Border Telegraph | Sport | Change of heart as SRU 'listens' to clubs

Thursday, 16th October, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 16th July, 2008 09:00

Change of heart as SRU 'listens' to clubs

By Atholl Innes

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BORDER League clubs have pulled back from the brink and WILL play in the National Cup next season.

The threat of withdrawal was avoided after the SRU agreed that league matches could be played on international Saturdays.

And the cup semi-finals and final were switched to a Sunday.

The decision will have erased the fears of the effect which the programme is having on the sevens circuit.

However, one fails to see that it will reduce travel costs if clubs are drawn away to the likes of Orkney or Caithness.

“Availability of dates within an ever crowded season to allow clubs other dates has been agreed,” said Border League secretary Alistair Forsyth.

New Border League president Ian Watson, of Kelso, said: “I believe that Murrayfield is listening. It is a stepback for them and there is a new spirit of accommodation.”

The Union has agreed that league and cup fixtures are scheduled throughout the season, but that fixtures on international days should not kick off later than two-and-a-half hours before international kick-offs.

Premier clubs which qualify for the final stages of the cup in April, but are involved in sevens on Saturdays, will play fixtures on Fridays or on Sundays by ‘gentlemen agreements.’

Gala was one of the clubs mandated to come out of the cup when the League met at Netherdale last week.

Meanwhile, Ian Watson has pledged to make the league better than ever. “I am keen that it has a higher profile and we will be looking ay that.”

The Border League next season will again be played in two pools and the draw is:

Pool A: Berwick, Gala, Jed-Forest, Melrose and Selkirk.

Pool B: Haddington, Hawick, Kelso, Langholm and Peebles.

Mr Forsyth told us: “An investigation will be made into the consideration of having play-offs between clubs in their respective positions in each pool to decide the final placings, but this will be subject to the availability of dates.”

The draw also has been made for the East Region regional cup matches – Hawick Linden v. Earlston (winners v. Edinburgh BATS or Hawick Harlequins);) Dunbar v. Duns (winners v. Gala YM or Portobello); RDVC v St Boswells (winners v Edinburgh Northern Lerot, Gala YM v. Portobello.

ainnes@bordertelegraph.com

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