Schools rugby: New timetable for knockout stages of the Schools Cup

The Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools Cup moves into what should be the business end of the competition this month but the knockout stages will go ahead within in a new timetable as organisers seek to find alternative dates for the semi-finals and final.

The Scottish Rugby Union has set a deadline of 15 January for completion of the round two pool matches and a week later for the quarter-finals in both under-18 and under-16 competitions.

That would make 29 January the likely date for the semis to be played. But fixing a time for the final then becomes the problem.

The weekend of Saturday 5 February is the start of the Six Nations and over the following two weekends many schools are on half-term holiday leaving the prospect of a non-Saturday final as a possibility.

So far only one quarter-final game has been arranged, George Watson's College facing Loretto at Myreside a week today.

Meanwhile, cup favourites, Merchiston , are hoping to play their outstanding round two match against Robert Gordon's College at Colinton on Saturday and, if they win, they will play Heriot's in the quarters. Stewart's-Melville will have a home tie against Dollar Academy

The other outstanding Cup pool game is between North Berwick High School and Hutchesons' Grammar School scheduled to go ahead on Saturday, from which the East Lothian side could emerge as the sole state school to reach the quarter finals. North Berwick will have double representation in the Cup quarters if their under-16 side can pull off a win against Stewart's-Melville College at Inverleith on Saturday.

Former professional referee Malcolm Changleng, now head of PE at Madras College in St Andrews believes that grouping schools together to form a viable team is an answer.

"I do think that the only way forward for schools rugby is building alliances around the comprehensives. Perhaps we will explore playing as St Andrews against public schools next season," said Changleng.