The Co-Optimists, Scotland’s invitation club, will play Edinburgh Academicals in their traditional friendly at Raeburn Place on Saturday (December 27) in a match that will help Scotland’s plans for their 2009 club internationals.
Ian Rankin (pictured second from left) manager of the Scotland club international squad, said: “We are indebted to the Co-Optimists. We have liaised with them in order to ensure that a number of contenders for club international selection can play together in this match.”

The club international squad enjoyed their first training session on Monday night in preparation for their international fixtures against France and Ireland in the spring.

The Co-Optimists’ squad also includes Edinburgh professional players, Andrew Turnbull and Ben Gissing, and Stewart’s-Melville’s full-back Richard Borthwick, who played as a substitute in the inaugural Club International against Ireland in 2006.

Co-Optimists’ squad: Backs – Richard Snedden (Currie), Michael McVie, Gavin Craig, Lee Jones, Fraser Harkness (all Selkirk), Scott Wight (Melrose), Dougie Brown (Watsonians), Malcolm Clapperton (Boroughmuir) CAPTAIN, Graham Thomson (Heriot’s), Andrew Turnbull (Edinburgh), Richard Borthwick (Stewart’s-Melville FP)

Forwards – John Dalziel and Wayne Mitchell (both Melrose), Ross Weston (Currie), Paul Burke, Scott Sutherland, Damien Kelly, Gordon Reid (all Ayr), Alan Dymock and Scott Burnett (both Heriot’s), Allan Kelly and Grant Strang (both Glasgow Hawks), Elliot McLaren (West of Scotland), Ben Gissing (Edinburgh)

Scotland club international management
Head coach Peter Wright
Assistant coach Ally Donaldson
Selector Craig Chalmers
Team manager Ian Rankin

Scotland club international players who now play professional rugby:
Edinburgh - Bruce McNeil, Mark Robertson John Houston, Steven Lawrie, Jim Thomson, Marc Teague, Sean Crombie
Glasgow - Michael Adamson, Moray Low, Jon Welsh
Milan - Andrew Skeen

Scotland club international results for 2007-2008:
Ireland 20 – 15 Scotland (Donnybrook, Dublin)
Wales 7 – 34 Scotland (Virginia Park, Caerphilly)

This season’s Scotland Club International fixtures
Friday 13 February: France v Scotland (Rouen, kick-off 6pm)
Friday 13 March: Scotland v Ireland (locations and kick-off time to be confirmed)

This article was posted on 24-Dec-2008, 14:05 by Hugh Barrow.