Super 6 helps hot-shot Rory hit mark at Jersey
SCOTLAND’S Super 6 league is proving itself to be a “key stepping stone” for up and coming players looking to break into the professional ranks.
Fly-half Tim Pittman, the league’s top scorer with 67 points before leaving semi-pro Boroughmuir Bears to Jersey Reds at the start of the month, believes the TV coverage the league receives has been a game changer.
It has been a meteoric rise for the 22-year old who was left training on his own come rain or shine for 18 months, and throughout his final year at Bath University, due to Covid.
“Super 6 is trying hard to bridge the gap from amateur to Glasgow/Edinburgh,” Pittman told The Rugby Paper.
“It’s just the second season it’s happened but the games are very well televised on BBC and Sky so a lot of coaches are watching.
“I went there with the idea of having a season to grow, hoping to push on and get an opportunity in a full-time environment that I’ve always wanted. So to come to Jersey has been a little sooner than I expected.”
Reds have been without a recognised No.10, playing Brendan Owen, normally a wing/full-back, at fly-half with both Sam Leeming and Brendan Cope injured.
Pittman made an immediate impact from the bench in Reds’ 27-24 defeat last week, scoring a crucial penalty to level the scores before Sam Olver’s winner.
He is the fourth Super 6 player to join the Championship in recent months, having played just eight times for Boroughmuir.
Steve Longwell went from Watsonians to Jersey, Joe Margetts joined Doncaster from Ayrshire Bulls and Dan Nutton was on a dual registration with Edinburgh/Heriot’s before moving to London Scottish.
Pittman added: “Steve Longwell is also now at Jersey and it will be one of those leagues where players get picked up all the time just because of the level of rugby up there. I feel that next season and for seasons to come it will just get better and better.
“I graduated in May, went straight to Boroughmuir and had a long pre-season which was great for my development.
“It was five months where I could work solely on my game. I put on a bit of size, worked on my kicking – two areas of my game where I knew I needed to improve – so it was a really good stepping-stone.
“I love rugby but during Covid it had to come from within. I was living at home with my family while at uni. It was very basic; I just kicked and hit the gym for about 18 months.
“Leaving Super 6 as top points scorer is something I’m pretty proud of considering that most of my kicking off the tee before has been a little bit iffy.
“It was hard, there were some dark times in lockdown when it’s just you in the rain but it’s been so far so good.”