The Official Scottish Rugby Thread

[Jock42]

The original post on pussbook seems to have disappeared too. It's a pin stripe shirt with white and green cuffs, white and green collar and a st Andrews cross randomly thrown in at the front of the neck line. Arnold Clark is in white at least.

Looks like a cheap football top.

[Yr Alban]

The original post on pussbook seems to have disappeared too. It's a pin stripe shirt with white and green cuffs, white and green collar and a st Andrews cross randomly thrown in at the front of the neck line. Arnold Clark is in white at least.

Looks like a cheap football top.

Is this a Scotland top? And if so, what is green doing on it? (I have no sectarian issue against green, just can’t see any relevance)

[Jock42]

The original post on pussbook seems to have disappeared too. It's a pin stripe shirt with white and green cuffs, white and green collar and a st Andrews cross randomly thrown in at the front of the neck line. Arnold Clark is in white at least.

Looks like a cheap football top.

Is this a Scotland top? And if so, what is green doing on it? (I have no sectarian issue against green, just can’t see any relevance)

Yup. I assume the shite ad has been leaked as the official release is Friday.

[Jock42]

FB_IMG_1722497260335.jpg (41.78 KiB) Viewed 1312 times

I'm hoping the video is some deep fake and I've been done.

[Big D]

Whatever happened to the navy blue shirt and white collar look? No need to add other random colours.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

FB_IMG_1722497260335.jpg

I'm hoping the video is some deep fake and I've been done.

Horrible

[KingBlairhorn]

Whatever happened to the navy blue shirt and white collar look? No need to add other random colours.

The pattern is:
Release three or four different/terrible (depending on opinion) shirts in a row. People who always buy shirts buy them. People who rarely buy shirts and wouldn’t buy one every year anyway don’t.

Release a classic look shirt and everyone says it’s a banger. People who buy the shirt every year buy them anyway. People who rarely buy a shirt buy one, feeling justified because it’s a banger.

Repeat.

[robmatic]

Whatever happened to the navy blue shirt and white collar look? No need to add other random colours.

The pattern is:
Release three or four different/terrible (depending on opinion) shirts in a row. People who always buy shirts buy them. People who rarely buy shirts and wouldn’t buy one every year anyway don’t.

Release a classic look shirt and everyone says it’s a banger. People who buy the shirt every year buy them anyway. People who rarely buy a shirt buy one, feeling justified because it’s a banger.

Repeat.

When it comes to football, I am a Middlesbrough fan and we go through exactly the same process with our kits. Everyone prefers the classic home shirt, which is red with a white band across the chest, but the club always rotates it with couple of seasons of shirts with a random white trim that the habitual buyers get anyway.

[Big D]

Matt Scott potentially returning to Edinburgh. If this is anything other than very low cost and "break glass in emergency" then it is a poor signing. He's 34 by the time the season starts and shouldn't 5th centre really be a role that a younger player can fill?

[Tichtheid]

Matt Scott potentially returning to Edinburgh. If this is anything other than very low cost and "break glass in emergency" then it is a poor signing. He's 34 by the time the season starts and shouldn't 5th centre really be a role that a younger player can fill?

I didn't see him play much because for once I didn't get the time to watch much prem rugby last season, but he was deemed good enough to start 10 times out of his 14 appearances last season, including Champions Cup and in the league.

He should never have been let go, he was Edinburgh best performing centre at the time, imo. Anyway that's a long time ago now. I think he brings a huge amount of experience with him, hopefully that will rub off on the likes of Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu, even if it's just in training.

As far as I remember the Scotland U20s centres aren't in the Edinburgh academy, one is with Glasgow and the other from the final is with Watsons, Findlay Thompson. I thought he was worth a look to be fair, he's a big ball carrying 12, he's just turned 20. I hope Edinburgh do keep an eye on him. The fact that he came up through my old school and home town club has nothing to do with my support for him :-)

[Big D]

Matt Scott potentially returning to Edinburgh. If this is anything other than very low cost and "break glass in emergency" then it is a poor signing. He's 34 by the time the season starts and shouldn't 5th centre really be a role that a younger player can fill?

I didn't see him play much because for once I didn't get the time to watch much prem rugby last season, but he was deemed good enough to start 10 times out of his 14 appearances last season, including Champions Cup and in the league.

He should never have been let go, he was Edinburgh best performing centre at the time, imo. Anyway that's a long time ago now. I think he brings a huge amount of experience with him, hopefully that will rub off on the likes of Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu, even if it's just in training.

As far as I remember the Scotland U20s centres aren't in the Edinburgh academy, one is with Glasgow and the other from the final is with Watsons, Findlay Thompson. I thought he was worth a look to be fair, he's a big ball carrying 12, he's just turned 20. I hope Edinburgh do keep an eye on him. The fact that he came up through my old school and home town club has nothing to do with my support for him :-)

Don't have a problem if it is low cost and it won't impact Curries playing time at 13 given Lang now he is fit and Tuipulotu will likely take the minutes at 12. Would like to see Hocking introduced too.

Leicester Tigers weren't very good last season, I can't remember them ever being close to top 4 contention. Can't recall if he was injured but 2 of his starts were in the premiership cup and one of those on the wing meaning he was only involved in 12 top tier games which isn't a lot really.

[Tichtheid]

Scott confirmed

The move signals a third spell in the capital for the Dunfermline-born former Currie man, whose professional rugby journey began at the club as an academy player in 2011 and has included 40 international caps for his country.
A near-centurion, Scott has made 94 appearances for Edinburgh to date, earned either side of a two-season spell at Gloucester Rugby – playing for the Cherry & Whites 34 times – before returning south to join Tigers in 2020.
It was there Scott scored 15 tries in 80 appearances, which included a place in the 2022 Premiership Rugby final as Tigers beat Saracens 15–12 to take the trophy.
Scott brings a wealth of experience to the backline and will play a key mentorship role to young centres Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu (both 23), as well as the up-and-coming backs joining the club’s expanded academy, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

[Punter15]

Whatever happened to the navy blue shirt and white collar look? No need to add other random colours.

The pattern is:
Release three or four different/terrible (depending on opinion) shirts in a row. People who always buy shirts buy them. People who rarely buy shirts and wouldn’t buy one every year anyway don’t.

Release a classic look shirt and everyone says it’s a banger. People who buy the shirt every year buy them anyway. People who rarely buy a shirt buy one, feeling justified because it’s a banger.

Repeat.

Just looks like a football shirt. One for the fannies.

[Biffer]

Scott confirmed

The move signals a third spell in the capital for the Dunfermline-born former Currie man, whose professional rugby journey began at the club as an academy player in 2011 and has included 40 international caps for his country.
A near-centurion, Scott has made 94 appearances for Edinburgh to date, earned either side of a two-season spell at Gloucester Rugby – playing for the Cherry & Whites 34 times – before returning south to join Tigers in 2020.
It was there Scott scored 15 tries in 80 appearances, which included a place in the 2022 Premiership Rugby final as Tigers beat Saracens 15–12 to take the trophy.
Scott brings a wealth of experience to the backline and will play a key mentorship role to young centres Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu (both 23), as well as the up-and-coming backs joining the club’s expanded academy, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Am I being fanciful in suggesting they're trying to secure him into the coaching programme? Wouldn't be surprised to see him as HC of a Scottish premiership club in a year or two, or on the U20 or Women's international staff

[Tichtheid]

Scott confirmed

The move signals a third spell in the capital for the Dunfermline-born former Currie man, whose professional rugby journey began at the club as an academy player in 2011 and has included 40 international caps for his country.
A near-centurion, Scott has made 94 appearances for Edinburgh to date, earned either side of a two-season spell at Gloucester Rugby – playing for the Cherry & Whites 34 times – before returning south to join Tigers in 2020.
It was there Scott scored 15 tries in 80 appearances, which included a place in the 2022 Premiership Rugby final as Tigers beat Saracens 15–12 to take the trophy.
Scott brings a wealth of experience to the backline and will play a key mentorship role to young centres Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu (both 23), as well as the up-and-coming backs joining the club’s expanded academy, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

Am I being fanciful in suggesting they're trying to secure him into the coaching programme? Wouldn't be surprised to see him as HC of a Scottish premiership club in a year or two, or on the U20 or Women's international staff

It's a one year contract he has signed, which seems sensible for both parties, but yeah, I posted that particular part of the Edinburgh blurb on it because it suggests that he is being brought in to impart his experience on to the younger guys as well as providing a playing option.

[Jock42]

Provided that they're not paying over the odds I think that's a decent signing. Especially if there is a view to coaching.

[robmatic]

Scott confirmed

The move signals a third spell in the capital for the Dunfermline-born former Currie man, whose professional rugby journey began at the club as an academy player in 2011 and has included 40 international caps for his country.
A near-centurion, Scott has made 94 appearances for Edinburgh to date, earned either side of a two-season spell at Gloucester Rugby – playing for the Cherry & Whites 34 times – before returning south to join Tigers in 2020.
It was there Scott scored 15 tries in 80 appearances, which included a place in the 2022 Premiership Rugby final as Tigers beat Saracens 15–12 to take the trophy.
Scott brings a wealth of experience to the backline and will play a key mentorship role to young centres Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu (both 23), as well as the up-and-coming backs joining the club’s expanded academy, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

The only issue I have with this is that it necessitated punting Chris Dean, who I feel was under-utilised by Everitt last season when we were unconvincing in the centres.

What's this thing about an 'expanded academy'?

[Tichtheid]

Scott confirmed

The move signals a third spell in the capital for the Dunfermline-born former Currie man, whose professional rugby journey began at the club as an academy player in 2011 and has included 40 international caps for his country.
A near-centurion, Scott has made 94 appearances for Edinburgh to date, earned either side of a two-season spell at Gloucester Rugby – playing for the Cherry & Whites 34 times – before returning south to join Tigers in 2020.
It was there Scott scored 15 tries in 80 appearances, which included a place in the 2022 Premiership Rugby final as Tigers beat Saracens 15–12 to take the trophy.
Scott brings a wealth of experience to the backline and will play a key mentorship role to young centres Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu (both 23), as well as the up-and-coming backs joining the club’s expanded academy, which will be announced in the coming weeks.

The only issue I have with this is that it necessitated punting Chris Dean, who I feel was under-utilised by Everitt last season when we were unconvincing in the centres.

What's this thing about an 'expanded academy'?

The extended academies are what’s taking the place of the Super 6 for the U20s and those who are just over 20 years old.
The big test will be in finding competitive fixtures for them.

[KingBlairhorn]

Scott confirmed

The only issue I have with this is that it necessitated punting Chris Dean, who I feel was under-utilised by Everitt last season when we were unconvincing in the centres.

What's this thing about an 'expanded academy'?

The extended academies are what’s taking the place of the Super 6 for the U20s and those who are just over 20 years old.
The big test will be in finding competitive fixtures for them.

The 'extended academies' appear to be 7 additional places at Edinburgh (and presumably the same at Glasgow) and a slightly older player age-limit (U23).

There will be more 'A' fixtures (not yet arranged).
There will be a pro draft to Prem teams (that thing they did before that was pretty unsuccessful).

Altogether I am, unsurprisingly, not whelmed.

I said when Dodson got the heave-ho that we might live to regret it and nothing coming out of Murrayfield since has convinced me otherwise. Dodson was a walking epitome of hubris, but he was also a pretty competent administrator. The new crowd seem to be more of the former and less of the latter.

[westport]

Edinburgh Rugby Pro-Academy 2024/25

Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (hooker)
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (tighthead prop)
Jack Brown (full-back)
Isaac Coates (fly-half)
Tom Currie (back-row)
Freddy Douglas (back-row)
Ollie Duncan (back-row)
Jack Hocking (full-back)
Mikey Jones (loosehead prop)
Sam Leweni (centre)
Christian Lindsay (lock)
Hamish MacArthur (scrum-half)
Conor McAlpine (scrum-half)
Liam McConnell (back-row)
Euan McVie (lock)
Nairn Moncrieff (winger)
Harri Morris (hooker)
Hector Patterson (scrum-half)
Mac Rutherford (lock)
Jamie Stewart (loosehead prop)
Findlay Thomson (centre)
Lewis Wells (winger)
Ross Wolfenden (fly-half)

[Big D]

Edinburgh Rugby Pro-Academy 2024/25

Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (hooker)
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (tighthead prop)
Jack Brown (full-back)
Isaac Coates (fly-half)
Tom Currie (back-row)
Freddy Douglas (back-row)
Ollie Duncan (back-row)
Jack Hocking (full-back)
Mikey Jones (loosehead prop)
Sam Leweni (centre)
Christian Lindsay (lock)
Hamish MacArthur (scrum-half)
Conor McAlpine (scrum-half)
Liam McConnell (back-row)
Euan McVie (lock)
Nairn Moncrieff (winger)
Harri Morris (hooker)
Hector Patterson (scrum-half)
Mac Rutherford (lock)
Jamie Stewart (loosehead prop)
Findlay Thomson (centre)
Lewis Wells (winger)
Ross Wolfenden (fly-half)

Several of those should see some game time this season. Interesting they've name Hocking as a fb when they mentioned centre when he originally signed.

[Slick]

Edinburgh Rugby Pro-Academy 2024/25

Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (hooker)
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (tighthead prop)
Jack Brown (full-back)
Isaac Coates (fly-half)
Tom Currie (back-row)
Freddy Douglas (back-row)
Ollie Duncan (back-row)
Jack Hocking (full-back)
Mikey Jones (loosehead prop)
Sam Leweni (centre)
Christian Lindsay (lock)
Hamish MacArthur (scrum-half)
Conor McAlpine (scrum-half)
Liam McConnell (back-row)
Euan McVie (lock)
Nairn Moncrieff (winger)
Harri Morris (hooker)
Hector Patterson (scrum-half)
Mac Rutherford (lock)
Jamie Stewart (loosehead prop)
Findlay Thomson (centre)
Lewis Wells (winger)
Ross Wolfenden (fly-half)

Is this part of the S6 replacement or just the normal academy? Do they have academy games?

[Jock42]

Edinburgh Rugby Pro-Academy 2024/25

Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (hooker)
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (tighthead prop)
Jack Brown (full-back)
Isaac Coates (fly-half)
Tom Currie (back-row)
Freddy Douglas (back-row)
Ollie Duncan (back-row)
Jack Hocking (full-back)
Mikey Jones (loosehead prop)
Sam Leweni (centre)
Christian Lindsay (lock)
Hamish MacArthur (scrum-half)
Conor McAlpine (scrum-half)
Liam McConnell (back-row)
Euan McVie (lock)
Nairn Moncrieff (winger)
Harri Morris (hooker)
Hector Patterson (scrum-half)
Mac Rutherford (lock)
Jamie Stewart (loosehead prop)
Findlay Thomson (centre)
Lewis Wells (winger)
Ross Wolfenden (fly-half)

Is this part of the S6 replacement or just the normal academy? Do they have academy games?

Extended academy (Glasgow the same). They're looking for 'A' fixtures. They've also gone back to the draft with some (all?) of these players going to premier sides.

[Slick]

Edinburgh Rugby Pro-Academy 2024/25

Jerry Blyth-Lafferty (hooker)
Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (tighthead prop)
Jack Brown (full-back)
Isaac Coates (fly-half)
Tom Currie (back-row)
Freddy Douglas (back-row)
Ollie Duncan (back-row)
Jack Hocking (full-back)
Mikey Jones (loosehead prop)
Sam Leweni (centre)
Christian Lindsay (lock)
Hamish MacArthur (scrum-half)
Conor McAlpine (scrum-half)
Liam McConnell (back-row)
Euan McVie (lock)
Nairn Moncrieff (winger)
Harri Morris (hooker)
Hector Patterson (scrum-half)
Mac Rutherford (lock)
Jamie Stewart (loosehead prop)
Findlay Thomson (centre)
Lewis Wells (winger)
Ross Wolfenden (fly-half)

Is this part of the S6 replacement or just the normal academy? Do they have academy games?

Extended academy (Glasgow the same). They're looking for 'A' fixtures. They've also gone back to the draft with some (all?) of these players going to premier sides.

Ahh good, thanks

[robmatic]

The 'extended academies' appear to be 7 additional places at Edinburgh (and presumably the same at Glasgow) and a slightly older player age-limit (U23).

There will be more 'A' fixtures (not yet arranged).
There will be a pro draft to Prem teams (that thing they did before that was pretty unsuccessful).

Altogether I am, unsurprisingly, not whelmed.

I said when Dodson got the heave-ho that we might live to regret it and nothing coming out of Murrayfield since has convinced me otherwise. Dodson was a walking epitome of hubris, but he was also a pretty competent administrator. The new crowd seem to be more of the former and less of the latter.

At least the Prem clubs are back as the pinnacle of rugby in Scotland, which was the most important thing.

[Begbie]

Anyone know when Edinburgh are likely to announce their pre-season games?

[Biffer]

Anyone know when Edinburgh are likely to announce their pre-season games?

Already announced Edinburgh v Gloucester Friday 13th

[Yr Alban]

Argentina proving that if you get enough opportunities to play against the team you can’t beat, eventually you’ll find a way.

[charltom]

Argentina proving that if you get enough opportunities to play against the team you can’t beat, eventually you’ll find a way.

They've found it a few times now.

But yes.

[Slick]

Argentina proving that if you get enough opportunities to play against the team you can’t beat, eventually you’ll find a way.

Just another 100 years and we’ll have NZ on toast

[Slick]

Scotland have the longest win streak of the top 10 nations at the moment

[Biffer]

Scotland have the longest win streak of the top 10 nations at the moment

We're number one! We're number one!

[KingBlairhorn]

Premier Sports confirmed as having the Champions Cup (and Challenge Cup) this season. Good news for those of us who already have a prem sports subscription but don’t want to shell out megabucks for TNT/Sky to give all my money to English football.

Edit: it’s the next 3 years and they will show every fixture.

[Tichtheid]

Premier Sports confirmed as having the Champions Cup (and Challenge Cup) this season. Good news for those of us who already have a prem sports subscription but don’t want to shell out megabucks for TNT/Sky to give all my money to English football.

Edit: it’s the next 3 years and they will show every fixture.

The Torygraph is describing it as a "blow" to English fans, the Times is complaining that those English fans will now have to fork out for two subscriptions in order to watch European as well as domestic rugby.

Hrmmm.

[inactionman]

Premier Sports confirmed as having the Champions Cup (and Challenge Cup) this season. Good news for those of us who already have a prem sports subscription but don’t want to shell out megabucks for TNT/Sky to give all my money to English football.

Edit: it’s the next 3 years and they will show every fixture.

The Torygraph is describing it as a "blow" to English fans, the Times is complaining that those English fans will now have to fork out for two subscriptions in order to watch European as well as domestic rugby.

Hrmmm.

It's fair enough to say that having two competitions on two separate subscriptions is a pain, but that's what they are - separate competitions with seperate negotiations. It was bound to happen sooner or later that they'd end up on different broadcasters. I'm just glad the extortionate sky aren't involved.

I'd really prefer a 'pay-as-you-go' approach and just pay a small fee for each game you want to watch, so it doesn't matter who is airing it, but nowTV did that and made it ridiculous by charging a tenner for the day.

[Tichtheid]

Premier Sports confirmed as having the Champions Cup (and Challenge Cup) this season. Good news for those of us who already have a prem sports subscription but don’t want to shell out megabucks for TNT/Sky to give all my money to English football.

Edit: it’s the next 3 years and they will show every fixture.

The Torygraph is describing it as a "blow" to English fans, the Times is complaining that those English fans will now have to fork out for two subscriptions in order to watch European as well as domestic rugby.

Hrmmm.

It's fair enough to say that having two competitions on two separate subscriptions is a pain, but that's what they are - separate competitions with seperate negotiations.

Yeah, my point was really that Scots, Welsh I assume Irish supporters have had to subscribe to two providers for several years now. I agree it's a pain.

I've never actually checked this, but I saw a quote somewhere saying that the NFL pays for all other sports in the US in that the amount of money it brings in allows broadcasters to carry other sports. I get the feeling that is true of football in Europe, maybe, as I say I haven't checked.

BT stuffed us all by using sport as a loss-leader for a multi-billion pound broadband market in the UK, knowing that they would start charging in the future once they had subscribers, first it was a fiver a month, now it's thirty odd quid and of course it's TNT now.

I'm not at all convinced that rugby would bring in enough money on its own to allow for a rugby channel where we'd find all the competitions, it's difficult finding the breakdown of where the advertising revenue comes from that pays for the rights to cover the various sports.

[robmatic]

Premier Sports confirmed as having the Champions Cup (and Challenge Cup) this season. Good news for those of us who already have a prem sports subscription but don’t want to shell out megabucks for TNT/Sky to give all my money to English football.

Edit: it’s the next 3 years and they will show every fixture.

The Torygraph is describing it as a "blow" to English fans, the Times is complaining that those English fans will now have to fork out for two subscriptions in order to watch European as well as domestic rugby.

Hrmmm.

It's fair enough to say that having two competitions on two separate subscriptions is a pain, but that's what they are - separate competitions with seperate negotiations. It was bound to happen sooner or later that they'd end up on different broadcasters. I'm just glad the extortionate sky aren't involved.

I'd really prefer a 'pay-as-you-go' approach and just pay a small fee for each game you want to watch, so it doesn't matter who is airing it, but nowTV did that and made it ridiculous by charging a tenner for the day.

Because I'm overseas in a territory where rugby isn't broadcast, for the last few years I've been using the international streaming service for each competition and to be honest I prefer that to shelling out for an expensive sports package with a bunch of stuff I don't want included. Last season, I paid $100 to get all the URC games and another 50 euros or something for European rugby and that was basically plenty of rugby for me.

[Slick]

Premier Sports confirmed as having the Champions Cup (and Challenge Cup) this season. Good news for those of us who already have a prem sports subscription but don’t want to shell out megabucks for TNT/Sky to give all my money to English football.

Edit: it’s the next 3 years and they will show every fixture.

This is very good news. Just have to find something for the family to do.

[Jock42]

Only snag is I think the Autumn Ints are on TNT. Will be getting rid of it then probably subscribe for the month then bin it again.

[Biffer]

The Torygraph is describing it as a "blow" to English fans, the Times is complaining that those English fans will now have to fork out for two subscriptions in order to watch European as well as domestic rugby.

Hrmmm.

It's fair enough to say that having two competitions on two separate subscriptions is a pain, but that's what they are - separate competitions with seperate negotiations.

Yeah, my point was really that Scots, Welsh I assume Irish supporters have had to subscribe to two providers for several years now. I agree it's a pain.

I've never actually checked this, but I saw a quote somewhere saying that the NFL pays for all other sports in the US in that the amount of money it brings in allows broadcasters to carry other sports. I get the feeling that is true of football in Europe, maybe, as I say I haven't checked.

BT stuffed us all by using sport as a loss-leader for a multi-billion pound broadband market in the UK, knowing that they would start charging in the future once they had subscribers, first it was a fiver a month, now it's thirty odd quid and of course it's TNT now.

I'm not at all convinced that rugby would bring in enough money on its own to allow for a rugby channel where we'd find all the competitions, it's difficult finding the breakdown of where the advertising revenue comes from that pays for the rights to cover the various sports.

That's the dream thought - I'd love an 'oval ball' channel with Rugby, NFL, US college football, Aussies rules, I'd even put up with rugby league being on there.