Here's My Road Map For Scottish Rugby's Future

I MAY well be risking life and limb by posting this, but, with so little happening in the world of rugby, surely this is the best time to float truly radical suggestions for what we might want Scottish Rugby to look like once the current pandemic is behind us, and we get back to playing the game we all love.

Maybe not straightaway, but, I am convinced the rugby landscape will need to be re-shaped in the aftermath of Covid-19. The SRU may well find they are presiding over a leaner game, and their controversial Agenda-3 plan for a “fewer but stronger” club game might well happen.

For a start, I think Covid-19 has kicked far into touch any plans (of which there was admittedly no real evidence) of the third professional side, in the tough times which will follow the pandemic, that isn't going to happen.

Similarly, I can see, amidst the SRU job cuts and cost-saving measures which will follow, a cut-back in the number of full-time professionals employed by the governing body. I can see the number of full-time players, employed to play rugby in Scotland, being cut back.

I would favour central contracts being restricted to perhaps a 35/40 man International Squad, plus the Core Sevens Squad – say a total of 50 players. Below that, I can see the SRU asking the six franchises – whose numbers may well be extended to eight clubs, to provide semi-professional rugby for the next level of players.

I have long felt, we have too-many “National League” clubs. At the moment we have approximately 150 clubs participating in competitive rugby in the National and Regional Leagues. No fewer than 46 of these, just over one-third, are “National League” clubs, that, for me, is too large a percentage.

So, we drastically cut the number of “National League” clubs by more than half, down to a maximum of 20, playing two x ten-club divisions. There might even be a case for splitting these clubs into two “conferences” of equal standing, with a regular season of conference play, followed by a cross-conference post-season series, leading to the crowning of the National Champions.

The “National League” clubs would be able to pay players, but, to become a “National League” level club, then certain criteria would need to be met. National League clubs would need to have:

A grandstand

Floodlights

Press facilities

Strength and Conditioning facilities

Hospitality Areas

A 3G pitch should be laid within five years of being awarded National League status.

A youth development structure, with suitably-qualified coaches, should also be in place.

Below “National League” status would be the ordinary club game. Players here would NOT generally be paid. However, since Rugby Union is an open game, payment of players cannot be prohibited. However, any players being paid more than a set level of expenses, would need to be identified and sign a standard contract. There might even be a case for limiting the number of players who are paid by each club. We don't want a spike in the sales of brown envelopes.

This would allow for players stepping down from full-time or semi-professional rugby, or from the National League tier of the game – perhaps taking a first step in coaching, to be paid.

The emphasis at club level would be “ENJOYMENT,” playing for fun. Some tinkering with the Laws of the Game might be worthwhile at this level. At club level, I would like to see more-localised leagues, encouraging local rivalries and doing away with those long bus journeys which, according to anecdotal evidence, puts some players off.

There are a few examples in the current Regional Leagues, particularly in Caledonia Region, of second or lower XVs from larger clubs playing against first XVs from smaller clubs. I see no problem with this, provided a careful watch is kept on larger clubs' playing squads at lower level. The important thing is, we get guys playing and, playing within a tighter area might encourage this.

Here, taking the incomplete season 2019-20 leagues as my template, is how we might see things panning out in the near future.

PROFESSIONAL/PERFORMANCE RUGBY

National Squad – centrally-contracted players for the Scotland and Sevens squad (50 players – playing for Edinburgh and Glasgow, but with Scotland and the Sevens as their main focus).

Edinburgh and Glasgow (35-man full-time squads, augmented by centrally-contracted players)

Super6: Ayrshire Bulls, Boroughmuir Bears, Heriot's, Southern Knights, Stirling County and Watsonians, plus two expansion teams, one in Greater Glasgow, one in Dundee/Aberdeen.

National League Clubs (listed as two divisions, but, could be two conferences of equal standing):

Premiership	Championship
Ayr	Aberdeen Grammar
Boroughmuir	Biggar or Marr
Heriot's	Dundee HSFP
Melrose	Edinburgh Academical
Stirling County	Glasgow Hawks
Watsonians	Highland
Currie Chieftains	Jedforest
Hawick	Kelso
GHA	Musselburgh
Gala	Selkirk

CLUB RUGBY

Since not every club is equal, I envisage a split here, with the larger, better-run clubs better able to handle travelling longer distances for better competition. I therefore suggest the better clubs play in Regional Conferences within the four regions. These would look something like (using 2019-20 positions – clubs in the present national leagues in normal type, Regional League clubs in italics):

REGIONAL CONFERENCES

East Conference	West Conference	Midland Conference	North Conference	South Conference
Berwick	Marr or Biggar	Howe of Fife	Caithness	Peebles
Falkirk	Cartha-Queens Park	Kirkcaldy	Gordonians	Duns
Lasswade	Dumfries Saints	Perthshire	Aberdeen Wanderers	Hawick Harlequins
Preston Lodge	GHK	Strathmore	Ellon	Hawick Linden
Murrayfield Wanderers	Glasgow Academicals	Blairgowrie	Garioch	Langholm
Stewart's-Melville	Greenock Wanderers	Dunfermline	Orkney	Gala YM
Haddington	Hamilton Bulls	Glenrothes	Mackie Academy	Earlston
Linlithgow	Hillhead-Jordanhill	Grangemouth Stags	Banff
Royal High	West of Scotland	Hillfoots	Moray
Broughton	Allan Glen's	Alloa	North Police Scotalnd

REGIONAL LEAGUES

Caledonia Region

Midlands League 1	Midlands League 2	North League
Carnoustie HSFP	Waid Academy FP	Ross Sutherland
Panmure	Montrose & District	RAF Lossiemouth
Harris Academy	Dundee Morgan	Kinloss Eagles
DUMS	Crieff & Strathearn	Huntly
Kinross	Stobswell	Shetland
Madras	Arbroath	Aberdeen Uni Medics
Rosyth Sharks	Aberfeldy	Deeside
Bannockburn	Bo'ness	Inverness Craig Dunain
		Fraserburgh

Dyce

East Region

First Division	Second Division
Forrester	Penicuik
Ross High	Dunbar
Portobello	Inverleith
Leith	Dalkeith
North Berwick	Edinburgh University Medics
Trinity Academicals	Lismore
Corstorphine	Edinburgh Northern
Livingston	Liberton

West Region

North Clyde A League	North Clyde B League	South Clyde League	South West League
Lenzie	Helensburgh	Strathaven	Carrick
Hyndland	Loch Lomond	Uddingston	Stewartry
Cumbernauld	Lochaber	East Kilbride	Kilmarnock
Waysiders - Drumpellier	Isle of Mull	Birkmyre	Garnock
Dalziel	Oban Lorne	Bishopton	Irvine
Clydebank	Strathendrick	Shawlands	Annan
GUM	Stornoway	Cambuslang	Cumnock
		Paisley	Wigtownshire
			Moffat
			Lanark

Second or lower XV teams could be incorporated into the regional leagues where necessary to bring them up to a maximum of 12-team divisions, but, again, some care would need to be taken about player registration.

There's an awful lot to talk about and argue over in my proposals – but, I leave this as a starting point. All opinions, positive and negative, welcomed.

Second Edition edit

A VERY GOOD friend of the blog, a weel-kent face in Clubland has got in touch to suggest: "Your template looks to me like a return to Districts."

Probably does, but, the D word is seemingly not to be uttered in Scottish Rugby, certainly not within earshot of BT Murrayfield. But, why not? We had a better game when we had Districts, when the clubs met, as a District, all shades of opinion and point of view were aired, unlike today's wee cliques of league fora.

So, should we go back to Districts? And, while we are at it, ought we not to de-centralise many of BTM's functions and,  in that way, curb the power of The Junta?

You tell me what you think.