Heriot's defeat gives Ayr a five star finish

Apr 30 2008 Ayrshire Post

AN under-strength Heriot’s squad travelled to Bridgehaugh last Thursday and came away with a 64-14 thumping by Stirling.

So what? I hear you ask. Well, as a result of that defeat, Heriot’s stay one slot below Ayr in the final Premier One rankings with the Millbrae men coming fifth behind Boroughmuir, Watsonians, Melrose and Currie.

A top six finish given the paucity of the squad available during the season is a remarkable achievement and one which will prove a real challenge to the coach who takes up the reins abruptly dropped by Craig Redpath.

Discussions are going on apace as Ayr attempt to bring a new coach who can take the summer to put the plans in place regarding any new players, get to know the existing squad and attempt to hit the ground running next season.

A raft of ideas have emerged this past week involving changes to the set-up of rugby in Scotland from scrapping the cup to integrating pro players into a Super Top Eight club tier representing all four districts, Glasgow Edinburgh, Caledonia and the Borders.

One source suggested that "the SRU see scrapping the cup as a way to free up weekends and having effectively friendlies on a regional basis."

An SRU spokesman said: "The shape of our domestic competitions, including the league and cup, is currently under review with the important views of club players and officials featuring heavily in our considerations."

SRU president George Jack stated: "The proposal going to the clubs at the AGM would be that the cup is scrapped for one year to allow other things to be developed but not necessarily go on forever unless that is what the clubs want.

“But this would give us a bit of breathing space and allow us to look at enhancing the club season."

One aspect sponsors Scottish Hydro Electric are said to be interested in is more local leagues and cup competitions, following the model of the Border league.

While it is a successful tournament, it has been around for almost as long as rugby has been played in Scotland and would be hard to replicate in that format elsewhere.

Decisive action was the president's mantra but to a lot of players, supporters, officials and particularly that most stressed of species, the club treasurers, this is just the latest case of tinkering around the edges following several changes made over the past few seasons.

One source I consulted said: "Get rid of that daft idea of stopping the league season during the Six Nations.

“To have 20 out of 22 league games played then a gap of seven weeks before playing the final two is absurd.

“Anyway, when the SRU talk about the cup, are they talking about the complete knockout competition, including the Plate Shield and Bowl or just the main tournament?.

“It is ambiguous but if it means scrapping the lot, it will take away a big incentive for the small clubs to achieve what for some is a once in a lifetime chance to play at Murrayfield and that would be unfair."

Clarity is not something which is accompanying the current suggestions although to come out and make a positive proposal would perhaps reveal too many agendas and that could be in itself a reason to keep thing a bit wooly at the moment.

How does this affect Ayr? Only, as I have said before, that the club is a model that many would like to copy in the way they link the business and playing aspects of the club.

They and others who look for no hand-outs but get on with getting things right on and off the park could again suffer at the hands of the tinkerers.

Rather than improving the lot of rugby in Scotland, the volunteers, without whom nothing would happen, will be scunnered and go fishing.