‘Super Six’ plans unveiled in bid to bridge game gap

SRU chiefs have revealed plans for a radical new semi-professional league system called ‘The Super Six’ in the biggest-ever shake-up of club rugby north of the border.

Chief executive Mark Dodson said £3.6million of new money would ploughed into the domestic game over five years, with a high percentage of that being invested in the newly created teams.

Dodson said the ‘Super Six’ plan is part of SRU attempts to bridge the gap between the amateur and the professional game in Scotland and would create a new stepping stone between both levels.

Existing amateur clubs, regardless of the league they are currently in, will be asked to bid to become a member of the new set-up that will start in two seasons’ time.

They would play a total of 20 games a season, made up of matches between those in the league plus some cross-border games in the British and Irish Cup.

Each ‘Super Six’ club would receive £127,500 per season from the SRU. Of that, £65,000 would be to pay for coaching and associated staff plus another £62,500 for some of the playing squad.

That would leave each ‘Super Six’ club having to find between £60,000 and £70,000, from their own coffers per year. That is realistic as many amateur Premiership clubs have a budget around that figure.

The SRU want a ‘Super Six’ club that would have a squad of 35 players each to be set up in every area of the country.

For instance, if Melrose or Gala, if interested, could become the border’s ‘Super Six’ club, while Ayr or Glasgow Hawks could represent the west.

Heriot’s or Currie could represent the Edinburgh area, while Dundee High or Aberdeen Grammar could represent the north.

The remaining two franchises would be the two best bids received by the SRU, regardless of where they are in Scotland.

Dodson pointed out that the clubs would retain their own identity and would not be flooded by Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors coming back from injury or Scottish academy players.

‘This is the biggest single investment in the history of the domestic game,’ said Dodson. ‘It will overhaul our club game and is the answer to the lack of a coherent structure in the amateur game that dates back more than 30 years.

‘We can pay for the changes because we have increased turnover from £47.4m to £51.4million in the last financial year.

‘I want the new Super Six league to be the best it can be and create another stepping stone from the amateur game to the professional ranks.

‘If we can offer semiprofessional rugby in Scotland, then hopefully it would help us stop some of our players moving abroad.

‘The Super Six won’t start for two years, which will give us time to get things spot on. This plan is overdue as staying still was never an option. There will be no relegation from the Super Six for at least five years and I firmly believe this is the way forward.’

Although Dodson was given a round of applause when he unveiled his plans, the SRU did lose one vote when they failed to get a two-thirds majority to change by-laws after a dispute with members over the wording of the motion.