BACK IN The Good Old Amateur Days, when men were men and Rugby Union was fun, in many ways, things were more-structured. The 15-a-side domestic season began on 1 September and ended on 30 April. Organised national leagues only lasted for the last 25 of the game's first 125 or so years, before it went Open, and change came suddenly. But these were simpler, although not perhaps happier times – there have always been disputes on and off the field.
The highlight of the season, then as now, was the annual international series of games – Five Nations rather than Six back then. Preparing for these was also done according to tradition. In October, certainly in the West where I was: Ayrshire played Renfrewshire, before a combined Ayrshire and Renfrewshire side played Glasgow.
After that, Glasgow sides would face Cumberland and Westmorland, or Lancashire in warm-up games, before the Inter-District Championship would be played in November and December.
The other Districts also had their own time-honoured series of warm-up/selection games.
These were followed by the two International Trials, in late December, selection often slanted by how the players had done in the Inter-District Championship. Then the Scotland squad was ready for the kick-off of the Five Nations, traditionally against France in early January.
Now, the Inter-District Championship is back, being played in March this season. However, other than as a possible chance for the Super Rugby coaches to perhaps evaluate the available talent in the Premiership, and for local bragging right – what does it achieve.
If, as it could have been, the returned tournament, was part of the selection process for the Scotland Club XV, then I could see a good reason for holding it. But, this beggars the question, who would the Club XV play against, and when? Otherwise, why bother?
Let's look at where the players might come from this season:
Caledonia: Aberdeen Grammar (NL2) – Dundee (NL1) – Falkirk (NL2) – Gordonians (NL2) – Highland (NL1) – Kirkcaldy (NL2) and possibly Stirling County (NL2). Although, one or two Caledonia-bred players who have moved to the Central Belt to progress their career might well prefer to play for their home District.
Edinburgh: Currie Chieftains (P) - Edinburgh Academical (P) – Heriot's Blues (P) – Musselburgh (P) – Watsonians (NL1) Berwick (NL2) – Lasswade (NL2) – Stewart's-Melville (NL2)
Glasgow and the West: Glasgow Hawks (P), Marr (P), Ayr (NL1), Biggar (NL1) - GHA (NL1) – GHK (NL1) – Glasgow Academical (NL1) and possibly Stirling County.
South: Hawick (P) – Jed-forest (P) – Kelso (P) – Selkirk (P) – Gala (NL1) – Melrose (NL1).
The Leagues,
barring some unforeseen bad weather in January and February, will be
done and dusted by 17 February, which leaves a five-week window for
preparation before the Inter-Districts kick-off. OK, there will be cup games to also slot in, however.
Will the selectors for the squads go on club form when nominating their squads – or, might this window be used for a return to the old-fashioned sorting-out procedures. Say a Greater Glasgow v Surrounding Counties selection game in the West or an Edinburgh City v The Lothians clash in the East. Perhaps a return of the old North v Midlands match in Caledonia, and, given their pre-eminence a Hawick v The Rest warm-up in The South.
I would reckon, we need to find some way of keeping the players playing and enthusiastic during that five-week window. What about it folks?
HERE I feel I really should at this juncture make an old plea which I have been making regularly over the life of this blog – why cannot we get some of the old local competitions – the County Cups and the District Cups – back up and running.
Or are today's club officials so-scared of upsetting the control freaks on The Murrayfield Junta, they will not take the first step.
Back in the Dark Ages, Kilmarnock Rugby Club initiated The Ayrshire Rugger Cup (I've polished it often enough – so I know that's what's engraved on it) for competition among the clubs in God's County.
I called around some contact in the County, and with the exception of one of the four clubs currently topping their leagues, but with ambitions towards a national trophy, whose official I spoke with felt the combination of still-unplayed league fixtures and cup matches might make it difficult to fit another knock-out competition into the available time – the standard reply was: “Yes please, bring it back – and let's have warm-up games for the District team.”.
That contact was one of the newer guys, who did laugh when I told him about one particular Ayrshire Cup Final, which his club was involved in, back half a century ago. That game – like most of the Ayrshire Cup ties - was played on a Wednesday night, at Bellsland, and the fact six of the ten front five players had spent the day in the beer tent at Ayr Show meant a very-interesting opening ten minutes!!!
Looking further ahead, I reckon there is a case, now The Junta has relaxed control enough to allow the clubs in each of the regions to arrange their own representative teams, for the re-introduction of the old Glasgow Knock-Out Cup. However, that's a job for the close season.
FINALLY – With a nod to dear old William Shakespeare and his sage advice: “You cannot believe half of the stuff you read on Facebook” - I saw an item there last night, which listed the highest-paid player in each of the seasons of the English Premier League.
The highest-paid player in the 32 seasons of this competition was Gareth Bale, who was seemingly paid £560,000 per week while playing for Tottenham Hotspur in Season 2020-21. Admittedly, the bulk of that salary was being paid by Real Madrid, who had loaned him back to the London club – but £22,400,000 for a 40 week season – that's ridiculous.
At the moment the highest-paid player in the Premiership is Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, who is apparently on £400,000 per week. Given he's on a permanent contract there, that's £20,800,000 per year.
That again is crazy money, however, in comparison, at £1,000,000 per year - £19,230 per week, Finn Russell is a bargain to Bath. For comparison, Eric Cantona was being paid that much back in 1994-95.
Mind you, Manchester United's average home crowd that season was 43,682, which meant the first 77p of every admission charge paid went to Cantona.
Bath's average home attendance is 13,169 - if you reckon, between the Gallagher Premiership and Europe, Bath will have, at most 20 home games, that means, the first £3 and more of each admission ticket goes to Finn.
If we allow for Manchester City having 30 home games in a season. That means (if my calculator is correct) the first £13 of each admission charge goes to Mr De Bruyn. Wonderful thing this inflation – there's no way De Bruyn is worth 22 Finn Russells.
The billionaires running English club rugby may be fiscally incontinent, but, compared to their opposite numbers in football, they are models of fiscal rectitude.
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