (South-West Association of Rugby Clubs) area – which everyone assumes would be the catchment area of any Ayr franchise.

 Frazier Climo - player on Saturday, with Development Officer as the "day job"

The Ayr RFC Rugby Development team, led by Stuart Fenwick, includes Frazier Climo, fellow Ayr 1^st XV prop Steven Longwell, Scotland Under-20 full-back Paddy Dewhurst, Ayr Ladies player Catherine Shennan and modern apprentice Neve Findlay, while the club is currently looking to recruit a dedicated women's rugby development officer.

The team, with input from the SRU's Glenn Tippett, the Ayr first team forwards' coach, runs the South Ayrshire Schools Conference, which encourages rugby in all the South Ayrshire secondaries with the exception of Carrick Academy and Marr College – who are, of course, tied to Carrick and Marr.

Now, this system works. But, would it work as-well, could it be made to work, if the Ayr franchise was to be: “the foremost representative of the domestic game in a significant local catchment area and must seek out and use every opportunity to be the flagship of the game in sports halls and community sports activities.”

I am making a few assumptions here, not least that Ayr (and I use Ayr because it is the potential franchise holder and possible franchise area about which I know most) will actually sign-up for a franchise.

But, the rugby development team can currently cope with trying to develop rugby in Ayr, Prestwick and Girvan, leaving Carrick and Marr to handle Maybole and the surrounding villages, and Troon and its surrounding villages.

Could Ayr afford to as part of being the foremost representative of the domestic game etc, also look after the rest of the SWARC franchise area and the SWARC clubs: Annan, Dumfries, Stewartry, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, Carrick, Cumnock, Marr, Kilmarnock, Irvine, Ardrossan and Garnock.

Get your ABA tee-shirts

That's a big area, a lot of clubs and some politically-sensitive relationships. The Tartan Army in football rejoices in wearing ABE (Anyone But England) tee-shirts. In Ayrshire rugby there is a definite market for ABA (Anyone But Ayr) tee-shirts.

That's just one example. Contemplate for a moment a similar scenario in the Borders, should Melrose get the franchise for that part of Scotland. Or, imagine what might happen in Edinburgh.

I predict a riot.