A Note From Scottish Rugby’s President

Season Structure Working Party – AGM 2011
The Season Structure Working Party (SSWP), in close consultation with clubs in every league, has looked
at the league structure in considerable detail. Clubs should remember that the SSWP comprises club
representatives, from Premier, National and Regional leagues. The agm motion represents the carefully-
considered views of democratically elected representative club personnel, fully informed by the views of
clubs at every level. Their conclusions have the full and unanimous support of the Scottish Rugby Board
and Council. We are confident that the resulting proposal to the agm, Motion 1, not only meets the needs
of the vast majority of clubs, but will move the whole game forward in some very important respects. It is
important for the future of Scottish Rugby that all clubs attend the agm and cast their vote on this issue.

Clubs should vote for the motion because it:

1

Shortens the season

In 2008, a Scottish Rugby questionnaire asked all clubs how long the season should run. The majority
(78%) opted for a September start and end-March finish; in effect, a 15-a-side season that covers
roughly 30 weeks.

Since then we have run a 12 team league structure which has never been completed within this time
frame – the simple answer is that the 12-team leagues just can’t fit within the season.

Some realities about 12 team leagues (22 game format)
• The earliest a 12 team league has been completed over the last three seasons has been 25
April (National 3 2010).
• Over the last three seasons we have run 19 leagues of 12 teams. Of these 19 leagues, all were
scheduled to finish on the last weekend in March / first weekend in April – 15 finished in May
and 4 finished on or after 25 April.
• The average actual length of season for players, coaches and referees within a 12 team league
(assuming an eight to ten week pre-season) is 45weeks.
• On average, players, coaches, referees and volunteers involved in 12 team leagues have seven
weeks off rugby a year.

Why 12 team leagues are damaging the health of Scottish rugby
• The compound effect of year after year of seasons running past the end of March is
burning out players, coaches, referees and administrators – 45 weeks of rugby is too big a
commitment for players who want to play for fun.
• Seven weeks off rugby is too short a time to physically develop our top club players to raise
the standard of our club game.
• Seven weeks off rugby year after year is too short a time to physically prepare players for
cross Border competition including the Club International team, the British & Irish Cup and
under-20 internationals – this gives us the benchmark that our top club players are physically
under prepared for these levels of competition.
• Smaller leagues lead to more competitive games. Analysis of P1 and P2 over the last two
seasons has shown that the number of games finishing within 13 points or less has increased
from 50% to 56% (P1) and 52% to 62% (P2). This was due to an 18 game format and the
feeling that the majority of games meant something.

Reduces travel costs and time involved while helping to grow the game

2

If the national leagues remain as they are the total travel distance involved for all clubs would be
around 70,000 miles. Step one of the regionalisation process would reduce this travel total to roughly
40,000 miles. Further regionalisation would reduce this figure once again.

Reduced travel distance equals reduced travelling time for players and less cost to clubs, thus
retaining players in the game who simply want to play for fun on a Saturday afternoon.

A reduced time commitment could also encourage more 18-year-olds to stay in our game and,
perhaps, encourage lapsed players to return.

The game has moved on and it’s what our competitors are doing

3

The other three home unions have all adopted a pyramid league structure, with a limited number
of teams playing national rugby which supports their professional game. It’s time that Scotland
developed a similar structure to support the professional game and drive the standards up in club
rugby. For example:

England have a Championship (12 team league) and League 1 (16 team league) making a total of 28
teams playing league rugby.

Ireland have two National leagues of eight playing in Division 1A and 1B and two other national
leagues of 16 making a total of 48 teams playing league rugby.

Wales have one National league of 14 teams, with all rugby below that played on a regional basis.

Scotland have, at present, the smallest playing base but the largest number of national leagues –
three Premiership leagues of 12 and three National leagues of 12 making a total of 72 teams playing
league rugby.

If we go with the entire proposal and move to a full pyramid structure we will have two National
leagues of 10, making a total of 20 teams playing league rugby. This is by far the better solution when
comparing us with our competitors.

When the present structure was introduced, the leagues were the upper tier of Scottish rugby,
preparing players for the international team. Since then much has changed, with the development of
the professional teams and elite academies taking the top players out of the club game. As such, it’s
also necessary for our league structures to change, to allow the next layer of players the opportunity
to push for a professional contract, to play at the highest level they or their club can compete or to
simply play for the enjoyment of taking part in a team sport with their friends.

4

Promotion and relegation is quicker

At present, there are 13 promotions into and within the six national-level leagues. Under the SSWP
proposal, there will be 13 promotions into and within the seven new upper leagues.

While they appear to be the same, there is a very important difference. Currently it takes a club a
minimum of up to seven years to progress from the foot of the league ladder to Premier 1, even if
they win promotion every season for seven years (and similarly for clubs coming down and being
relegated every year). This is far too long. It removes the aspiration and goal of a team being able to
reach the top in one generation of players so reducing enthusiasm and participation accordingly. It is
not a positive aspect of our present linear league set-up.

Under the proposal, this would reduce to five years (six in the West) as the pyramid league structure
proposed by the SSWP is flatter and has fewer rungs on the ladder than the current system – it takes
less time to climb and descend a ladder with five or six rungs than one with eight. For this reason,
ambitious clubs will be able to reach the top more quickly under the SSWP proposal.

The amendment to the Motion

The amendment seeks to retain the status quo for Premier 2, Premier 3 and National Division 1 at
the start of season 2012/13; but this would have a huge impact on all of Scottish rugby in that the
amendment would:
• slow down promotion and relegation, by adding an extra rung on the league ladder that everyone
else has to climb over.

•

cut across the universally popular concept of regional Cup, Shield and Bowl competitions; 12
team Premier 2, 3 and National leagues would mean that it would be difficult to run a regionally
based Cup and Shield competition, thus extending the season for all.

•

make the season a month longer for everyone, due to three leagues insisting on having an extra
month or more of fixtures. The other clubs, having finished their season by Easter, would have to
wait a month for Cup Finals day, due to the 12 team leagues’ extended fixture list.

leave Scottish rugby as the last major union to switch from a linear league structure which is no
longer an attractive, practical or – in the light of ever-increasing fuel and travel costs – an economic
way to organise league rugby.

•

I look forward to welcoming you all to Murrayfield on Saturday 25 June,

Ian McLauchlan
June 2011

This article was posted on 23-Jun-2011, 08:24 by Hugh Barrow.