Youth rugby: Springboard hope for Youth Cup

By DAVID FERGUSON
Published on Thursday 16 February 2012 00:00

THE drive to improve youth rugby in Scotland and provide a better springboard to the professional and international levels for Scotland’s teenagers has been backed by RBS.

Now owned mostly by the UK public, the national team sponsor has worked to enmesh itself into the community through sponsorship rather than merely plough millions into the top end of the sport. There are rumours, as yet unsubstantiated, that it may go further when the current Six Nations contract is up next year and walk away from the title sponsorship, but for now the bank is keen to continue its push into the lower reaches.

Scottish rugby continues to struggle to compete with the top nations largely through its lack of strong nationwide competition, but the newly sponsored RBS National Youth Cup, which kicks off this weekend, is one vital platform.

Colin Thomson, the SRU’s head of community rugby, said: “The RBS National Youth Cup brings together the top young club teams from each region in Scotland and exposes them to new teams they aren’t used to playing against.

“It also provides them with a higher intensity of competition. We’re delighted to have the backing of RBS this year, as they support one of our flagship competitions once again.”

The competition is still dominated by a core of clubs with Stirling County’s renowned investment in their youth system rewarded again last year with the under-18 – for the third time in four years – and joint under-16 titles. They are at home to Borders opposition in the first round this year in the shape of Melrose Wasps at under-18 level and Kelso at under-16s.

The SRU are still under pressure to make a decisive move away from a schools-only cup dominated by a handful of schools and a youth cup led by a handful of clubs and bring together the best schools and club sides in a proper league or cup competition.

However, the rugby-playing independent schools that house a large quota of Scotland’s leading teenage players continue to refuse. They still prefer a traditional fixture list that ensures they win the vast majority of games, and so remain attractive to prospective parents and students, rather than exposing their students to regular competition and the opportunity to reach the best of their rugby-playing ability. They refused to compete in the Scottish Schools Cup for over a decade for similar reasons, though most now embrace it.

The youth competitions will again be split into two age-groups, under-16 and under-18, with the losers from round one in each dropping into a bowl quarter-final. The RBS National Youth Cup finals will be played at Murrayfield on Sunday 29 April.

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Kahkashan

Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 10:07 AM

17.9.11 Merchiston 8 - Stirling County U18 24

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wolfcrag

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 01:55 PM

No 2 - I would agree with you with the best independent schools and club sides should play each other in a competitive leaguecup but should do so to improve the standard of youth rugby in Scotland as, at the moment, its very poor!! That's Ferguson's point as above ".... the the rugby-playing independent schools that house a large quota of Scotland’s leading teenage players continue to refuse. They still prefer a traditional fixture list that ensures they win the vast majority of games, and so remain attractive to prospective parents and students, rather than exposing their students to regular competition and the opportunity to reach the best of their rugby-playing ability." I am not sure who the top four independent schools are but whether the likes of Merchiston, Edinburgh Academy, Dollar, Watsonians or Stewarts Melville et al would beat the best youth sides we can debate another time, however the the fact is they do not want to play against their club counterparts and so there is no accurate gauge of competitiveness at this level, apart from Scotland's youth rugby teams dismal performances against their counterparts in say Wales, England and Ireland, on a regular basis.

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Lola sport

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 09:40 AM

#1 many of the top junior clubs would beat the independant schools. I agree they would beat most of the independant schools but not the top four. I have argued for ages that the top four in each cup after the finals have been played, play against each other in a true national cup. Schools play saturday mornings and clubs in the afternoon therefore it is not possible for boys to play twice in one day. A general rule is that if you play for the independant school you cannot play for the club. Only one of the top four independant schools buy in talent from club sides (merchie). The independant schools play way more fixtures at a higher level than the best club sides, train more and have quality coaches. Club sides train less and also have good coaches. The Scotland age grade teams are rightly full of independant schoolboys including exiles. Your right off the schools to lightly they more than play their part in the future of Scottish rugby. Change is however required so that mis-matches at school and club level is avoid and that the best of the best play against each other more often in whatever format.

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wolfcrag

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 07:57 AM

Well done David Ferguson I think this is the best comment on where youth rugby lies in Scotland and why we fail at this level and possible into the future. We need to change this now and in a drastic and reactionary way. Look, many of the top junior club teams would beat the independent schools therefore its not an option for them to get involved in a national league. So if its not going to help youth rugby develop you need an alternative plan. What about this idea? You ignore the independent schools and they do not play in the schools cup and their are not eligible national school youth selection. If they are ambitious and want to test themselves in a league set up players from independent schools could opt to join a club youth section, as happens at the moment anyway, play in a more competitive league, show coaches and selectors they have the ability and then become eligible for district and national selection.

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