10 replies to this topic

[Methven Hornet]

Seems to be as follows:-

RLC Central
Aberdeen Warriors
Edinburgh Eagles
Easterhouse Panthers
Ayrshire Storm
East Lothian Hawks
Fife Lions

RLC North
Aberdeen Warriors (A)
Edinburgh (A)
Moray Eels
Moray Titans
Ross Sutherland

Edited by Methven Hornet, 13 March 2012 - 10:12 PM.

[Methven Hornet]

So, it seems that Aberdeen have entered their first team into the stronger Central Division, whilst leaving a team in the north. In addition, Edinburgh have entered their reserves into the northern competition. Imaginative use of the fixture list.

Impressed with an entry from Ross Sutherland, probably a lot easier than running a team from Caithness.

fixtures

[bowes]

I couldn't work out if it were that or if Edinburgh first team are in north and reserves in central?

Appears Carluke and Cumbernauld have folded.

1 or 2 weeks in rugby league either means tomorrow when it's leaked or in 1 or 2 months never what is said!

[Methven Hornet]

Yes it seems that Moray Titans have jumped the gun. The official line was that the fixtures would be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.

The Moray website states that it is the second strings in the northern division - the central is the stronger. It is good that clubs are forming second teams, but the structure seems a bit odd. The north is definitely the weaker but the winner of its grand final will go into the all-Scotland final - we could end up with Edinburgh (or Aberdeen) playing its reserve side.

[bowes]

Yeah Aberdeen-Edinburgh would seem the logical final to want (assuming they're top 2 in central as expected). Might have been better to have the winner of north and top 3 of central in the semifinals?

[bowes]

A bit disappointing they seem to think they're playing in the Rugby League Conference though. Seems a lot of clubs make that mistake.

[Methven Hornet]

A bit disappointing they seem to think they're playing in the Rugby League Conference though. Seems a lot of clubs make that mistake.

News can travel slowly on its way north!

[Methven Hornet]

Yeah Aberdeen-Edinburgh would seem the logical final to want (assuming they're top 2 in central as expected). Might have been better to have the winner of north and top 3 of central in the semifinals?

Yes, and it could feasibly end up as Edinburgh v Aberdeen A!

[bowes]

I'm guessing that it was meant to be premier and division 1 but East Lothian didn't want a predominantly northern division 1 and perhaps Moray Titans didn't want a predominantly central premier.

Guess the ambition has to be a national premier and then north and central below? Thus new Central clubs wouldn't be in at the deep end Edinburgh A would be somewhere more logical

[Methven Hornet]

I'm guessing that it was meant to be premier and division 1 but East Lothian didn't want a predominantly northern division 1 and perhaps Moray Titans didn't want a predominantly central premier.

Guess the ambition has to be a national premier and then north and central below? Thus new Central clubs wouldn't be in at the deep end Edinburgh A would be somewhere more logical

The problem is that Scotland as a land mass is relatively big, and this involves a lot of travelling if you have a national structure. Ideally we would have a more regionalised structure - Central and Northern, or even West, East and Northern - but then we face the same old problem facing rugby league in 'emerging areas': teams want fixtures at their level of ability, but they also want them in their locality. At this stage of development, the weaker clubs aren't capable of travelling the length of the country week in, week out. As the better clubs become stronger and more stable, and clubs starting second strings is very positive, then I could envisage a national league stretching from Aberdeen to the central-belt. What is needed, though, is for enough teams below that standard to create reasonably-sized regional divisions.

So, yeah, the structure you describe has to be the aim. Until there are enough clubs around, though, the league structure is going to be the sort of compromise we have this year.

[bowes]

Ross Sutherland and East Lothian Hawks have folded. Victoria Knights have taken over the fixtures of East Lothian Hawks.