Evening News


Rugby pros set for club scene

BILL LOTHIAN

SCOTLAND’S fringe rugby pros are set to come in from the cold next season with a newly-agreed accord allowing them to compete at BT Premiership Division One level.

This follows a meeting of top clubs this week after a get-together with interim Scotland coach Frank Hadden, who also calls the shots at Edinburgh Gunners.

The last campaign saw pro team players rejected by the clubs, who were keen to avoid disruptions and imbalances in some fixtures. Concerns existed that some teams but not others would have their players released for key matches but, according to Boroughmuir director Peter Blackhall, hopes are high for a new spirit of co-operation between clubs and Pro-teams.

He said: "BT Premiership clubs have paved the way for fringe professionals, who might not otherwise get many games, to return to the domestic league.

"This should be a sensible move all round and, so far as early meetings with Frank Hadden are concerned, dialogue has been positive. Final details have still to be thrashed out such as what happens if, say, one club could benefit from four pros being made available while their scheduled opponents received no such benefit.

"However, Premiership clubs are very confident of an accord being put in place soon."

This week’s meeting also paved the way for the Scottish champions Glasgow Hawks to take on fellow title holders from at least one of the Celtic nations in a special curtain-raiser to next season.

This article was posted on 6-May-2005, 18:37 by Hugh Barrow.