EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
By BILL LOTHIAN
WATSONIAN coach Bruce Aitchison has made a heartfelt plea for Scotland to re-visit the concept of summer rugby after his side's Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership clash with Ayr fell victim to the weekend freeze.
In the shorter term, Aitchison also believes Watsonians will have to give thought to amending policy which sees them utilise floodlights for standard 3pm kick-offs.

"If we'd gone ahead at 2pm there's a good chance our match would have been completed" said Aitchison, a PE teacher.

He added: "The decision to standardise is based on sound sense, as it lets supporters, players, officials and coaches know exactly what they are doing at a set time. People like routine.

"But our Myreside pitch was only going to get harder as the sun went down, and for next season we might have to look again at re-introducing 2pm kick offs.

"It would also help ease pressure on referees who have to make call-off decisions against a background fear of responsibility if somebody is injured."

As to the future, Aitchison believes radical thought needs to be given to the structure of the season.

"In the middle of last week we had to move indoors to train but keeping 40-50 players occupied in a games hall was extremely difficult; some could drift away from rugby as everyone has some ambition at whatever level they play at.

"The only arguments against summer rugby at amateur level seem to be based on tradition and I don't have much time for the 'aye been' types.

"If you had a break from December to February and another break in July all sorts of benefits could accrue. Crowds would increase – the best attendances Watsonians have had this season came through the turnstiles in September – and players skill levels are bound to improve.

"Imagine the difference if rugby players could spend mid-winter on conditioning programmes, unless they were going away on tours to, say, the southern hemisphere where it is summer.

"It would be like the North American rugby scene where there are sevens tournaments in Spring and Autumn sandwiching the 15-a-side programme.

"I can only see benefits including bringing talent right through to the international arena.

"Chris Paterson is a rare example of a player making the grade in his teens and that was nearly ten years ago.

"All right, John Barclay has come into the national side at a young age, but Scotland are still some way off emulating the Wallabies who fielded two teenagers against the Barbarians last week. They were helped, I'm sure, by the fact they could train and play in warmer Australian conditions.

"Actually, a switch could be essential to the SRU fulfilling the targets they have set so far as increased playing numbers are concerned.

"The world has changed; there is no need any longer to accommodate the fruit pickers, etc, and rugby would have to take its chance alongside summer sports which I'm confident it could do."

Meanwhile, 'Sonians expect to rearrange the visit from Ayr in February.

Aitchison said: "Because of international breaks we are already actively seeking friendlies for early next year.

"As well as seeking to finish as high up the Premiership table as possible we are also targeting a Scottish Cup run, so meaningful games for around February will be helpful all-round."

• THE CO-OPTIMISTS will play their first match of the season at Edinburgh Accies on Saturday December 27, secretary Iain Leslie has revealed.

Moves are afoot to revive the select side and Leslie insists the recent 40,000-plus crowd who turned out at Wembley to see the Barbarians play Australia proves there is a market for that type of less-intensive rugby.

"I feel we are on a winner getting the Co-Ops up and running with a fixture list that takes them beyond the Central belt for a change," he said. "December 27 is virtually a free day on the rugby calendar and supporters will want to get out and about.

"Last year's fixture with Accies was useful, too, in terms of giving the clubs' international selectors the chance to look at combinations and various players operating in the company of professionals from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"In the longer term Co-Ops will be playing at Ayr in the Spring and we have provisionally arranged to play English equivalents – the Anti-Assassins – in Edinburgh before the 2010 Calcutta Cup match in the hope that the Hearts and Balls charity will benefit."

This article was posted on 8-Dec-2008, 13:06 by Hugh Barrow.