Pro draft for British & Irish Cup

SCOTLAND’S professional players this week went through a new selection process as they were drafted to the three club sides that will compete in the British and Irish Cup.

After the draft last year, a total of 11 pros ended up turning out for clubs in the competition that pitches the top three in Scotland in with clubs from the English Championship and Ireland’s provincial sides, who both tend to be far stronger, as well as Principality clubs in Wales, which are closer to the Scottish clubs.

Unlike in the pre-season Premier One draft, where Glasgow players are attached to clubs within the Glasgow and Caledonia district, and Edinburgh to clubs in the Capital and the Borders, players have been divided among the three clubs competing in the B&I Cup, Ayr, Currie and Melrose. Some, however, are returning to familiar ground with front rows Gordon Reid and Pat McArthur drafted by Ayr, Ben Cairns back in Currie’s sights and Scott Wight, James King and Mark Robertson on Melrose’s list.

Players fit and involved with their pro sides will not feature in the competition, but there is a widespread belief among coaches at the pro level that the exercise is useful for helping the pro game bring leading performers back from injury and find a good quality of match practise for fringe players. Johnnie Beattie was a great example of a player who benefited from that last season when, due to an administrative mix-up, he was ineligible for Glasgow’s Heineken Cup matches on return from injury, and so used the British and Irish Cup to win a return to the Scotland squad for the RBS Six Nations Championship.

Club coaches have also welcomed the influence of pro players in their clubs and the extra strength it provides for what are potentially the most attractive matches of the season. The SRU’s Head of Player Development, Stephen Gemmell, said: “We want to support the aspirations of the teams taking part in the tournament and want to help them to be as successful as possible. Ayr reached the quarter-finals last year which was great and, if these professional players are available, then we can help these clubs achieve as much as possible.”

Ayr and Currie are first in action, away to Plymouth Albion and Leeds Carnegie respectively on Saturday 12 November, while Melrose kick-off against Bedford Blues the following day. Ayr then host Cross Keys from Wales and Ulster head for Malleny Park the next Saturday while Melrose make the reverse trip across the Irish Sea to Leinster.

The competition resumes on 10 December with Ayr away to Munster, Melrose hosting Aberavon and Currie at Swansea and the pool stages are completed the week before Christmas with Ayr hosting Bristol at Millbrae, Melrose heading south for the much-anticipated fixture with London Scottish and Currie welcoming Nottingham to Balerno.

Another draft of pro players will take place once the RBS Premier One reaches the split in two weeks time, ensuring all Edinburgh and Glasgow players are made available solely for the clubs involved in the Premier A’s top eight.

The SRU also stated yesterday that, in the event of a clash between a Premier A game and a British and Irish Cup match, the Premier A game will have priority for the pro players – as agreed by the clubs.