Pyramid league system proposed to help ease strain for cash-hit rugby clubs

After months of closed-room debate between representatives of the top 24 clubs and the SRU's new director of performance, Graham Lowe, the union has come up with a proposal for a new-look championship for Premier One and Two. They would remain at 12 teams each, but in order to shorten the season from this year's ten-month affair the motion put forward by the SRU president Jim Stevenson and Allan Munro, the SRU chairman, is for teams to play each other only once, home or away.

They would then split into three pools of eight teams, the top eight then facing each other once to contest the Division 1 title, the second eight determining the relegation/promotion issue and the bottom eight in Division 2 playing each other to decide who drops down into Division 3. The motion also calls for the change to take place in time for the new set-up to be launched next season.

However, another motion has been proposed by lower-league clubs and backed by the Forum of Scottish Rugby Supporters (FOSRS), which calls for a more fundamental change to the league system, with the basic aims of reducing fixture congestion, shortening the season and lessening travel costs.

Proposed by Crieff and Strathearn RFC, who failed to finish their league programme this season due to costs and a lack of players, as well as Preston Lodge and Kinross, the motion suggests cutting the premier structure to just one division of 12 teams, with a National League of 12 teams below that.

Underneath that would come another two leagues each of 12 teams split geographically into an East League and West League, and then three leagues of no more than ten teams in the East, West and Caledonia. Regional leagues would remain below that level. Their proposal then adopts the SRU one in that the top two divisions would play each other once and then split into pools of eight.

Roy Comfort, chairman of FOSRS, explained the thinking behind the motion. He said: "Scottish rugby is trying to increase player numbers and contain its costs, but is clinging to an old-fashioned league set-up that resolutely frustrates both aims.

"It has too many in-built and man-made flaws. If you have a system where six leagues play nationally, then the travel time and cost becomes completely excessive. Next season, there will be leagues where clubs are putting in well over 30,000 miles to travel to games. This just puts off too many players and volunteers who can't spare that amount of time and turns the clubs into full-time fundraisers to pay for the coach hire.

"It is made worse by over-large leagues that necessitate playing in May most seasons. The regional leagues are no better served. It could all be resolved by a few simple and painless decisions.

"One key to this is switching over to a 'pyramid' structure, with a couple of leagues playing nationally and then a semi- regional structure and a regional structure at the foot. That is what the other home nations long since changed over to.

"Overall, travel time and cost would be near-enough halved for most of the national leagues. We are also proposing introducing prize-money from the sponsorship the SRU receives and turning the reserve league into a prestigious tournament for the top reserve teams."

The motion includes a lengthy explanation of changes right down to the bottom tiers of the club game, with explanations as to how they might all benefit. Comfort added: "A change to the league system is definitely overdue. We have had 37 years of tinkering at the edges without any success.

"The need now is for an holistic approach that looks at the whole picture, rather than groups of clubs examining different corners and coming to contradictory conclusions. Whether clubs can put aside narrow, short-term interests in favour of the good of the whole game remains to be seen."

Other motions proposed for the agm, to be held at Murrayfield on Saturday, 26 June, include three-in-one from Hawick Harlequins, seconded by Hawick. The first part requests the limit of league games a dual- registered player can play before moving to his other club to be lifted from six to eight, and a three-week "cooling off" period introduced to stop players switching too quickly. It also asks for players to be prevented from switching clubs for the last three league matches of a season or the latter stages of the cup.

The second part proposes that under-18 players be allowed to play for any senior club without registering while the third calls for a restoration of the 'emergency player loan' whereby a club lacking players can use one loan player to fill the breach without the need for registration.

Further motions propose that the SRU restore the position of vice-president, ensure the president – Ian McLauchlan will take over from Jim Stevenson at the agm – chairs all general meetings, irrespective of whether he is elected chair of the Scottish Rugby Council, and the return of a representative for Exiles rugby.