MELROSE are beaten in Ayr, West of Scotland demolish Glasgow Hawks and Selkirk fight back to overcome recent champions Currie, and any doubts that the Scottish Hydro Electric Division One would be a competitive affair this year were blown sky high on day one.
It would be nonsensical to start outlining patterns for the season on the strength of 2008-9's first round of games, but the opening weekend undoubtedly provided club rugby with a timely lift. As the Magners League and Guinness Premiership launches t
his weekend and Setanta and Sky start to vie with club grounds for spectators' interest, Scottish clubs have swiftly provided food for thought for the middle ground of swithering armchair-or-live fans.
Neil Darling is just 25, but is in his second year captaining Selkirk and he had waited some time to experience life in Division One. So, did opening day live up to expectations from a playing perspective?
"Totally," he said yesterday, in a break from his joinery work. "Playing Division One rugby has been my ambition since I was at school and it was pretty special to win on our first day back. It was a surprise how big a crowd we got (estimated at close to 1500] to be honest, but they roared us on to come back from being down at half-time. We have been lucky to get such a passionate set of supporters at Philiphaugh over the last year or so and they are enjoying being in with the big clubs again. It is difficult when you just step up because you don't know what to expect."
The closer links with the professional teams should help to strengthen the club game further. Edinburgh's Ben Gissing is now coaching Stewart's Melville 1st XV and Steve Lawrie working at school level; Simon Cross and Andrew Easson coach Murrayfield Wanderers, Ross Ford works with Kelso Harlequins and others are scattered about clubs across the country.
There is, naturally, great interest surrounding which drafted pros will actually turn out for clubs and this weekend will require understanding as Edinburgh have fixed up a back-up match with Leinster on Monday to give fringe pros vital game-time, which means they are unavailable today, while Glasgow have released some players to clubs.
That should not take away from the positive steps being made to bring the club and pro games closer together, and if the competitive nature of this league continues in the same vein as last week few supporters will be complaining.
The full article contains 429 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
