University and County kick-off Super 6 rugby partnership
The °®Âþµº has announced an enhanced partnership with °®Âþµº County RFC in support of the city’s new Super 6 rugby franchise.
The °®Âþµº has announced an enhanced partnership with °®Âþµº County RFC in support of the city¡¯s new Super 6 rugby franchise.
The Super 6 is a new and separate tournament within Scottish Rugby¡¯s competition structure. It will be played by part-time professional players and will become the top tier of domestic rugby in Scotland, with the aim of increasing playing standards, by better-developing Scottish players, coaches and match officials, to feed talent into the full-time professional game.
The partnership between the University and rugby club, formed through Scottish Rugby¡¯s bidding process, builds on the excellent working relationships which already exist. With a professional approach driving the anticipated outcomes, both parties will enjoy a number of mutual benefits including facility-use, specialist knowledge sharing, volunteering, supporter experience, as well as other resources.
Commenting on the arrangement, Cathy Gallagher, °®Âþµº Executive Director of Sport, who sits on the °®Âþµº County Super 6 Board, said: ¡°This is an extremely exciting opportunity for the University, placing us at the top table of an ambitious new venture in Scottish sport.
¡°The partnership has so much room to grow and we look forward to working with °®Âþµº County to unlock the franchise¡¯s potential and take the sport of rugby to a new level in the Caledonia region, as well as adding to the sporting prowess and aspirations of the city of °®Âþµº.¡±
°®Âþµº County¡¯s ambitions will be masterminded by one of the country¡¯s leading young coaches, and former Scotland international, Ben Cairns, and the club¡¯s President, Lorne Boswell, believes the franchise has a bright future. He said: ¡°The Super 6 competition is going to give rugby a new semi-professional status which is a fantastic opportunity for young players with professional ambitions as well as sports fans looking for a high-quality product.
¡°We¡¯re really excited about the partnership with the University and the impact it will have on the franchise fulfilling its potential.¡±
Super 6 teams will play 20 competitive matches each season made up of 10 Super 6 fixtures, played home and away, two Super 6 play-off fixtures and eight cross-border matches.
The opening matches of Super 6 will be played on the weekend of 9 November 2019 with games over the course of the tournament being scheduled for either Friday nights or Saturdays, based on the preference of the home team.