Melrose look forward to Premiership return
MELROSE are to return to the Premiership for the first time in five years as part of an expanded top tier.
The Club Rugby Board (CRB) revealed it had agreed to progress with a 12-team division for the 2024/25 season.
The news comes after Scottish Rugby announced it would scrap its Super 6 series – involving the Greenyards-based Southern Knights – as part of a major shake-up.
Melrose and Watsonian – who finished fifth and sixth respectively – will move to the Premiership next season alongside tabletoppers Ayr.
Scottish Rugby vice president and chair of the CRB Keith Wallace said: “This was always going to be a difficult decision to come to. We have followed a consultative, robust and constructive process.
“I’m pleased we’ve reached a positive outcome, and we now have clarity on a way forward for the coming season, which will allow preparations to begin.”
Melrose last competed in the Premiership in the 2018/19 campaign, finishing fourth.
They dropped down to National League Division One the following season after being awarded one of the franchises to home a Super 6 side.
The Southern Knights played their inaugural season at the Greenyards in 2019, coached by Rob Christie.
The other five franchises were given to Ayr, Boroughmuir, Heriot’s, Stirling County and Watsonian.
Under the new structure, Bor
oughmuir and Stirling will rise to Division One from the third and second tiers respectively to make another 12-team league for 2024/25.
Further consultation will take place with clubs from Division Two and Three to discuss the implications of creating nine-team leagues for one season only.
The CRB said that from 2025/26 the Premiership and National Leagues would return to 10-team competitions
Scottish Rugby’s director of rugby development, Gav Scott, said the season structure consultation was a challenging process given the tight timeframe and range of possible outcomes under consid
eration.
“We were always mindful there will some disruption for this transition season on clubs somewhere within the league structure however we now have clarity on the way forward,” he said. “We’ve been encouraged by the level of engagement and collaboration from clubs across the country.