The domestic club rugby season kicks-off in earnest this Saturday (21 August) with a revitalised league programme for Scotland’s top tier.
Premier 1 and 2 will begin the season as normal until each club has played each opponent once (11 games). Then, in November, the 24 teams from Premier 1 and 2 are divided into three divisions of eight.
After the split, each group of eight will play a single fixture against their new league opponents to determine promotion, relegation and qualification for the British and Irish Cup.
In their first fixtures back in the top flight, Premier 2 champions Stirling County and runners-up Hawick have their work cut out with a tough trip to Mayfield to face Dundee and a home match against last season’s Premier 1 runners-up and Cup champions, Ayr, at Mansfield Park respectively.
County have bounced between the two divisions in five of the last six seasons however winger, Graham Lindsay, is confident his club can put their past behind them and cement their place in Premier 1.
“It’s great to be back in Premier 1. The squad had a good season in Premier 2 where we carried out some rebuilding,” said Lindsay.
“We have a lot of young players and that season allowed them to mature in a more suitable playing environment. I’m confident we can not only stay up but make the top eight.
“Dundee finished fourth last season so will present a big challenge but we’re capable of beating them.
“We’ve drawn six home games out of the first 11, which are our main focus, but we’re targeting a good start in Dundee to take into our first home game the following week.”
Arguably one of the most mouth-watering ties of the weekend is the clash between Melrose and Premier 1 champions Currie at the Greenyards.
Both clubs will represent Scotland in this season’s cross-border British & Irish Cup competition and, while Currie lost just a single league game to lift the 2009/10 league title, it was Melrose who ended their hopes of doing the double with a cup semi-final victory at the Border ground.
Currie hooker, Alun Walker, started all but one of this season’s under-20 6 Nations and IRB Junior World Championship matches and believes the restructured leagues will better support his ambitions of progressing to the professional ranks.
He said: “the new structure means that I’ll get the chance to prove myself against in a more intense environment, while being exposed to a higher standard of rugby.
“All the matches will be very competitive, starting with the teams being desperate for a good start in order to make the top eight and earn the right to challenge for the title.
“Melrose will be a tough game. On paper they’re very strong, especially at the Greenyards, but it’s the best time to get one the top teams because it’ll allow us to gauge where we’re at.
“We’ve shown in our two pre-season victories against Blaydon and London Scottish that we’re a team capable of making the top eight and more but a lot of teams have recognised just how competitive this season will be and have been training hard, while there will also be the head hunting of the big teams which, as champions, we’ll have to deal with.”
Elsewhere in Premier 1, day one derbies will take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow as Heriot’s host Watsonians at Goldenacre and Glasgow Hawks welcome West of Scotland to Old Annielsand, while Selkirk start their season at home to Boroughmuir.
PREMIER 1 OPENING FIXTURES – Saturday 21 August
Selkirk v Boroughmuir
Glasgow Hawks v West of Scotland
Heriot’s v Watsonians
Dundee v Stirling County
Melrose v Currie
Hawick v Ayr
PREMIER 2 OPENING FIXTURES – Saturday 21 August 2010
Kirkcaldy v Peebles
Gala v Kelso
GHA v Jed-Forest
Biggar v Hillhead/Jordanhill
Aberdeen Grammar v Edinburgh Accies
Falkirk v Stewart’s Melville

This article was posted on 20-Aug-2010, 12:45 by Hugh Barrow.