PLANS are afoot to trim the first division of Scottish rugby's
national league from 14 clubs to eight, playing home and away. A
proposal along those lines has been mooted for the Scottish Rugby
Union's annual general meeting in June.
After the Heriot's v Melrose match on Saturday it was obvious why the
senior clubs would wish to cut the numbers in the first division. They
could see the benefits to be derived from more regular competition of
the quality of that Goldenacre match.
Players would gain from more competitive play with the invaluable
spin-off for Scotland's international rugby, spectators would have a
stronger guarantee of better-quality games, and the league matches as
well as the clubs themselves would be all the more attractive to
sponsorship.
Pressure for such a change has come from members of the Scottish Rugby
Union Senior Clubs Association. The suggestion is that, beginning in
season 1995-96, all leagues would be contested home and away in smaller
divisions, with the lower ones each made up of 10 clubs.
Minor divisions would have their extra league Saturdays while the
top-flight players were involved in district games. It has yet to be
clarified where the cut-off would be between the divisions of eight and
those of 10.
A proposal along those lines has been one of several ideas promoted in
discussions between the SRU and the senior clubs, but it would seem to
be the one finding most favour. The format will be aired yet again when
the SRU hold a round of meetings with clubs in all five districts in the
next month.
Bill Hogg, the SRU's chief executive, acknowledged yesterday that the
impetus for change was increasing. ''The problem is that there isn't a
consensus in favour of one format,'' he added.
Senior clubs, recognising the diversity of views, are as anxious as
the SRU are that all voices be heard in the upcoming meetings to prevent
any possibility of antagonism by the lower flight towards the higher
echelon.
Ideally, the senior clubs wish the league season to run straight
through from early September until mid-December. That, however, would
not be feasible when the SRU have to fit district fixtures in the
domestic championship and the new liaison with the Irish provinces as
well as incoming autumn international tours most seasons.
A better-structured season, stepping up from club rugby through the
districts to the Five Nations' Championship, would be possible if the
annual January international was postponed until later in the season.
Hogg said that such a proposal had been proposed by France to the Five
Nations' committee a few seasons ago, but the motion was beaten 4-1. The
time, however, may not be far off when the French find support for
shifting the international championship back by a fortnight to run from
February to early April.
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