Super Six Continues To Fascinate

ANOTHER DAY, another week, and here we go again – another look at Super Six.

 The Old Firm, peacefully co-existing to dominate Scottish Sport since 1888

Rugby in Scotland comes a poor second to football, in terms of popular interest and support, and certainly in terms of the money is attracts. OK, I accept there are two giant Scottish clubs – The Old Firm - who dominate proceedings – even if, right now, one of them is only a big club in the terms of the amount of belly laughs and fun it provides. Their support and the money they attract somewhat skews the market football's way.

I tend to regard Edinburgh and Glasgow as the Old Firm of Scottish Rugby. OK, they are centrally-funded, by Murrayfield, rather than being self-sustaining commercial entities, but, they are full-time, they should be able to compete in Europe, they are our flagship clubs.

Now, it would be nice if our Premiership rugby clubs were the equivalent of our Premiership football ones. If we could regard Glasgow Hawks as the equivalent of Partick Thistle, if Ayr equated to Kilmarnock, if Heriot's and Watsonians were footballing versions of Hearts and Hibs, and so on. But, there is not the money around in rugby to justify even thinking this.

The What Happens If? Argument

Suppose Super Six happens, and, for argument's sake – Ayr, Melrose and Stirling County, the three Premiership clubs “everyone” appears to think will bite at the prospect of running a franchise, actually do apply and be accepted.

Melrose appear to, if they go-ahead and apply, to be about to spark off more Border Wars, with their long-standing neighbours thinking about the Borders franchise being a chance to reinvigorate the old South team. In the other two cases – Ayr Raiders, as Billy McHarg is hinting an Ayr franchise would be named – will be going head-to-head for local interest with Ayr United, while Stirling County's franchise will be similarly placed against Stirling Albion.

Ayr RFC, right now, is to all intents and purposes a semi-professional rugby team; their players are, if not paid for playing, receiving a very-good level of “expenses”. Ayr United, is a semi-professional football team. Ayr RFC currently sits in third place in the BT Premiership, the top level of Scottish club rugby – they are, right now, the third-best club side in Scotland (fifth-best if you include the two full-time professional sides). Ayr United currently sit top of The SPFL League One, the third strata of Scottish club football; as such, they are the 23rd-best side in Scotland. Yet, Ayr United's home attendances are higher than Ayr RFC's – averaging 1526 fans per game, while Ayr RFC's average attendance is around 650.

 Forthbank during a Stirling Albion game - busier than Bridgehaugh with County at home

Stirling County can also be considered a semi-professional rugby club, in the same way as Ayr. Stirling Albion is a semi-professional football team. County currently sits in fifth place in the BT Premiership, two places below Ayr. Albion meanwhile, lie second in the SPFL's League Two, the fourth strata of Scottish club football – as such, they are the 35th-best side in Scotland. Again, however, Albion's average home attendance of 650 is a lot higher than the 400 or so regulars at Bridgehaugh.

Another thing to be taken into account. The suggestion is, there would be six franchises, to be taken on by existing clubs. BUT, these clubs are being seen as “Regional centres of excellence” - that quote from the SRU's own franchise documents. In effect, they are expected to do the job of the District teams in the amateur days. HOWEVER, the “host” club – be it Ayr, Stirling County, Melrose or whoever, will still be expected to maintain a club side, playing in the next level down, in the “amateur” leagues, be they National or District/Regional.

So, any club taking on a franchise will need to put in a minimum of £135,000 per season, they will, inside the first five years, have to largely fund (they will we hear get some help from Murrayfield) a 4G pitch, which will set them back a minimum of £300,000. They will also have to fund in many cases, upgrading of floodlights, provision of acceptable strength and conditioning suites, and fund the several additional staff the SRU thinks they will need.

How do they do this, and still maintain a National League team? Travel costs will rise. Will sponsors, happy to back a Premiership club, playing at the top level, be happy to see their sponsorship donations split between the franchise club and the host club – given it is not unusual for sponsorship in rugby to be motivated by facts such as – the sponsoring business principal or his son is a player?

Or, as one senior club-man said to me: “The SRU are giving us £135,000 per season, I can envisage some existing sponsors, perhaps struggling in the current hard times of some businesses telling us – 'You don't need my input this season, the SRU are funding you, and, in any case – I cannot afford it'”

This, to me, demonstrates the basic weakness of the case for Super Six. Up to six existing clubs are being expected, on the back of a five-year franchise – to substantially-increase their outgoings, spend massively on their club infrastructure – floodlighting and other upgrading PLUS installing a 4G pitch, and all they are getting from the SRU will be a capped sum of money over that time – to be spent as the SRU dictates, not as the club wishes.

The SRU will have a presence on the franchise board responsible for running the franchise club, while the club board, with umbrella management responsibilities for the franchise club and the associate National League club – the current 2^nd XV if you like, will have different personnel.

Who Will Make The Key Managerial Decisions?

What happens if these two boards disagree? What happens if in appointing the Head Coach – the SRU wants to install “Alex Ferguson” at a club, while that club would rather have “Jock Stein”?

The more I see and read about Super Six, the more I see it as a further power grab by Murrayfield.

If Murrayfield and its High Performance Department want to really improve Scottish rugby at the top end – then they should be reforming one more, if not two more full-time professional clubs, playing in the PRO14. Do things better at Academy and full-time pro level, and allow the clubs to run the club game.

Super Six is not professional enough for the top level, but, it could work at club level – however, not with a mere six clubs, but with the original Super Eight concept, or, as it already works well today – with a ten-club Premiership.

This works, leave it largely alone.