The Scottish

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ColinM
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The Scottish

Post by ColinM »

Seems sensible in theory but the practicalities would be another matter and the money - £100k pa for 5 years won't go far.

Possibly a structure that the IRFU could have put in place 15 years ago?
Scottish Rugby is planning to create six semi-professional franchise clubs as part of a radical restructuring of the game in Scotland.

Chief executive Mark Dodson will unveil the proposal at the union's annual general meeting next Saturday, 5 August, BBC Scotland has learned.

The SRU would invest at least £100,000 annually in each of the teams for the first five years, a total of over £3m.

They will contest a six-team semi-pro league, with play-offs to follow.

There is likely to be one team based in Glasgow, one in Edinburgh, one in the Borders and one in the North and Midlands district, with two others elsewhere.

It is hoped the new set-up, which follows a comprehensive review of the whole club structure of Scottish rugby, will be up and running for the start of the 2018-19 season.

The fully professional teams, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby, would remain in their current guises.

Underneath the semi-pro league, there would be an amateur national league of four divisions each containing 12 clubs.

The BT Premiership, the top tier of the Scottish club game, has 10 clubs at present, with the National One, Two and Three leagues featuring 12 clubs each.

Some clubs have yet to be convinced of the plan.

One club representative told BBC Scotland: "I doubt we have enough good players to make it work and it might cost more to set up than the union envisages."

The strategy will be presented at next Saturday's AGM to the clubs, who will then have time to consider the proposals, although there is no plan for a vote of the member clubs.

Scottish Rugby owns and funds both of its two professional teams, Glasgow and Edinburgh, to the tune of about £5m per year, although is open to outside investment in both.
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Dave
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Re: The Scottish

Post by Dave »

I think Banbridge are trying something similar.
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
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ColinM
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Re: The Scottish

Post by ColinM »

Dave wrote:I think Banbridge are trying something similar.
As have a few beforehand
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mikerob
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Re: The Scottish

Post by mikerob »

So will the SRU be picking these 6 teams from the existing national league teams? (the likes of Boroughmuir and Melrose)

Or will they be setting up completely new teams?

If the latter, I can't see these brand new teams getting much support.

If the former, expect the existing teams to hate the idea as no one will want to be one of the teams not picked, as happened when the Welsh had to pick their pro teams.
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Russ
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Re: The Scottish

Post by Russ »

Dave wrote:I think Banbridge are trying something similar.
You're thinking Ballynahinch

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Dave
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Re: The Scottish

Post by Dave »

Russ wrote:
Dave wrote:I think Banbridge are trying something similar.
You're thinking Ballynahinch

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Which team wrecked the changing rooms?
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
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Russ
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Re: The Scottish

Post by Russ »

Dave wrote:
Russ wrote:
Dave wrote:I think Banbridge are trying something similar.
You're thinking Ballynahinch

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Which team wrecked the changing rooms?
The paid under the table Hinch

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ColinM
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Re: The Scottish

Post by ColinM »

mikerob wrote:So will the SRU be picking these 6 teams from the existing national league teams? (the likes of Boroughmuir and Melrose)

Or will they be setting up completely new teams?

If the latter, I can't see these brand new teams getting much support.

If the former, expect the existing teams to hate the idea as no one will want to be one of the teams not picked, as happened when the Welsh had to pick their pro teams.
If they get completely new teams everyone will be upset because they will cherrypick the top players from all the other teams, and no-one will support them. They don't much support the pro teams anyway.

And a league of six isn't that much use anyway. Best they could have done was try and get the Border Reivers into the English Div 1 when it folded, and use it as a feeder club to the others. Its the heartland of Scottish rugby and it should be nurtured.
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mikerob
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Re: The Scottish

Post by mikerob »

ColinM wrote:
mikerob wrote:So will the SRU be picking these 6 teams from the existing national league teams? (the likes of Boroughmuir and Melrose)

Or will they be setting up completely new teams?

If the latter, I can't see these brand new teams getting much support.

If the former, expect the existing teams to hate the idea as no one will want to be one of the teams not picked, as happened when the Welsh had to pick their pro teams.
If they get completely new teams everyone will be upset because they will cherrypick the top players from all the other teams, and no-one will support them. They don't much support the pro teams anyway.

And a league of six isn't that much use anyway. Best they could have done was try and get the Border Reivers into the English Div 1 when it folded, and use it as a feeder club to the others. Its the heartland of Scottish rugby and it should be nurtured.
They could maybe use these teams as the academies for Glasgow and Edinburgh maybe with a draft system to decide who someone plays for. The existing teams would hate this.

There is no way the English would have let the Borders straight into Div 1. If the English had been willing, then the Borders would have to do what Richmond and London Scottish did - start at the very bottom level of English rugby and work their way up the divisions taking 7 or 8 seasons to get to the next but top...

The trouble with the Borders is not many people live there so they would always have a problem sustaining a pro team and the rivalry between individual towns is more important than the collective identity of the Borders.
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