2012-2013 - Robocop draft picks by Scottish Clubs

From GlasgowWarriors.com:

"The draft has taken place to align Scotland’s professional players with clubs in the RBS Premiership for the new league campaign which kicks-off later this month.

All ten Premiership clubs participated in the draft with some 82 professional players from Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Warriors and Scotland 7s allocated amongst them.

First year professionals were not part of the pick as they remain with the club from which they joined the pro-ranks. Elite Development players were also outwith the draft.

Once again, the draft was done on a geographic basis with clubs in Glasgow and Caledonia aligned to Glasgow Warriors and clubs from Edinburgh and the Borders bracketed to Edinburgh Rugby. Five Scotland sevens players, originally with clubs or schools in the Edinburgh Rugby catchment were among the Edinburgh draft, with another three in the Glasgow draft.

Edinburgh Accies, the lowest placed club in the Edinburgh Rugby catchment in last season's P1, had first pick of the Edinburgh Rugby players; while Aberdeen Grammar, lowest finishers among the Warriors clubs in last season’s P1, had first pick of the Glasgow Warriors players.

George Clark, Premier Division representative on the Scottish Rugby Council, hailed the draft as an “exciting time” for the new-look league.

“It’s great to have the professional players aligned to the RBS Premiership. It’s a new competition and we look forward to involving the pro players when they are available.

“I’d encourage supporters to come along. They’ll get the chance to see some emerging talent and emerging professionals before they become regulars at Murrayfield and Scotstoun. It’s a really exciting time for the club game.”

Pro-player draft:

Aberdeen Grammar Rugby – Scott Wight, Finlay Gillies, Angus Macdonald, Nikola Matawalu, DTH Van Der Merwe, Moray Low, Chris Cusiter, Stuart Hogg, Duncan Weir, James Fleming and Peter Murchie

Ayr – James Eddie, Gordon Reid, Ed Kalman, Ruaridh Jackson, Viliami Ma’afu, Jon Welsh, Pat MacArthur, Ryan Grant, Tommy Seymour and Colin Shaw

Stirling County – Grant Gilchrist, Tim Swinson, Byron McGuigan, Mike Cusack, Troy Nathan, Alex Dunbar, Tom Ryder, Al Kellock, Robert Harley and Dougie Hall

Dundee HSFP – Peter Horne, Taylor Paris, Ryan Wilson, Sean Lamont, Rory Lamont, Graeme Morrison, Chris Fusaro, Henry Pyrgos, John Barclay and Colin Gregor

Edinburgh Accies – Alex Black, Lewis Niven, Greig Tonks, Dimitri Basalaia, David Denton, Greig Laidlaw and Ross Rennie

Heriot’s – Perry Parker, Michael Penn, Steven Lawrie, Michael Maltman, Andy Titterell, Struan Dewar and Geoff Cross

Boroughmuir – Harry Leonard, Sep Visser, Ben Cairns, Ben Atiga, W P Nel, Tim Visser and Russell Weir

Currie – John Houston, Steven Turnbull, Isak Van Der Westhuizen, Andrew Turnbull, Chris Leck, Matt Scott and Richie Rees

Gala – James King, Stuart McInally, Tom Brown, Mark Robertson, Allan Jacobsen, Nick De Luca and Ross Ford

Melrose – Alun Walker, Roddy Grant, Lee Jones, Sean Cox, Netani Talei and John Yapp"

Boroughmuir have been smart about their picks.

Bizarre of Currie to pick two scrum halves.

Not sure about the Accies - in Basalaia, Denton, Laidlaw and Rennie they've picked four guys that Edinburgh are never going to release!

Nice system though - long may it continue.

Its a cracking idea, and a good way of getting the Edinburgh/Glasgow and the lower level sides working in harmony.

I wonder if Scottish players get to play for their Club anymore than Irish players for theres?

How often did POC play for Young Munster?
Andrew Trimble for Ballymena RFC? or
SOB for Clontarf RFC?

While its good that players are linked to clubs, it would be nicer to see them turn out more.

I suppose in Scotland the fringe players would play in the league more as there are no 'A' teams to give them gametime.

Not really Kingshu and obviously hardly ever during an international window.

In the regular season, clubs are happy if they have a couple of pro players available to them each week. Sometimes it can work out well if a player is coming back from injury and needs some gentler game time. For example, last season my old club Ayr got the services of Johnny Beattie at no.8 for handful of games and were absolutely delighted with that.

The slightly larger Scotland pro team squads and the greater competition for places (thanks to larger SRU budgets) this year should mean more talent freed up for the clubs.

I think Scotland are going about things well as of late and this will just help to add the link with the Pro teams.
Also it should make the teams more even so makes for a higher standard arcoss the level.

The draft isn't a new thing they've done it for a few years, but I think this may be the first time it was split on a Glasgow/Edinburgh basis.
Is that correct?

could add that personally I'm not sure about the Draft.

Say a player came up through the ranks at Currie, and made it to the Edinburgh team, (all kids at currie should be aiming for Edinburgh), In his first year he is assigned to Currie, but after that he is in the Draft, and could go one year to Gala next somewhere else etc etc,
I'm sure Currie fans would prefer to see him back rather than some other pick (after all they aren't going to play much)

Then agan, it does give the Club a chance to pick a star player rather than a fringe player which will help draw crowds in the few games they do play, and they can pick in areas they are weakest in.

So while writng this I've changed my mind and am in favour of the Draft.

The only times I've ever heard of an Irish provincial player playing for his club is if he's been out injured and needs game time at a lower level to regain fitness. Usually after a bad or long term injury.

Kingshu wrote:The draft isn't a new thing they've done it for a few years, but I think this may be the first time it was split on a Glasgow/Edinburgh basis.
Is that correct?

Yes this is the first year that the Clubs have been split on a Pro team basis. I beleive that EDP and First year Pros do not enter the draft and stay allocted their Club side, providing of course their club side is still in Prem One.

Clubs usually pick the fringe players first in the draft as the are available alot during the season.

Dorothy_Mantooth wrote:
Clubs usually pick the fringe players first in the draft as the are available alot during the season.

Makes sense,

I do thing the draft will make the league teams all more of the same standard. This inturn will make the scottish second teir stronger.

Do the players mind being pick for different teams or are they just happy that they have a pro contract.

Is the Scottish Prem at the level of the Welsh Prem