Round-up, Round-up, Wherever You Are

Is this really the start of the rugby season? We’re a week or two out yet but the uptake of news that one feels obliged to cover seems to be increasing daily. Still, it makes a change from endless football. A few snippets from this week:

• Borders/Edinburgh/Sale prop Gavin Kerr has announced his retirement from pro-rugby. We wish him well with whatever he goes on to next.
• Al Kellock and Chris Cusiter are both set to miss out on the autumn tests due to injury/surgery. This is a pretty major blow for Andy Robinson as they were two of the key leaders in the team during recent successes. Rory Lawson will be licking his lips now though, as a couple of good indications early on in this season that his form has carried over from the last and he could be looking at pinning down the Scotland 9 shirt for the first time.
• Bad news for big Al is good news for Scott Macleod and possibly Richie Gray as the lock slots start to open up. Big Nathan will be back in contention though which he wasn’t in the summer. You can also see Scott Macleod and Alex Grove modelling the new Edinburgh strip here. It is manufactured by an Italian company at what was presumably a good deal for the SRU (Glasgow remain with are they bust/are they not firm Canterbury), and is reasonably stylish I suppose, if you like biohazard signs. Perhaps they outfit the two new Italian sides also. Let’s see if they can come up with something truly fantastico for the 1872 Cup silly shirt.
• The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicked off this week. Scotland played their first game today against Canada, losing 37-10. Also in their group are France and Sweden. Good luck!
• The club rugby season kicks off this weekend with the new rejigged league programme, hopefully A.D will return from his self-imposed exile in the Canadian “wilderness” with some updates on that front soon.

I’m off to see what’s on the radio, more news as we get it, and may your favourite team win this weekend if they are in action. As long as it’s not Bath. Sorry, Andy.

UPDATE: commentary on Glasgow vs Sale pre-season friendly on BBC Scotland.