Hawick calling for fair play after end of Fosroc Super Series semi-pro rugby franchises

The Greens signed up as backers of a motion to 2021’s Scottish Rugby Union annual general meeting by Glasgow Hutchesons' Aloysians calling for what is now the Fosroc Super Series to be axed to make way for a revival of the sport’s old inter-district championship but a compromise was agreed, bringing back the regional competition last year and granting the semi-professional franchises what has since turned out to be a two-season stay of execution.

The Super6, launched in 2019, was envisaged as a stepping stone from grass-roots clubs such as Hawick to Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh and the national team, replacing the direct route formerly taken by the likes of Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham and Rory Sutherland.

It’s failed to live up to expectations, however, despite recruiting the likes of Fraser Renwick and Dalton Redpath from Mansfield Park, with that shortfall exemplified by only one former Knight featuring in the Scotland side currently contesting 2024’s Six Nations, flanker Rory Darge, and it’s now being wound up.

Melrose, Ayr, Heriot’s, Watsonians, Stirling County and Boroughmuir were all relegated to Scottish National League Division 1 as part of a deal agreed ahead of the creation of the Super6 and a decision is due to be made this Friday on whether or not the four of those clubs still outwith the top flight should have their Scottish Premiership status restored.

The Greenyards outfit have been stuck in National 1 for the last five years, having ended up third in 2023 and fourth in 2022 and 2020’s Covid-19-curtailed campaign, with Edinburgh’s Watsonians also having failed to get back up.

Heriot’s club side are already back in the premiership, having pipped Gala to the post for promotion in 2022, and National 1 table-toppers Ayr are on their way to join them whatever is decided by the Scottish Rugby Union’s club rugby board this week.

Stirling and Boroughmuir, on the other hand, are now in National 2 and 3 respectively.

Only three of the sides that replaced the Super6 franchises’ club teams in the premiership have managed to stay up since – Selkirk, Marr and Musselburgh – Jed-Forest having been relegated at the end of the regular season just ended and Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians and Aberdeen Grammar having gone down previously.

The three preferred options put out for consultation are for the status quo to continue, though the four non-top-flight teams’ promotion prospects would appear likely to be boosted by the return of at least some of their Super Series players; for the premiership to be expanded from ten to 12 teams by the addition of Melrose and Watsonians, with Boroughmuir and Stirling taking their places in National 1 for the 2024/25 season; or for National 1 to go up to 12 teams next season, the new boys being Stirling and Boroughmuir.

There are four other options on the table, including expanding the premiership to 22 teams, but they’re regarded as non-starters.

Hawick are in favour of things staying as they are, arguing that if the four teams outwith the premiership at the moment can’t play their way back into it, they don’t merit places there.

“We’ve had no enthusiasm for it from the start,” said club president Ian Landles.

“We’re waiting with bated breath to see how they’re going to reintegrate these teams. Nobody knows what’s going to happen.

“It’ll not affect us to any great extent as hopefully we’ll play well enough during the next transition season to be in the top four, as we have been for the last few years, but it’d be a shame for the likes of Musselburgh, Selkirk and Edinburgh Accies if they got squeezed out if they decide to put all of the clubs with Super6 sides back in the premiership.

“It’d be totally wrong to do that. We’d prefer to see the status quo kept.

“These teams decided to go off without any thought of ramifications should this thing fold.”

Landles cites the return of players previously lured away by the semi-pro competition to their clubs as evidence of its failure to live up to its billing, adding: “Those of our players that went to play for Southern Knights have all come back.

“They weren’t enjoying playing in front of two men and a dog at the Greenyards compared to the great buzz that Hawick have got – the camaraderie and having their wives and bairns there watching and ready to say ‘well done’ when they come off the pitch.

“There’s a great buzz about playing for Hawick at Mansfield Park and it doesn’t compare to playing in front of no crowd at Melrose.

“There were a good few of our boys that went there but they’ve all come back.”