THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
GRAHAM MACKAY

BORDERS clubs have withdrawn their threat to pull out of this season's Scottish Cup, but continue to harbour concerns about the competition's viability.

The decision was announced yesterday following a meeting in Jedburgh attended by several local clubs and representatives of the Scottish Rugby Union.

However, despite the agreement to remain in the competition, Border League representatives remain concerned over several issues, primarily the tournament's lack of sponsorship. They are understood to favour regionalising the early stages of the national cup competition, possibly by using the Border League.

Problems arose between clubs and the SRU when long-term sponsors BT pulled out at the end of last season. The SRU has failed to find a new sponsor and warned at the start of the season there would be no prize money. Some clubs claim they generate more revenue from one Border League fixture than from a run in the Scottish Cup.

Local derbies attract bigger crowds and more bar-takings whereas playing in the cup often involves expensive away trips to far-flung destinations.

A compromise will now be sought which cuts down on the amount of travelling but maintains the national cup which has been in existence since 1995-96.

Ally Forsyth, the Border League's secretary, told The Scotsman: "An open discussion took place involving numerous clubs, all of whom realised that this would be the wrong time to withdraw from the Scottish Cup."

He added: "Money is an issue, but we are also keen to utilise the Border League and grow the game at a local level."

Colin Thomson, the SRU's head of community rugby, welcomed the continued participation of the Borders clubs in the cup. "I see this as a positive step," he said. "It is good that we can sit down and resolve differences that arise."

He refused to rule out a revamp of the competition and revealed that plans were afoot to provide some sort of funding. "We are constantly reviewing all SRU competitions alongside club representatives," said Thomson. "There is a structure of governance in place where problems are aired in a productive way, with meetings held on a monthly basis. A strategic decision has been made to provide funding, and we are contributing more towards cup competitions than we were last year."

Since the creation of the national cup, Borders clubs have featured in six finals, winning four of them. However a club from the Borders has not appeared in a final since 2002 when Hawick won the tournament for a second time. The other winners were Melrose in 1997 and Gala in 1999.

This article was posted on 13-Sep-2006, 06:59 by Hugh Barrow.