AYRSHIRE
BULLS have today announced a
further two members of their squad for the initial season of Super-6.
The two players introduced are new to the club, and Coach Peter
Murchie and his team are quite excited about them.
How Ayrshire Bulls announced the McNulty signing
The
first new signing does, however, have a familiar name. He is George
Bordill, 21-year-old
younger brother of
former Ayr and
Glasgow Warriors back
rower Will Bordill. As
one Millbrae stalwart opined this afternoon, on hearing of the
signing: “If his
performances come close to those we got from Will, he will do for
me.”
Like
big brother Will, George plays in the back row, and, at six foot four
and 110 kg., to quote Ayr
Club XV coach Stuart
Fenwick: “He's
a bloody big unit.”
George
joins the Bulls from Northumbria
University, and his
signing has been eased by a partnership agreement between Bulls and
long-term Ayr backers, accountancy firm William
Duncan & Co., whose
association with Ayr goes back to former club captain of the 1960s
and long-time club treasurer Bill
Mowat, on through
Andy Pickles and
where today the Managing Partner is Robert
Fergusson, father of
Scotland Sevens
co-captain Robbie Fergusson.
When
not training with the Bulls, George will be working in Duncan's Ayr
office as a trainee accountant.
The
other new signing is centre Isaac
McNulty, who joins
from English Greene
King Championship side
Coventry. The
22-year-old has also experienced rugby in New Zealand, where he
played for North
Otago. Both newcomers
are Scotland-qualified.
GREGOR
TOWNSEND'S squad for Friday
night's return match with Georgia,
at BT
Murrayfield, gives a
further indication of the Head Coach's planning for the Rugby World
Cup.
In
1-23 order, it is:
Gordon
Reid, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Jonny Gray,
Ryan Wilson (Captain), Jamie Ritchie, Blade Thomson; Ali Price, Adam
Hastings; Darcy Graham Sam Johnson, Duncan Taylor, Tomy Seymour,
Blair Kinghorn. Replacements:
Allan Dell, Grant Stewart, Simon Berghan, Ben Toolis,
Magnus Bradbury; George Horne, Peter Horne, Chris Harris.
The
“Big Guns,' Hogg, Russell, Laidlaw, Barclay, Watson, McInally
have been wrapped in bubble wrap; Fraser Brown will be fit
for the World Cup, and is not being risked.
Let's
just hope, we avoid injuries prior to the squad departing for Japan.
WE
JOURNALISTS might be
getting our knickers in a twist about Bill
Gammell's on-going
review of SRU
Governance. We are
also looking forward to finding-out what Ben
Ryan's view of the
Performance Department
was, while, we are
also wondering what might happen when Jim
Mallinder takes up
his new post as Director
of Performance Rugby.
But,
while those us who write about our game are in Robert
Burns mode: Furrit
tho we canna see, we guess and fear, in
the real world of club rugby, Sheila
Begbie and her Rugby
Development team are
taking care of business, by consulting the clubs to find out the
shape they would like the Adult
Male Competitive Season to
take.
This
process has now reached Stage II – at which what Sheila and her
elves were told at Stage I is being analysed and taken back to the
clubs for further discussion.
What
has been found-out thus far is:
- 78% of those who responded in Stage I would like to see only two or three National Leagues
- 81% would like to see a season lasting 18-22 games.
- 82% of players would like to see cup competitions, held AFTER the league season.
- 82% would like to see a Regional Representative programme introduced.
- 83% would like to see the season starting in August or September.
- 97% would like to see a cup competition.
What
has become apparent is that, the PBI
at the clubs want to
see:
- Fewer “meaningless” fixtures.”
- A stop to season structures changing year on year.
The
document which the SRU has released makes it clear: The
future of Men's adult rugby is to be: player-centred,
development-driven, and providing appropriate levels of competition
at all levels.
The
Rugby Development
Department is seeking
to develop 'a product'
which:
- Satisfies current players' needs.
- Retains current players, coaches and referees.
- Attracts new and lapsed players.
- Retains youth players.
- Reduces unfulfilled fixtures rates.
- Reflects societal changes.
- Is sustainable.
The
document is certainly thorough in the way it sets-out the options on
league re-construction. A lot of talking has still to be done, there
will be argument and counter-argument, but, at the end of the day, it
will be down to the clubs and the ordinary players, and when it is
all over, they will not be able to say anything has been foisted on
them.
The
exercise is due to be done and dusted by November, good luck on that
one, but, I do have a feeling, this is one issue which will run and
run.
Be still my beating heart. Another yawn announcement from S6. Did you see the tweet from Watsonians asking folks to support the Club XV? I’m sure they will have that all sorted come November.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great “product” they want to develop. Clubs should be careful what they wish for. What does less meaningless games look like? The document has suggested 8 team leagues. Great to get fixtures done in 14 weeks. Not so good if half the league turns over every season. And imagine being related due to a missed bonus point following a last minute penalty?
So, another edition of The Millbrae Advertiser - confirming an Ayr club sponsor is going to employ an Ayr S6 recruit.
ReplyDeleteThat's close to home; clearly within the law, but is it really in the spirit...?
As for the Murrayfield Telegraph section - well, the SRU have been known to splash out on glossy pamphlets with which to impress the, 'er.... easily impressed!
Re the spirit of the game. There is the legend of the Scottish internationalist from these airts who allegedly had something of a struggle passing his professional examinations; only to, on finally succeeding, landing a job with a large Borders company within his chosen field.
DeleteThe catch was, to guarantee the job, he would have to be prepared to wear a certain colour of shirt in Saturday club games. He agreed and the partnership was successful, on both sides.
So, what the Bulls are doing is nothing new, in fact,you might say: "It's aye been."
Oh dear - different times, different places, entirely different situations! Irrelevant to compare apples with oranges, and you cannot conflate two such different situations.
DeleteA world of meaningful, factual difference exists between the financial inducement recruitment ploy of the Silly 6 club for which you frequently appear to act as cheerleader-in-chief, AA - and the decision of a fully-qualified senior respected top rugby international player to take up a new professional position in a small local accountancy firm located deep in Scottish rugby's heartlands.
Equally, there are no large companies (professional or otherwise) here in the Borders, while said respected internationalist has gone on to enjoy as stellar a career in business, management & accountancy as he did on the field of play.
The DSC can attest to his professional expertise, honesty, insight, vision and exemplary abilities in business and in sport - a pleasure to work & play alongside the man. Although written under cover of "allegedly", an extremely poor show to impugne the professional background of such an iconic figure. Even if true, our famous son of Troon wouldn't be alone in taking a little time to finally qualify in our initially chosen profession, as the DSC himself is only too well aware.
I have the greatest of respect for the integrity and ability of the gentleman we are talking about here - both professionally and on the rugby field. He is, for me, one of the good guys
DeleteTimes were, as you say, different, but, back in the 1960s, his rugby-playing ability landed him a good job, just as, in Wales for instance at that time, it was common to see a player in his first season of international play described as a steel worker. The following season the same player might well be a brewery representative, or working for a building society.
I see little or no difference between these examples and the case of George Bordill.
Super-6 is not perfect, the SRU has managed to make things very difficult for hte six clubs, who are doing the a favour by taking-on a franchise, but: SUPER-6 IS HAPPENING, IF YOU CANNOT GET BEHIND IT, THEN SHUT-UP AND ALLOW THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO GIVE IT A CHANCE TO DO THIS.
If you cannot say anything positive about a subject, perhaps best to say nothing.
AA - surely a massive difference between an olden-time rugby-playing working man getting fixed up with a part-time "job" at a brewery or steelworks and a qualified man securing a professional position as part of a career move, soon to become an active working partner in a relatively small though respected local firm of accountants situated within the rugby heartland of his choosing? Or indeed the DSC's highly qualified later boss, friend & clubmate Arthur Smith, also a Scotland (and in his case Lions) captain, working in corporate management while playing for Ebbw Vale in Wales - the place of his own choosing. That's my point!
DeleteWell no - the DSC can't accept that from Socrates, AA or the full BoJo dumbed-down Greek shebang. People in glasshouses, and all that!!!! Don't agree? Ask TCD, Buddy Horler, LLB or whoever; you rarely have a good word for them.....
ReplyDeleteLike it or not your comments about the great internationalist carried an unwelcome inference as to his professional standing. You can't go throwing such pejorative remarks about, willy-nilly, and if someone like the DSC calls it out, then demand (in italics!) their silence. That is not the stuff of reasoned, if occasionally pointed, debate which your extensive public will have come to expect (and of course, the DSC has always been noted as reasonable.... if somewhat "snappy").
Simply because something is "happening" as you put it, doesn't make it right, or acceptable. In this time and place of free speech, the DSC asserts his democratic right to oppose Silly6, and all who sail in or with her. Why? Because S6 will in the end prove a disaster for Scottish rugby, even if it benefits a few eloquent chancers & carpetbaggers in the short-term, and provides the subject for a load of column inches for anyone sufficiently misguided to show the slightest interest in such contrived rubbish.
I’m with TSC on this one AA. S6 is bad full stop. Just because it’s happening doesn’t make it right. And I will continue to highlight its stupidity alongside others.
DeleteAs I’ve said numerous times. The SRU have bitten off way too much and will regret the indigestion that the Pro review, season structure, Super 6, age pathways stuff oh yes and the fabled governance review!
Cheers Clubfan, The Dreaded Silver Croc welcomes your support - and there remains that other question of player upward migration through the echelons of the lower leagues to fill gaps created by S6 and S6 club player depredations of those immediately below.
Delete