Dalziel RFC dismay at league restructuring

Jul 20 2011 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Dalziel Rugby Club

DALZIEL Rugby Club president Khalid Faqir has expressed his dismay at the decision to restructure the domestic game from the start of the 2012/13 season.

The decision was made last month when the Scottish Rugby Union held their AGM at which they passed a motion for radical restructuring.

With no relegation and promotion out of Premier Three this coming season, it effectively means Dalziel have little to play for when the season gets underway on August 27.

All 12 clubs – along with four sides each from Premier Two and National One will compete the following year in a ten team Championship West or East Division.

“We will be playing in a regional league and are not happy about it.” Faqir said this week.

“Along with the rest of the Premier Three clubs, Dalziel opposed the restructure.

“We supported a restructure further down the leagues but did not approve of it above.

“Effectively, our hands were tied at the AGM when we didn’t get enough votes to stop that change.”

He continued: “We feel a regional system dilutes the quality of the teams in each league.

“The changes also make it harder to climb the league ladder as only one team can get promoted.

“I feel it will be harder to win promotion from a league of only ten teams than it is from a league of 12 teams, it cuts down your chances of going up.

“Once you are in that league it will be difficult to try and get back up.

“That’s why you are seeing some of the Premier Two clubs on a heavy recruitment drive just now.”

Without the threat of relegation however, Faqir hopes some of the youngsters at the club will get a chance to impress next season although he feels Dalziel could be competing near the top of the division.

He said: “For us the next season is pretty much a dead year in that we cannot get promoted or relegated.

“But winning brings a feelgood factor and, naturally, the club would like to win as many games as possible.

“No promotion or relegation could work in our favour because a lot of clubs won’t buy in players like they normally do.

“We don’t do that anyway so I would like to think we could do quite well even if there is nothing to show for it.”