Super Six - Part Two

IN yesterday's first part of my look at Super 6, I concentrated on the general outline of the franchise document which the SRU issued on Monday. But, as we know, the devil is in the detail, and, in the Union's 36-page document, there is a lot of detail to go through.

SRU Technical Director Stevie Gemmell - a key man in the franchise move

This being Scotland, one of the first question many would-be franchisees will ask is: “How much will this cost us?” And there's the rub. The running costs are roughly known – each season the franchise clubs will have to pay 35 players, up to a maximum of £12,000; not every player will be on that – but, the SRU appears to have set that as the salary of a Club XV internationalist, or maybe a player stepping down from a full-time contract with one of the two professional sides. Academy players or guys who have come through the club's own amateur development system will probably not be on as big a salary.

Add insurance costs, National Insurance etc, and the costs add-up. But, hidden away in section seven of the document – on page 22, is the real kicker:

“7.2 the ground.

Having the use of an all-weather (World Rugby compliant) pitch (or the prospects of so having) together with modern flood lighting on both playing and training pitches will influence the award of franchises.

Super 6 franchise grounds will take priority for the financial support aimed at developing club facilities financed by or through Scottish Rugby. Scottish Rugby intends that all Super 6 fixtures should be played on all-weather pitches by the end of the initial franchise period.

Grounds must provide easy access for spectators, and provide adequate car parking, safe standing and sitting for an appropriate number, have a minimum standard of refreshment available and an effective system of public address.

7.3 training facilities

The part-time professional game requires franchised clubs to have a high standard of training facilities for the squad of 35.

Inside accommodation must include a gymnasium that is suitably equipped for strength and conditioning training, changing and shower rooms, and suites for medical and physiotherapy treatment.

Outdoor training pitches must be proof against normal adverse weather conditions and have enough space to allow coaches to organise the simultaneous practice of skill and training regimes by different groups within a squad.

7.4 Infrastructure

The facilities must have indoor accommodation with enough capacity for briefings and catering for the whole of the squad and its support staff.

There must be an IT and WiFi infrastructure that supports filming and match analysis, and also capabilities for broadcasting, and systems for player monitoring and electronic record keeping.

7.5 Support staff

Franchise agreements will require Super 6 squads to have the same types of coaching and related support as the full-time professional clubs.

Super 6 squads may share the services of some specialist practitioners on the staff of the professional club with which they are linked. Other support personnel may be on the full or part-time payroll of the franchised club itself.

All these people will be under the direction of the head coach who will appoint them in consultation with the Technical Director of Scottish Rugby and the franchise board.

The coaching and support team will have these core personnel, some of whom may be part-time:

• two or three assistant coaches with specialist skills

• a strength and conditioning practitioner

• a chartered physiotherapist

• a match analyst

• the services of a dietician/nutritionist.”

There must also be a suitably qualified Medical Practitioner. They will attend on match days, and also when and where required to monitor, advise, prescribe and, if appropriate, treat illness and injuries sustained by players. This will require the doctor and other support staff to be present during some training sessions in the week.

That first part – about the ground; that immediately means, any club which applies for a franchise is committed to, within the initial five-year period, installing a suitable pitch. Obviously costs vary on an individual basis, dependant on how much preparatory work is required, but, a “ball park” figure for installing the sort of 4G pitch which the SRU expects the six franchises to have is put at between £300,000 and £500,000.

The franchise document states (part 7.2, paragraph two) that the Super 6 will have priority for financial support aimed at developing club facilities throughout Scotland, at least during the initial five-year period. So, other, smaller clubs will not find it so easy to get financial help from Murrayfield in that period.

In addition to the big cost, of the 4G pitch and any floodlight upgrading or installation, some potential clubs will find they will also have to spend big on upgrading their training facilities, and their spectator facilities.

The other thing which becomes clear as the nitty-gritty of the document is studied, is just how much power Stevie Gemmell, the SRU's newly-appointed Technical Director will have, in the choice of coaches and support staff – he will need to be consulted at every stage.

Indeed, some, who have already scanned the document, are seeing it as yet another example of the Murrayfield professionals taking a firmer grip on the game.

Sure, over the initial five-year period, good, solid club men, who began at their club as a Mini-Rugby player and come through the age-group ranks will still get a game, but, going forward, there is a suggestion that, more and more the Super 6 clubs will be where those players who have, from aged 15, gone along the SRU's Player Pathway development programme, but, who have not made the final step onto the Edinburgh or Glasgow player roster, will find themselves.

Certainly, the proposals include an element of further education – I applaud the part which calls on the Super 6 franchise winners to establish links with a local college or university, but, to me, it seems the SRU is going down the SFA path: “If you haven't been identified by 16 or 18 son, forget it,you will not make it.”

Well, rugby is not like that, in some positions – prop being the obvious one, late developers are the norm rather than the exception.

More thoughts to follow.