Aristotle Gets Controversial - Again

I WAS chatting earlier this week to someone who has access to those areas of BT Murrayfield closed to us in the body of the Scottish Rugby kirk. He came up with what just might be a seed germinating within the inner sanctum, but, it is an idea which I think deserves consideration.

Regular readers of this blog will be aware, I believe we have TOO-MANY “National Leagues” in Scotland. I do not think we have the quantity of players necessary to sustain four leagues in which the clubs are spread across the country – that we lack the quality of players, now the brightest talent is increasingly being pointed towards the Super6 and Performance rugby, is, to me, equally obvious.

For my part, I can live with Super6, I could also live with Super8, and I could even support Super10, but, I believe, if we go down that route, then those ten clubs should be the only ones playing “nationally” - that is, across the length and breadth of Scotland.

Oh dear Aristotle, you've done it noo. The massed ranks of the if not 'Unco guid' then the “we believe we're guid” will be rising up to demand your head on a platter. The trouble as I see it is, we've too-many average, or mostly below-average clubs who believe, because they had a good fixture list back in the amateur days of the Unofficial Championship, they should still be considered “National League” clubs.

That's pish. As I've said above, I don't think we could sustain more than ten clubs playing on a national stage. However, those left behind will never countenance being relegated to Regional club status, so, we need to find a placebo to soothe their hurt.

That's where my well-connected friend's suggestion comes in. He thinks hurt feelings might be soothed, if we had National Leagues, but, playing in Northern and Southern Divisions. There could then be a play-off to settle which was The Champion Club of Scotland, between the winners of the two leagues.

At the moment, the dividing line between north and south of Scotland is, roughly speaking, the line of the River Forth. Why not move that line northwards, to the line of the River Tay – although, I could see some negotiations ongoing around the status of the clubs from the Kingdom of Fife..

North of that – you're in the National League North, south of it, you're in the National League South.

The trouble with this suggestion is – the uneven division of the clubs. At the moment we have 44 National League clubs. If we take away the six core clubs of the Super6 franchises, that leaves us with 38 clubs. Twenty-eight of these clubs are in either the East, South or West Regions, leaving a mere ten in Caledonia. IF my hypothetical border between North and South was to be moved as I indicated above, that would take two of these clubs – Howe of Fife and Kirkcaldy out of the theoretic North League into the South one.

This brings me back to the reality – a truly National League will not work in the 21^st century, since the best players will all be in the performance tiers of the game.

A North League – South League system would not work either, because there are too-many clubs of near-equal standing in the southern half of Scotland, and too-few who might be competitive in the north.

Therefore, I still feel, the best future route for Scotland is:

• Three full-time teams competing in the United Rugby Championship

• a 'Super Rugby' semi-professional level, with a maximum of ten teams

• Regionalised, on the face of it amateur, club rugby.

I use the phrase 'on the face of it amateur' there, because, everyone knows, Rugby Union is an Open game. The SRU could try to make the club game “amateur” - but, everyone and his brother knows, some clubs would try to gain an advantage by paying players. That genie is out of the bottle and isn't going back.

WHAT FOLLOWS is a straight lift from something my old mucker Shug Barrow posted on his excellent “Hawks Legends” Facebook page – enjoy:

Hawks and Super 6

 

Head Coach Andy Hill reflects

With Super 6 starting tomorrow and Glasgow not being represented Head Coach Andy Hill takes stock of Hawks contribution to the initiative and the squads assembled elsewhere including three in Edinburgh.

We at Hawks would like to wish all past players and coaches well with their upcoming season.

While Glasgow might not have a Super 6 team…yet, Hawks are still making a massive contribution to Scottish Rugby and helping players develop in Glasgow and the West.

Below is a list of ex-players who are or have been involved with Super 6 who have pulled on the Hawks jersey.

1. Andrew Nimmo/Ali Rogers

2. Angus Fraser/Iain Carmichael

3. Lewis Skinner

4. Fraser Hastie

5. Euan Ferrie

6. Lewis McNamara

7. Gavin Wilson/Tim Brown

8. Ryan Sweeney/Trystan Andrews

9. Kaleem Baretto/Kristian Kay/Finlay Burgess

10. Ross Thompson/Josh Henderson/Liam Brims

11. James Couper/Max Priestly

12. Mark New/Jack Steele

13. Bobby Beattie/Thomas Glendinning

14. Craig Gossman/Kyle Rowe

15. Glen Faulds

Rory Jackson (Ayrshire Bulls) and Gregor Brown (Boroughmuir Bears) have both also played for Hawks but were part of the academy allocation while Ewan Hamilton-Bulger (Ayrshire Bulls) was part of the S6 draft system.

To our knowledge only Kristian Kay, Josh Henderson (USRC Tigers Hong Kong), Max Priestly (Brighton Rugby, Aus), Mark New (Aberdeen Grammar), Jack Steele, Craig Gossman (both GHK), Ross Thompson (Glasgow Warriors) and Kyle Rowe (London Irish) are not taking part in Super 6 this year.

Only Jack Steele, Craig Gossman and Kyle Rowe did not come directly from Hawks although were past players who had massive contributions to the club.

Even coaches have gotten in on the act with past Head Coaches Finlay Gillies (Heriots) and Davie Wilson (Boroughmuir) now assistants. While ex-Hawks Assistant coach Peter Horne is now Head Coach of Ayrshire Bulls.

Covid affected - Euan Ferrie and Trystan Andrews both were unable to play for Hawks due to Covid while Max Preistly was unable to play for Ayrshire Bulls in Super 6.

Has any club contributed more players to Super 6, other than the Super 6 clubs themselves? Edinburgh Accies is the only team we believe that would come close.

Hell of a squad and hopefully many of them get to play with or against each other in the inter-district game at the end of the sprint season. Best of luck lads.

[This is me writing now:] That's a record any club could be proud of, which beggars the question – how come Hawks didn't get an S6 franchise in Glasgow?

Politics is a dirty game, rugby politics is even dirtier it seems. There are I feel, guys within Murrayfield and yes, elsewhere in Glasgow, who perhaps had a vested interest in ensuring, Hawks didn't get to be involved in Super Rugby.