Media Guide Season 2019-20 Contents 1. Welcome from Sean Lineen 4 2. A new dawn for Scottish Club Rugby 5 3. Media Guidance 6 4. Season 2019-20 Fixtures 7 5. Team Profiles Ayrshire Bulls 8 Boroughmuir Bears 9 Heriot’s Rugby 10 Specialists in Southern Knights 11 Stirling County 12 Constructive Solutions Watsonians Rugby 13 FOSROC, a leading international manufacturer and 6. Wales cross-border partnership 14 supplier of high performance chemicals for the construction industry, are proud to be supporting 7. Media Contacts 15 grass roots rugby in Scotland. FOSROC is excited to be the headline sponsor for the inaugural season of Super6 and believes it will play an important role in developing players and providing an opportunity for them to reach their full potential and progress in the game. The FOSROC Super6 is an exciting new addition to the Scottish rugby calendar and we look forward to seeing the tournament unfold in the coming months and wish all the players and teams well. www.fosroc.com constructive solutions @Super6Rugby Super6Rugby.org 3 Welcome FOSROC Super6 from Sean Lineen A new dawn for Scottish club rugby FOSROC Super6 is the part-time professional structure created in order to bridge the gap between the top level of rugby and the amateur game in Scotland. Clubs were invited to bid for one of six franchises and in May 2018, the successful applicants were announced in the shape of Ayrshire Bulls, Boroughmuir Bears, Heriot’s Rugby, Southern Knights, Stirling County and Watsonians Rugby. The inaugural campaign will feature play-off matches in March 2020, with the table toppers playing the team finishing fourth while second will face third. The winners of both ties will then meet in the final, while semi-final losers will also meet in the 3rd-4th play-off. The teams finishing fifth and sixth are to meet over two legs to determine those final placings. In season one, the tournament will run from November 2019 to March 2020, with a cross- border competition involving Welsh Premiership sides to follow in April and May. Season two of FOSROC Super6 will begin with domestic fixtures in August 2020, finishing in November, with the cross-border aspect retaining its April-May fixture axis. Each FOSROC Super6 franchise is made up of 35 members, five of whom are FOSROC Academy Stage 3 players, with both Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors squads seconded as and when needed. There are also a number of Scottish Qualified (SQ) players registered with each FOSROC Super6 side, as part of a clearer pathway for full potentials to be reached. The FOSROC Super6 represents an exciting Super6 clubs, as well as 30 Scottish Qualified place for both players and coaches to develop (SQ) players returning to the country as their skills at a level we previously did not ambitious guys who now have a platform have within the Scottish structure. Bridging from which to demonstrate their ability. We the gap between amateur and professional want to keep our best players in Scotland and rugby is crucial in order to get the best out that has to be the long-term goal. of the talent we have in this country and ensuring the sustainability of clubs from This inaugural season of Super6 is the off is as important. With those blocks in tremendously exciting for the future of our place, we can grow the game to reach a place game and I can’t wait to see some competitive whereby the stream of quality rugby players rugby over the coming months as this new and coaches is coming through our system competition gets underway. consistently. Sean Lineen There are 30 FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy Head of Player Development, Stage 3 members assigned to competing FOSROC Super6 4 FOSROC Super6 Media Guide @Super6Rugby Super6Rugby.org 5 Media Season 2019-20 Guidance Fixtures For any Scottish Rugby related press enquiries will be coordinated by either the team’s own Boroughmuir Bears v Stirling County Stirling County v Heriot’s Rugby for FOSROC Super6, please contact Sarah Bell media manager or a member of Scottish Fri 8 Nov, 7.30pm | Meggetland Sat 18 Jan, 4pm | Bridgehaugh via [email protected] / 07870 545 068. Rugby’s media department. Sarah works from Wednesday to Sunday. Ben Southern Knights v Watsonians Rugby Watsonians Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls The FOSROC Player of the Match will also Fox is the media contact in Sarah’s absence – Sat 9 Nov, 3pm | Greenyards Sun 19 Jan, 2pm | Myreside be available for media interview. For any [email protected] – 07811 811 457. Ayrshire Bulls v Heriot’s Rugby Southern Knights v Boroughmuir Bears additional interview requests post-match Sun 10 Nov, 2pm | Millbrae TV Sun 19 Jan, 2pm | Greenyards TV The correct name for the tournament, which please liaise with the Club Media Manager should be used in all written and broadcast directly. For any FOSROC Super6 interview Ayrshire Bulls v Boroughmuir Bears Heriot’s Rugby v Boroughmuir Bears references is the FOSROC Super6. Please note requests outside of matchday please contact Sat 16 Nov, 3pm | Millbrae Sat 25 Jan, 2pm | Goldenacre there is no space between ‘Super’ and ‘6’. Sarah Bell or the respective club. Stirling County v Southern Knights Stirling County v Watsonians Rugby FOSROC is always uppercase. Sat 16 Nov, 4pm | Bridgehaugh Sat 25 Jan, 3pm | Bridgehaugh Filmed post-match media interviews should Heriot’s Rugby v Watsonians Rugby Ayrshire Bulls v Southern Knights will be shared with take place in front of a FOSROC branded Team announcements Sun 17 Nov, 2pm | Goldenacre TV Sun 26 Jan, 2pm | Millbrae TV the media via a dedicated media release. tournament backdrop and be coordinated by Teams for Friday night matches will be the club’s media manager at an agreed time Boroughmuir Bears v Heriot’s Rugby Watsonians Rugby v Heriot’s Rugby announced no later than 24hrs in advance. post-match. To develop a database of media Fri 22 Nov, 7.30pm | Meggetland Fri 14 Feb, 7pm | Myreside Teams for Saturday and Sunday fixtures will covering FOSROC Super6 and to ensure media Southern Knights v Ayrshire Bulls Boroughmuir Bears v Ayrshire Bulls be announced at least 24hrs in advance, with managers can be aware of who is attending Sat 23 Nov, 3pm | Greenyards Sat 15 Feb, 3pm | Meggetland an aim to have details sharedSam by Grove-White,Friday PM. Holliematches, Davidson written & Mike and Adamson photographic media are Watsonians Rugby v Stirling County Southern Knights v Stirling County asked to sign in before kick-off at each game. Sun 24 Nov, 3pm | Myreside TV Sun 16 Feb, 2pm | Greenyards TV Images from FOSROC Super6 matches will be available through the respective teams. Wifi is provided by each home club and log-in Heriot’s Rugby v Stirling County Watsonians Rugby v Southern Knights Scottish Rugby will commission SNS to attend details will be displayed for media in relevant Sat 30 Nov, 2pm | Goldenacre Sun 1 March, 2pm | Myreside at least one match per weekend. Images from areas. Photographers wishing to attend a Ayrshire Bulls v Watsonians Rugby Stirling County v Boroughmuir Bears those games will be available via the usual FOSROC Super6 match are asked to notify Sat 30 Nov, 3pm | Millbrae Sun 1 March, 2pm | Bridgehaugh SNS online portals – free of charge – and the respective club’s media manager at least Boroughmuir Bears v Southern Knights Heriot’s Rugby v Ayrshire Bulls should be credited to Scottish Rugby/SNS 24hrs in advance. Sun 1 Dec, 2pm | Meggetland TV Sun 1 March, 2pm | Goldenacre TV when used. Scottish Rugby is the rights holder for FOSROC Southern Knights v Heriot’s Rugby Play-offs When referencing FOSROC Super6 on social Super6. Broadcast requests to film or record Sat 7 Dec, 4.30pm | Greenyards media channels please use the hashtag content on a match-day at any FOSROC Watsonians Rugby v Boroughmuir Bears 1st v 4th #FOSROCSuper6 and add in the official Twitter Super6 match must be agreed in writing in Sun 8 Dec, 2pm | Myreside 2nd v 3rd account when applicable - @Super6Rugby advance. Requests should be directed to Stirling County v Ayrshire Bulls 5th v 6th Sarah Bell in the first instance. FOSROC Super6 teams will aim to hold Sun 8 Dec, 2pm | Bridgehaugh TV Fri 20 - Sun 22 March interview media access and/or visual access All logos and competition marks should be Heriot’s Rugby v Southern Knights Finals sessions on a weekly rotational basis – please used and applied in accordance with the Sat 14 Dec, 2pm | Goldenacre see Scottish Rugby’s weekly media schedule Tournament brand guidelines, which are Ayrshire Bulls v Stirling County Winners 1st v 4th v Winners 2nd v 3rd for specific details. Post-match a coach and available on request from the FOSROC Super6 Sat 14 Dec, 3pm | Millbrae Losers 1st v 4th v Losers 2nd v 3rd selected player from both teams will be clubs or Scottish Rugby. Boroughmuir Bears v Watsonians Rugby 5th v 6th (2nd leg) available for media interview. Access to both Sun 15 Dec, 2pm | Meggetland TV Fri 27 - Sun 29 March 6 FOSROC Super6 Media Guide @Super6Rugby Super6Rugby.org 7 Ayrshire Boroughmuir Bulls Bears FORWARDS BACKS FORWARDS BACKS Lewis Anderson Grant Anderson Callum Atkinson Rory Arthur George Bordill David Armstrong Gregor Brown* Greg Cannie @AyrshireBulls Ewan Davies Tyler Beary Michael Downer Martin Cimprich Graham Geldenhuys Frasier Climo Tom Drennan Jordan Edmunds @AyrshireBulls @muirbears ayrrugbyclub.co.uk Nicolas Griffiths Matthew Davidson boroughmuirsports.co.uk Toby Francombe Glen Faulds Ground: Millbrae Ground: Meggetland Fraser Hastie Chester Duff Will Inglis Cammy Gray Success is ingrained at the club that spawned Rory Jackson* Craig Gossman Born out of the club that produced such Craig Keddie Murray Johnstone this Super6 franchise, Ayr having won the rugby luminaries as British & Irish Lions Iain top national championship no fewer than Sam Kitchen Tom Jordan Paxton and Bruce Hay, the Bears are coached Martin McGinley Ronan Kerr three times since 2013.