I have recently been contacted by London Rugby Club in Canada asking if I could possibly locate some exciting, young, creative players to go and play in Ontario, two hours from Toronto and two hours from Niagara Falls.

They are looking for a number 8 and a centre who can give them front foot ball and link play with the rest of their squad.

Believe it or not I actually began writing for this blog whilst I was playing for London a few Summers ago. After being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Ayr in the semi-final and having gone through the gruelling British and Irish Cup I was looking for some relief in rugby terms, but wanted to keep myself match sharp.

I started correspondence with three clubs in Ontario: Toronto Scottish, Balmy Beach and London. Of the three two appeared to be accommodating and only London seemed to be showing a real personal touch. In the space of three weeks I had organised a stay, a job and a rugby plan.

At short notice I flew out to Canada. I had only just finished my exams and I was straight on a plane. You can imagine how relieved I was when someone was actually at the airport waiting for me, rather than it all being some elaborate hoax, but life is better for such risks…

I headed out three weeks before my brother, Andy. We both made home in this student town with a population of about 200,000. It was perfect for us. We were painting houses and sanding decks, clearing warehouses and moving furniture but it was money for food and beer and at that time of year the sun was high and hot.

We were not wanting for jobs and our accommodation was cheap and comfortable. We were well looked after.

In social terms it was fantastic for the tourist. You could make a trip to Niagara or Toronto and Canada Day Weekend, which was one long party, would fall right in the middle of your stay. Once you overcame the national obsession for Tim Horton’s (you’ll find out…) you were glad of the multiple refuelling stops. The club had great ties with gyms and you could keep in shape. You met all sorts of people from concrete pourers, funeral directors to fellow students and even international rugby players. London, like many other Canadian rugby teams, was inclusive and welcoming to all types.

I suppose it helped that the team’s social base was the most popular and busiest bar in the centre of London’s main strip…

Three months my brother and I spent in London and we were both sad to leave and happy to have had the experience.

Since then London have dropped a division, but they still boast a number of quality players from age grade internationals to full Canada caps and coaches from Wales to New Zealand. They would give you a chance to play rugby in scorching heat amongst good friends and play your own way. That is what they want.

There will also be the chance to coach their seconds or thirds or even their women’s team. If you have the skills they can cater for you.

All London would ask is that you could commit to at least 3 months of time in the area and that you could attain a work visa for a short stay. It is perfect for students or those unwilling to go on the same old clichéd Gap Year. Their president would be happy to help you through this process and everything can be talked over: no one works in absolutes.

Believe me when I say that if you are a young, inventive, attacking player this is the sort of environment where you can thrive and that you can make good friends for life. If you think you would be interested in this great social and rugby-driven opportunity and you would be willing to commit then contact me at alan[at]scottishrugbyblog.co.uk and everything can be discussed in more detail.

Whilst often seen as a rare opportunity for amateurs to represent their country at rugby, the Club International team can also act as a springboard to higher (or at least better paid) honours; several of the faces from last year’s squad such as Scott Wight, Matt Scott, Finlay Gillies and Tom Brown have since made it into the Scottish pro-teams.

The Club International pack sees the return from last year of one of the pillars upon which this website is founded (he told me to write this) Alan Dymock at loosehead, and a number of previous regulars (Rory Mckay, Ross Weston) and familiar faces such as former Edinburgh man Sean Crombie. There is no representation in the squad from Dundee however, despite them having the most dominant pack in the league this season.

The backline offers a mix of experience and youthful excitement with sometime Edinburgh man Gregor Hunter and Melrose fullback Fraser Thomson alongside new faces like Aberdeen man Callum Anderson called in to the team by head coach Ally Donaldson. The centre pairing of Dean Kelbrick and Ross Curle is the same that faced Ireland in the narrow defeat last year.

Also, if you are wondering why the aforementioned AD has been pretty quiet this week, he is on self-imposed Rory Lamont-style media lockdown, having been called on as cover for Glasgow’s Heineken Cup squad for the (non-televised) pool game at Bath. No word yet on if he’ll be required during this Prop Emergency but congratulations to him if he is given the call. And you thought he spent all his time tweeting…

Scotland Club International XV: F Thomson (Melrose), C Anderson (Aberdeen), R Curle (Ayr), D Kelbrick (Glasgow Hawks), J Johnstone (Currie), G Hunter (Gala), R Sneddon (Currie); A Dymock (Heriot’s), S Crombie (Boroughmuir, capt), G Mountford (Stirling Co), S Sutherland (Ayr), R McKay (Glasgow Hawks), G Dodds (Melrose), A Rose (Boroughmuir), R Weston (Currie).
Replacements: F Brown (Heriot’s), J Cox (Currie), G Holborn (Melrose), C White (Ayr), R McAlpine (Stirling Co), R Colhouln (Ayr), G Graham (Gala), A Skeen (Melrose), G Anderson (Ayr), L Miller (Gala), D Gilmour (Stirling Co)

So what’s the answer?

The obvious one – a reduction in the overall numbers – is easy to achieve but would mean a smaller pool of youngsters getting exposure at the pro level. Potential internationalists might be lost – a Stuart Hogg or a Richie Gray might not get the chance to state their case. The option to re-introduce a third pro team would not be financially viable.

The answer may lie in a variation of the short-lived initiative taken in 2009-10 when Gael Force, a team drawn from the National Academy and the pro teams, competed in the British & Irish Cup. The idea would be for the reserve players of the pro clubs to join together to form a team to play the full Premiership season. There would be no need for a home ground for the new team – all matches could be played away, with a decent knock-on monetary advantage to the clubs from gate and bar receipts.

As far as player availability for the new team goes, the numbers could be made to work:

• starting with 75 pros
• reducing to 60 to take account of injuries at any time, and Sevens call-ups
• 46 needed for the match-day pro squads, leaving 14 looking for a game
• finding 9 from the 16 pro subs to make up the reserve squad of 23

There would, of course, have to be some fixture planning. However, with both pro teams preferring to play their league home games on (different) Fridays, there would be a natural fit with the need to release the Friday subs to the reserve team.

There are advantages in this approach over the present system of aligning pro players with Premier clubs through the draft. First, the up and coming pros would get to play regularly and alongside each other, developing understandings that will benefit Glasgow or Edinburgh or, eventually, Scotland. Second, the Premier clubs would not have to disrupt their own development and selection processes to accommodate drafted players on the present ad-hoc basis. Third, the pro coaches would be able to attend the reserve matches and monitor a number of their squad players together in a real match environment. Last but not least, the pros would have to handle the pressure of being expected to dominate their amateur opposition week in, week out, as they attempt to win a competitive league. And that should banish any disenchantment.

Club rugby is back.

The narrative is more clearly defined now. There are three sections, A, B, C. In A the champions Melrose have lost three on the bounce in recent times and have lost influential player/coach John Dalziel for the season after rushing him back too soon from a suspected collarbone fracture. Behind them are seven other teams. Some are happy just to be safe from relegation, but others are hungry to push for British & Irish Cup inclusion or even to go for the biggest prize.

In B it will be a weekly skirmish. Those eight teams have more of a stark remit: get one of those two Premiership places or slip into the oblivion of the second tier.

There is a broad spectrum of histories, agendas and ability in that Premier B, but in a shortened run with so much at stake form and history mean very little. The oft regurgitated line is that every game in such a scenario represents a Cup final. In this case, however, it is more like a World Series. Seven games to attain the most coveted of prizes. A spot at the top.

The challenge in Premier C is that of beating the cull. Every club has the odds stacked against them and the fear of being proclaimed part of the regional competitions will be propelling the teams involved. There is a prestige that comes from being in the new Premiership or National League and to be forced to slide into any regional competition means it is that little bit harder to crawl back to the summit.

I would urge you to go out and watch a club game this Saturday. Edinburgh play on Friday night and Glasgow Warriors play on Sunday. There is no excuse if you are a fan of fascinating, fraught rugby. A lot of change is happening in Scottish Club rugby and you could bear witness to moments when it all burst back into action.

Here are the fixtures for this weekend:

Premier A:

Aberdeen Grammar v Gala
14:00 at Rubislaw

Ayr v Stirling County
14:00 at Millbrae

Currie v Boroughmuir
14:00 at Malleny Park

Melrose v Dundee High
14:00 at The Greenyards

Premier B:

Glasgow Hawks v Hamilton
15:00 at Old Anniesland

Hawick v Stewart’s Melville FP
14:00 at Mansfield Park

Jed-Forest v Edinburgh Accies
14:00 at Riverside

Watsonians v Heriot’s Rugby Club
15:00 at Myreside

Premier C:

Kelso v Peebles
14:00 at Poynder Park

Hillhead/Jordanhill v Falkirk
14:00 at Hughenden

West of Scotland v Biggar
14:00 at Burnbrae

Selkirk v Whitecraigs
14:00 at Philiphaugh

The sporting world is thankfully trying to engender discussion about racism. Perhaps it has no choice as impossibly famous figures like Tiger Woods come into the spotlight with stories of his former caddy, Steve Williams, making racist remarks at a dinner. In England Premiership footballer Patrice Evra had accused Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez of racist language. QPR defender Anton Ferdinand quickly followed suit, indicting England captain John Terry for using similar terms.

It therefore made sense for some journalists to try and see what major names in World sport thought of the incidents. However, when FIFA president Sepp Blatter was asked what he thought of the footballing episodes by Al-Jazeera Television and CNN the Swiss politician replied that with racism players should just shake hands and leave it on the pitch.

Understandably this caused uproar. Blatter misinterpreted this outrage as people thinking he was a racist. This is not what people thought was wrong. It was more that he appeared willing to accept some forms of racism and not to acknowledge the lasting damage of any slurs directed at someone’s appearance.

This got me thinking. Surely this problem is not one unique to golf or football? Yes, we can talk about the fantastic changes in attitudes and the welcoming nature of Rugby Union. Teams refusing to play South Africa during apartheid was noble and right. Yet it does not mean those in rugby circles can ignore questions of racism now. It still exists.

Do not get me wrong. This is not a diatribe or a witch hunt. I am not going to name names or launch unsubstantiated attacks. Awareness and education is my only intention.

A team mate of mine, 27 year old CJ Osazuwa who is of Nigerian decent, spoke to me about whether or not he has had experience of racism in Scottish rugby. “Since I have been back playing in Scotland [since August 2008] I am glad to say there has only been one instance of racism” he told me. “A couple of weeks back when playing at 2nd XV level one opposition player thought it fit to say something distasteful.”

I am pleased to say I have never seen or heard anyone do this. I am proud of rugby in Scotland for having a relatively good record with things like this. We must be aware that it does happen, though.

Former GHK, Dundee HSFP, Glasgow Hawks and Club International flanker George Oommen is one of a tiny minority of rugby players that has an ethnic background in India or sub continental Asia. In fact he tells me that he thinks he can “only count two or three Asian guys I have played with or against.” He has certainly felt different, but it is a familiar stigma he has experienced. “I have been called a ‘nigger’” he tells me.  He can rattle off a list of other obscenities but the image is clear. He has been singled out.

In March of 2002 John Beattie wrote an article for the Herald about an incident of racial abuse Oommen experienced whilst playing for GHK. The player in question was banned by his club and Beattie himself “applauded” the club for swift action. He then went on to say that there was no room for disgusting hate-fuelled tactics in rugby.

According to the 2001 census only 2% of Scots are non-white. As part of a minority it is perhaps easier to become known, particularly within a small and structured world of Scottish league rugby. “Incidents become less and less as you get older” Oommen insists “but not once has anyone approached or asked what has happened in the game, or acknowledged it [racist incident] has happened. People generally just brush it off.”

Now I am not implying that this is an issue endemic in Scottish rugby. It is not rife. There are no huge conspiracies to cover it up. Any incidents, thankfully, appear to be fleeting and incredibly infrequent. For example former Glasgow flanker Steve Swindle and current Glasgow winger Dave McColl are both happy to report they have never had any experiences of stigma or abuse. Our rugby certainly looks to me to be safer or more tolerant than some other sports.

The phrase I keep hearing is “It’s not as bad as football.”

Firstly, it saddens me that football still has this hanging over it. It is such a far-reaching, all-encompassing sport that one would think things should be better than they are. Osazuwa tells me “When I was playing semi-pro football I used to get racist abuse every two or three weeks, either by other players or more often than not the forty-odd fans and their dog.”

This is bad. It also makes rugby look better. But saying very few incidents are better than a fair few incidents is like comparing one kick in the pants to two. We should herald our sport as one where no incidents occur.

Thankfully our governing body are prepared to act. A few years ago the SRU held a hearing about an incident involving a player from Boroughmuir and Oommen. The SRU was prepared to act and by doing so it sent a message. It was not carried out behind closed doors. Also, a referee has assured me that if a top level ref heard any racism it would result in a straight red card. Any players come forward? It goes up to the SRU. How they handle it is up to them and their selected committees but perhaps there should be a set protocol for the handling of all racist behaviour…

I would not say that this is a problem eating up Scottish rugby. It is still a problem though, regardless of how little it comes to light. The key is educating the younger generations. Some DOs live in areas where there are few minority communities. Some work in areas that there are many. It should be a major part of the SRUs remit to reach as many with the positive powers of rugby as possible. Look at the new development at Inch Park Community Sports Club, in South Edinburgh (Lismore RFC). They go out of their way to say that they want rugby to reach minorities.

In the end it is about promoting tolerance and stamping out ignorance and abuse. Football has the ‘Kick It Out’ campaign. The SRU has aligned itself with ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ in the past. What has rugby got now, though? Let’s be proactive about issues like this. Let us also talk out if we come across anything hateful instead of just passively ignoring it.

For too long Scotland fans (ok, me!) have convinced themselves that better times are just round the corner, that the squad is coming together and the next Six Nations will see the team click together and challenge for silver trophies rather than wooden spoons. These predictions have, without fail, been quickly dashed – often within the first 20 minutes of the first game, when it’s evident the same failings are still there. These are the same failings that saw Scotland head home from the World Cup before most of the fans. The full gamut of Scottish shortcomings were there for all to see – an inability to convert pressure, lost composure at key moments and poor decision making. For us travelling fans it was like watching a repeat of previous horrors; all too familiar.

Fast forward two months and suddenly the doom appears to be lifting from Scottish rugby. Despite a poor start Edinburgh seem to be picking up form and results, whilst Glasgow are now on a hot streak that has seen them solidify as a top end Pro12 team. This last weekend is probably as fine a weekend that Scottish rugby has had in a long time. One victory would have been good and could have been written off as a fluke, but four positive results (Heineken Cup and British & Irish Cup) appear to point to a more sustained and widespread progression.

Edinburgh were worthy winners against a workmanlike London Irish side and were unlucky not to walk away with a try bonus point. Glasgow scored the tries in their game and fought like dogs until the last whistle – too often that sort of bounce of the ball goes against Scottish teams but on the day they made their luck and deserved the win. Both Melrose and Ayr battled to one point victories and points to a mental strength not always evident in Scotland sides.

The real joy of the weekend though was not the victories (although they were very satisfying) but the emergence to the casual viewer of not just one, but a handful of potential stars of the future. The Scottish dearth of talent at 10 may, finally, coming to an end with both Leonard and Weir putting in good displays. Weir, in particular, looks like he is potentially banging on the national team door and by the time of the Six Nations he could be positively kicking the door down. Leonard, in what is only his 3rd start at pro level, was creative and, whilst not always precise, seemed to have an ability to play the game as it sat in front of him and not just by the agreed game plan. Elsewhere the weekend saw a few other stand-outs – Scott and McInally – both put in brilliant performances and both should grow from last weekends performances. Over at Glasgow Hogg and Harley stood out, Hogg picking a great line to waltz through the Bath defence for his first score for Glasgow. Not forgetting the big man Richie Gray; in a week where he has had to explain (justify?) his upcoming move to Sale he stood tall, hit hard and pounced to deliver a brilliant finish. He’ll be missed from the Scottish game but he’ll be a stand-out in the Premiership and that can only help boost the standing of the Scottish game.

So, after a weekend where the green shoots of recovery seemed to finally break through the permafrost that is Scottish rugby, where do we go now? Well, the immediate focus goes back to the Heineken Cup with Glasgow’s trip to Leinster and Edinburgh hosting the Parisians Racing Metro. There is a need to build off last weeks result, Glasgow need to keep it close when they go to Ireland – they won there earlier in the season so there should be no fear. Edinburgh, with their first home match in the competition, have the opportunity to really announce themselves on the European stage. If they can win on Friday they will have effectively knocked Racing Metro out of the competition and given themselves the best opportunity to progress to the knock out stages for the first time since 2003. In the medium term the hope will be for the young players to continue cutting their teeth in the Pro12 and, for some, try and push their way in the reckoning for the Scotland team for next years Six Nations. They have the ability but they need to maintain the consistency. In the long run we can only hope that this is not just an aligning of the stars and an exceptional group of players coming through together at the same time but rather the first signs that changes made at junior and grass roots levels are taking hold and this indicated improvement is sustainable. It’s certainly nice to be able to talk positively about Scottish rugby for a change!

As if the pro-team wins weren’t enough to give us a little fillip here in the world of Scottish rugby, Melrose and Ayr both fought back to secure last-gasp victories as they edged past their respective opponents 19-17 and 18-17.

Ayr were boosted by the addition of Johnnie Beattie and Jon Welsh with the former grabbing a try in the closing minutes after the Scots were down 17-5 at half time, while Melrose were down 17-0 at halftime and fought back for the win at the Greenyards.

It wasn’t all cheery though, as Currie were defeated 16-31 at Headingley. London Scottish were in action too, going down 63-0 to Llanelli who must be building a fair bit of depth, the Scarlets having also been in Heineken Cup action this weekend winning 31-23 (Sean Lamont dotted down for a try).

Surprising though is the timing of the announcement, given the Heineken Cup and the need to be one big happy family in the coming weeks. Sale could be forgiven for their excitement though, as for them it is a major signing of one of rugby’s fast rising stars and he should slot into the squad alongside old Glasgow mucker Richie Vernon and fellow Scots Ali Dickinson and Fraser Mackenzie. Who would you cheer for in a Sale vs Gloucester match now?

Last season the last games of Premier B were played out in front of large crowds and partisan supporters. People got behind the idea of the split and a magical play-off feeling was replicated in the final games of Premier B and at the bottom of Premier C. There was that sense of something to lose or something to gain and there were fewer games to chase your aims.

Last time round we saw Selkirk, West of Scotland and Watsonians from Prem One swap places with Aberdeen, Accies and Gala from Prem Two. We also saw Kirkcaldy and GHA drop into Premier Three.

Now things get a little bit more competitive as the number of promotion places shorten and the number of relegation places increase. Only two teams from Premier B can make it into next season’s Premiership where as last term there could have been four teams that got promoted. This means that at the very least two of this season’s Premier One sides will drop out of the top flight. As for those in Premier C, four of them will drop into the regional Championship leagues and have to face local games more regularly as well as a play-off for promotion should they top their regional group. Basically, should you be one of the four dropping out of Premier C it is a hell of hard climb to get back to National competition.

For the top eight teams now forming Premier A, Melrose, Gala, Dundee, Currie, Stirling, Ayr, Aberdeen and Boroughmuir, it is a collective sigh of relief. Several of them have the chance to qualify for the B&I Cup and achieve a Prem One title but all of them can relax: they are guaranteed a place in next season’s ten-team Premiership. Even if a side went on a seven game losing streak it does not matter because they’ve already reached the Promised Land.

In truth this probably makes the Premiers B and C more interesting. In Premier B two of Heriot’s, Hawks, Edinburgh Accies, Hawick, Stew Mel, Watsonians, Jed-Forest and Hamilton will make it into the Premiership and the rest move into the ten-team National League. There is big change coming, and it is suddenly more real. Still, at least all of these teams will have national competition of some form next year.

For the bottom four teams in Premier C they will drop into a regional set-up alongside all of the other teams in Prem Three and National One. Things get cut-throat. Expect competition to boil over for Selkirk, Kelso, Biggar, Falkirk, Hillhead/Jordanhill, Whitecraigs, West of Scotland and Peebles. Every game in this group will have an edge to it as only half can survive.

Some fans may enjoy this set-up. It certainly makes for exciting and unexpected fixtures. It also sees reward for the best performers or those that hung on, even when they couldn’t perform. Whatever happens, the results in the three Premier sections will make for interesting reading after the festive period.

In Other News:

Stirling County have lost their Head Coach Eddie Pollock as he goes off to be Scotland U-18s coach and the SRU’s Specialist Skills co-ordinator, but have filled that role with Backs Coach Graham Young.

They will, however, be looking for a new Director of Rugby, forwards coach and coach with regional affiliates Bridgehaugh RFC. Someone with a Level 3 coaching qualification would be best suited for the Stirling roles whilst all applicants are welcome with regards to the Bridgehaugh post. All applications should come in, in writing, before the 26th of November and contain a CV. They should be sent to:

The President,
Stirling County Rugby Football Club,
Bridgehaugh Park,
Causewayhead Road,
Stirling

Meanwhile the role of Specific Skills Co-ordinator is a new position that the SRU have brought in to try and cover the coaching of position specific, isolated skills. This has been an area I have talked about for a long time and it is good to see the governing body have taken steps to focus on this… even if it is only with one man, right now. The job is a massive one and it will be interesting to see how Pollock copes with aligning himself with DOs, Academy coaches and Elite Development coaches as well as planning skill sessions for players throughout the country. There may be some drastic changes to our current youth management systems in the coming months…

Now that competition, although still holding some significance, is a more minor part of the Borders rugby calendar. It is sometimes played in tandem with the Scottish cup so as to keep the schedule uncluttered. The bigger teams have an acute focus on the domestic national league that they take part in as the Borders fixtures serve only as a throwback to the days when reputation mattered most and local bragging rights served more purpose than a shot at silverware and a spot above all the other townies from ‘round Scotland.

I have vague memory of a time when Hawick were an unstoppable force in Scottish rugby, smashing away opposition on their trail to League and Cup doubles. There are plenty of murals in their sheds, anyway. Now they have become a team staving off ‘must-win’ headlines in a perennial bid to beat the drop.

I also remember being sent to a pre-season photo call at Murrayfield at the age of 18 to represent Dundee High because I was the only member of the first XV living in Edinburgh. We had just been promoted and it would be my first season starting in Premier One. I knew most of the guys there, and I recognised all of the badges on their shirts. As the interviews ticked over and journalists looked to make a headline out of clashes between familiar foes I had a Dictaphone placed in front of my face.  Allan Massie smiled at me and asked, “What is it like for a club like yours to play one of the Grand Old Clubs in Scottish rugby; Melrose?”

I cannot recall how exactly I answered the question, but I remember thinking, “yeah. We are away to play one of the most famous clubs in Scotland.”

At that time Melrose were not the force they had once been as teams like Hawks had been dominating the club scene for a few years. Hawick were no longer a powerhouse, Kelso and Gala had fallen down the leagues and we had just kept Jed Forrest from achieving promotion to the top table. I did, however, know who all of these teams were and everyone I spoke to knew of the history of such clubs.

In recent years Melrose have climbed their way back to the top. Last season they celebrated Borders titles, King of The Sevens’ crowns, a Melrose Sevens victory, a B&I Cup place, a Cup runner-up spot and a Premier One title. They had a pretty good year!

In doing so they also distanced themselves from the other Borders sides. Every other Borders team wanted to take a shot at them in the Borders League because they were flying so high. Hawick and Selkirk were having to fight for their P1 survival in Premier B (post split) and in the end Selkirk dropped down. Following this the prediction was that Melrose would consolidate this year whilst Hawick and Gala, newly promoted from that Premier B, would be fighting to avoid relegation.

How wrong we all were…

Melrose are indeed near the top as we approach the halfway stage, enjoying more bonus points than anyone else and occupying a B&I Cup place. So far so good. The problem is, though, that since influential flanker-come-coach John Dalziel injured himself playing for The South Melrose have been underperforming. They have still scraped by a few times but for them it is not good enough. Particularly since, much to the chagrin of the ‘Rose faithful and the shock of everyone else, Gala are occupying the top spot.

As it stands there are 2points between these famous Border clubs. Gala have come a long way to challenge Melrose and have done well in the first half of the season but there is only one game left before we all take a break from P1 proceedings. Both of these teams face each other at Netherdale this Saturday, 3pm, to see which side could be top come the split.

Suddenly any heat that may have dissipated from Borders league fixtures, any spark missing from cup games or any fire drawn out of local rivalries have just been stoked up again. No more perceptions of grandeur and assumptions of underdog status. Both of these teams will be duking it out to see if they are the best in the South, at least as the New Year rolls in.

We already know at this stage which sides are to fall away into Premier B. For Heriot’s, Accies, Hawks and Hawick it is a case of starting again after the festive break. For The quarrelling neighbours of Gala and Melrose, though, it is more of a culmination of ongoing tensions. Both teams may be glad of a wee league break, because on the 5th of November there may be fireworks going off at Netherdale long before anyone has even thought about mentioning Guy Fawkes.    

Here are the final Premier One fixtures before the split:

Aberdeen Grammar v Boroughmuir, 14:00
@ Rubislaw

Dundee High v Heriot’s, 14:00
@ Mayfield

Edinburgh Acads v Currie, 14:00
@ Raeburn Place

Gala v Melrose, 15:00
@ Netherdale

Hawick v Glasgow Hawks, 14:00
@ Mansfield Park

Stirling County v Ayr, 15:00
@ Bridgehaugh