The Scotsman reports

GLASGOW Hawks coach Peter Wright has welcomed a new approach to the draft of professionals as helping to create "closer links" between the club and professional game.
The draft of Scotland's 72 home-based professionals took place last week, and after a 48-hour period of swapping between clubs, it was confirmed yesterday. The innovation in this year's draft saw the clubs bracket themselves to Edinburgh or Glasgow on grounds of geography.

So clubs from Glasgow and Caledonia were aligned to Glasgow Warriors, and clubs from Edinburgh and the Borders were aligned to Edinburgh. 

Premier One clubs also agreed that all first-year professionals were allocated to the P1 club from which they had signed to maintain those links.

Gala, the club promoted as runners-up from Premier Two, had first pick of Edinburgh players, while Aberdeen Grammar Rugby, promoted third from Premier Two, had first pick of Glasgow Warriors players. 

Gala have gone for players with club ties such as Roddy Grant and Chris Paterson, as well as Nick De Luca, who played at Netherdale for the Border Reivers, as well as Jack Gilding and Steven Turnbull, and Boroughmuir signed winger Mark Robertson, who recently agreed a full-time Scotland sevens contract.

Wright, the Premier 1 representative on the Scottish Rugby Council, said: "What we are looking for are closer links between pro clubs and Premier 1 clubs and there is an onus on all of us to work to bring that to fruition.

"We are trying to get Premier 1 to a level where pro players and pro coaches feel not only positive from the point of view of the standard of rugby but also because there is a positive all-round experience in being involved and associated with that club."

Many of the leading players drafted will not ever turn out for their club, but as part of the drive to raise standards and inspire young players the clubs are keen to welcome the professionals at their clubs in any case.

• Several top club players will wear the famous Co-optimists strip tomorrow night in a match at Haddington (7.15pm) to help the club mark its centenary year.

Boroughmuir's Malcolm Clap- perton, the Heriot's skipper Graham Wilson, Ruaridh Bon- ner of Edinburgh Accies and Currie's Ross Weston provide a strong Edinburgh contingent while Kenny Diffenthal from Greenock Wanderers and Richie Maxton of Hamilton come from the west, former Kelso front row Chris Keen, now with Melrose, holds up the south flag and Nick Fraser, the Boroughmuir prop back with Aberdeen Grammar, represents the north.

Co-optimists (v Haddington at Neilson Park, tomorrow, 7.15pm): Backs: E Bonner (Edinburgh Accies), G Thomson (Heriot's), M Clapperton (Boroughmuir), I Berthinussen (Edinburgh Accies), S Trotter (Stewart's Melville), C Sorbie (GHA), K Diffenthal (Greenock Wanderers), R Bonner, (Edinburgh Accies), G Wilson (Heriot's), B Walls (Watsonians).

This article was posted on 9-Aug-2011, 06:32 by Hugh Barrow.