I’m an open-minded guy. I’ve tried sushi, and I even watched ‘The Proposal’ with my girlfriend, once. So when I arrived in Canada to play rugby I did so without expectations. A good thing I did, too.  Within my first two days I received cultural shocks; shocks that highlighted the differences, both rugby-related and social [...]

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Sorry for the belated piece, guys; I’m currently playing rugby in Canada and have been enjoying, *ahem*, what North America has to offer. That is a report for another day, though… So the Premier 1 season is done! Over! Finito! And what a surprising and refreshing season it has been for Scottish Club Rugby. With [...]

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Due to congestion a special fixture sits nestled in the middle of a busy fixture list. The match that should crown a glorious moment for one club at the end of the season will pit virgin finalists Ayr against cup specialists Melrose. The semi-finals finished Melrose 31-8 Currie, and Ayr 23-14 Heriot’s. The final will [...]

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This saturday sees the men’s semi’s (classic!) of the Scottish Hydro Premier Cup in which league leaders Currie travel south to face Melrose and Champions Ayr host cup holders Heriot’s. Both of these fixtures are interesting, to say the least. While it has been noted that the league’s trailblazers have been kept apart this does not necessarily mean [...]

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A delayed roundup of last weekend’s premier 1 matches. Things are getting tight at the top as Hawks beat Dundee, Melrose got the win they had needed and every top half team is ravenously hunting for a top four spot rumoured to earn the highest placed teams a station in next years British and Irish Cup. Of course this is all supposition [...]

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The frost claimed two matches on Saturday as big dogs Currie and Ayr had their respective games against Hawks and West called off. The latter, however, has caused somewhat of a stir. Ayr are claiming their ground was playable. The ref allegedly OKed their seconds pitch. So did John Beattie, by all accounts. The issue [...]

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After two games and countless shredded nerves the 6N takes a break. Good thing, then, that the weather is taking another bad turn! Front runners Currie are away, while their nearest rivals Ayr are hoping to claw Currie back with a win at home. At the other end of the table the bottom two, Watsonians [...]

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Club International coach Ally Donaldson has named his starting XV and subs bench for Friday nights game against France at Netherdale (7.30 ko). Glasgow Hawks lock, Rory McKay, Dundee prop Alan Brown and Melrose pair James King (centre) and Fraser Thomson (wing) have all earned their place in the starting XV for the first time. [...]

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It had emerged over the weekend that Graham Lowe, the director of performance rugby in Scotland, intends to review the set-up of the top division. As coaches bemoan the lack of respect club sides get and call out for a semi-professional atmosphere in Scottish club rugby people are searching for alternatives. The main drive of [...]

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Good old Scotland! Once again the fixture list was all but wiped out at the weekend as only one match in Prem 1 survived. Stewart’s Melville 22-53 Heriot’s at Inverleith In the end this was a bit of a drubbing, and had Stew Mel coach Moffat conceeding, “There isn’t a lot of pressure on us [...]

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