SRU wins battle over Super 6 second-string sides

The SRU succeeded in passing its motion regarding the placement of Super 6 “club XVs” into the second tier of the league at last night’s ?Special General Meeting.
SRU president Dee Bradbury. Picture: SNSSRU president Dee Bradbury. Picture: SNS
SRU president Dee Bradbury. Picture: SNS

It means that the second strings of the successful licence clubs of the new part-time professional league – Ayr, Melrose, Watsonians, Boroughmuir, Heriot’s and Stirling County – will move into National League 1 next season, the top six of which will go up to join Currie, Glasgow Hawks, Edinburgh Accies and Hawick in the Premiership.

The SGM was called after a motion carried at last year’s AGM called for any changes in national competition structures to be ratified by clubs or the status quo would remain. Quorum was easily reached with 141 delegates in attendance, got off to a defeat for the union as Currie’s amendment that the top flight retains the title “Premiership” was decisively passed and added to the motion. While this was accepted, SRU president Dee Bradbury, pictured, made clear from the chair that support for the 
other two amendments on the agenda would be departures from the motion significant enough to have it pulled by her on behalf of 
the Scottish Rugby Council.

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The second amendment provided the liveliest debate of the near hour and 20 minute meeting at BT Murrayfield as Falkirk moved that the second XVs of any Super 6 franchise should be removed from the national league altogether and be placed in either their own or appropriate reserve leagues.

Falkirk president Bill Faulds made an impassioned case stating that, while supportive of Super 6, the SRU were showing disregard to the knock-on impacts in terms of player drain, sporting fairness and player safety. Lorne Boswell, president of Super 6 club Stirling County, said such a move would result in legal action, to which Faulds replied that he “would not be threatened”.

It was solidly defeated, as was the third, proposed by Haddington, to have promotion back to the top flight for Super 6 “Club XVs” frozen for three years.

A thumping majority for the amended motion means promotion and relegation to and from the Premiership will be on a one up, one down basis from next season.

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