NEW HEAD OF COMMUNITY RUGBY MAKES CUP DRAW

Scottish Rugby’s new Head of Community Rugby Colin Thomson today made the draw for the first round of the 2005/06 BT Cup alongside interim Director of Rugby Richie Dixon at Murrayfield.

Some 149 teams have entered the Cup this year, which shows an increase from the previous season, and Thomson puts that down to the added “freshness” the cup brings to the season.

He said: “The BT Cup is a central part of the competitions that we run. It gives teams from the length and breadth of the country the opportunity to play against each other in ties that would not normally be possible under the league structure.

“I think players within clubs like the freshness of the cup competition interspersed throughout the season because they get this opportunity to play against players of varying standards above and below them in the leagues,” he added.

This season there will be a pre-round on 24 September which sees Eyemouth White Horses take on Cowal for the opportunity to progress to round one which will be played on 8 October. The winner of that match will play Cumnock.

Other highlights from round one see a varsity match between the universities of St Andrews and Glasgow while Orkney have been drawn away to fellow islanders, Isle of Mull. On Orkney’s near 750 mile round trip Thomson said: “I’m sure the boys from Orkney will have great fun going down to Mull for that game.

“Mull has got a great tradition of hosting visiting teams and tournaments. Their sevens have been a raring success and this will be an excellent weekend built around the cup tie,” he added.

THE DRAWS

PRELIMINARY ROUND (to be played 24 September 2005)

Eyemouth White Horses v Cowal

ROUND ONE (to be played 8 October 2005)

Allan Glen’s v Islay
Portobello FP v Falkirk
GHK v Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
Crieff and Strathearn v Irvine
Hillfoots v Stornoway
Uddingston v Morgan Academy FP
Alloa v Peterhead
Lochaber v Forrester FP
Langholm v Hillhead
Clydesdale v Glasgow Academicals
Madras College FP v Moray
Liberton v Annan
Kilmarnock v Glasgow Caledonian University
RAF Kinloss v Ross High
Aberdeenshire v Strathspey
Strathclyde University v Preston Lodge
Cumnock v Eyemouth White Horses or Cowal
McLaren v North Berwick
Stirling University v Birkmyre
Jordanhill v Caithness
Strathmore v Mackie Academy
Aboyne v Dunbar
Stewartry v Fife Southern
Heriot Watt University v Leith
Kinross v Clydebank
RAF Lossiemouth v Broughton FP
Waysiders Drumpellier v Wigtownshire
Carrick v Newton Stewart
Glenrothes v Strathaven
Walkerburn v Lasswade
St Andrews University v Glasgow University
Stobswell v Ardrossan Academicals
St Boswells v Huntly
Paisley v Oban Lorne
Garnock v Moffat
Isle of Mull v Orkney
Penicuik v Edinburgh Northern
Bannockburn v Greenock Wanderers
Whitecraigs v Braidholm
Strathclyde Police v Howe of Fife
Grangemouth v Linwood
Shawlands FP v Dumfries
Duns v Dalkeith
Loch Lomond v Hawick YM
Trinity Academicals v Bishopton
Cumbernauld v Helensburgh
Highland v Inverleith
Aberdeen Wanderers v Earlston
Strathendrick v Panmure
Arbroath v Hawick Linden
Perthshire v Carnoustie HSFP
Hawick Harlequins v Lenzie
Linlithgow v Banff
Shetland v Marr
Lismore v Montrose
Blairgowrie v Dalziel


CLUB FIXTURES FOR NEXT SEASON

Champions Glasgow Hawks will start the defence of their BT Premiership title against Melrose at the Greenyards on the opening day of the 2005-06 league season.

Other fixtures in Premier 1 on Saturday 27 August pair Ayr against Biggar, Aberdeen GSFP against Watsonians, newly promoted Stirling County against Hawick and two local derbies in Edinburgh, Boroughmuir v Currie and Stewart’s-Melville FP v Heriot’s.

The full fixtures for the season are on the Scottish Rugby website

This article was originally posted on 30-Jun-2005, 14:57 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 30-Jun-2005, 14:58.