More Bulls Bought-Up

AYRSHIRE BULLS are setting the pace when it comes to Super-6 franchises revealing their squads for the inaugural season, which kicks-off in seven and a half weeks' time.

The Ayr-based outfit has revealed the 13^th and 14^th players in their squad. Both are scrum-halves, with long-term Millbrae favourite David Armstrong being joined on the roster by teenaged South African – Aylan Schabort.

David Armstrong has recovered from injury to sign for Ayrshire Bulls

Twenty-nine-year-old Armstrong is fighting fit again, after the knee injury which kept him out of the second half of last season. And Pete Murchie, the Bulls Coach is delighted to see the Castle Douglas farmer back in harness.

Schabort, who is just 19, is Scotland-Qualified, having been born in Perth. He joins Bulls from South West Districts Eagles.

Bulls' other scrum-half, South African raised Aylan Schabort

Murchie is confident the pair will give him excellent players in the vital number nine shirt.

Speaking of Armstrong, the Bulls' coach reflected the view of everyone around Millbrae, when he said: “We are extremely excited to see David back out on the pitch.”

Of Schabort, Bulls' coach said: “He has a strong kicking game, and a good physical edge – something we like in a nine. We are sure he will continue to grow and develop with us.”

SPEAKING OF SUPER-6, FOSROC – the international construction industry group which last year became title sponsors of the SRU Scottish Rugby Academy has strengthened its links with the game in Scotland.

The new FOSORC |Super Six logo

When Super-6 kicks-off in November, the competition will be known as The FOSROC Super-6, under a new deal announced yesterday. I have also heard, from my Welsh spy, there is a scheduled meeting, at the end of this month, between the SRU and the WRU, to firm-up details of the end-of-season cross-border games.

And, speaking of the FOSROC Academy, am I alone in wondering when, or even if, the SRU will announce the names of the new Stage II intake, the young guys who will be the future of Scottish Rugby?

I NOTICED a story in the Guardian earlier this week, which I forgot to mention until now. It seems, the veracity of the tale of William Webb Ellis running with the ball, and therefore making Rugby Football different from Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse or any of the other, different forms of the basic game played at the great English public schools.

The doubt as to whether or not Ellis did what he did has given the Guardian reason to suggest, perhaps the Rugby World Cup Trophy – which is known as: “Bill” in the antipodean colonies, should be renamed.

There is a general rule in such cases, best-referred to from its promulgation in the classic John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin Western movie as: 'The Liberty Valance Rule' - “When the truth belies the legend – print the legend.”

I AM still numbers-crunching my way through the schools and youth results, trying to fully ascertain the scale of the problem we have in getting kids into rugby. This may take some time to get a proper picture, but, already I am saddened to see some traditional rugby hot-spots seeming to struggle to raise teams.

However, occasionally, you come across something which excites, such as one schools result I noticed. This was in the Under-18 Schools Quaich, where the Auchinleck/Cumnock Academy team beat Carrick Academy 43-40.

This is a harbinger of what is to come, next season, when Auchinleck and Cumnock will combine as the new Robert Burns Academy. I have high hopes that, with the right support from school and Cumnock Rugby Club, RBA could become a major force. Certainly 43-40 strikes me as being a return to how things used to be in the club games between Cumnock and Carrick. Ferociously-fought barely covers them.