A Regular Programme Feature That Keeps You Up
To Date With Rugby and Club Issues and News
by KENNY HAMILTON
(Not necessarily the views of Glasgow Hawks).
Melrose
A kindred spirit in Scottish Rugby, Melrose help us kick off the second half of the
league programme today. A warm welcome to players, coach Craig Chalmers and
good friends from the Greenyards.
Melrose are far too close to the danger zone at this point in the season and will be
determined to get points from every match – including today’s.
Scottish Cup
Hawks are drawn away against Dunbar in the 3rd round. P1 clubs are always drawn
away in the 3rd round as a potential boost to smaller clubs who might be able to
attract sponsors for such an occasion.
However, it would be nice to know what we are playing for wouldn’t it? At this
point we don’t know what the prize money is this year (or for the league) nor if the
suggested cross-border competition for clubs is yet in place with Wales and Ireland
as a possible incentive for clubs.
I know there is a lot to deal with at Murrayfield – but I do think these are pretty
fundamental issues that need to be dealt with very soon.
The Best Idea Ever (on a Saturday night that is.)
“A good enough idea to be plagiarised as one of my own” was how it was described
in the Anniesland pavilion bar at about 9.30pm last Saturday.
But it was Alex Gordon, sometimes reporter and closet Hawks fan, who came up
with this one.
Given the establishment of the club-players ‘amateur’ International next March
against Ireland, could we not extend the same thinking but use it as a development
tool in world rugby? In other words would we get IRB support (and possibly
funding?) to have the Scotland ‘amateur’ International side take on the likes of
Holland, Germany, Kenya etc….
The benefits would be potentially
enormous with Scotland developing
another level of its rugby structure to
drive up standards and the opposition
being exposed to the techniques and skills
of a Home nation – perhaps at a more
competitive level than could be achieved
at full International level

This article was posted on 10-Nov-2005, 12:00 by Hugh Barrow.