Scottish Premiership Division One: Difference between revisions
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Up to season 1972-73, Scotland's rugby union clubs participated in what was known as an 'unofficial championship'. It provided very unbalanced competition: some clubs played more fixtures than others and some fixture lists provided stiffer opposition than others. The resulting league table at the end of each season gave a very unbalanced and difficult-to-comprehend set of results. |
Up to season 1972-73, Scotland's rugby union clubs participated in what was known as an 'unofficial championship'. It provided very unbalanced competition: some clubs played more fixtures than others and some fixture lists provided stiffer opposition than others. The resulting league table at the end of each season gave a very unbalanced and difficult-to-comprehend set of results. |
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Starting in season 1973-74, the [[Scottish Rugby Union]] organised the full member clubs into six leagues. |
Starting in season 1973-74, the [[Scottish Rugby Union]] organised the full member clubs into six leagues. There was a concentration of talent as players moved to ambitious, successful clubs and the standard of club rugby improved. The district championship became more meaningful, even though games were often played in foul conditions in December. Players were more accustomed to experiencing pressure in matches where the result really mattered. |
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One consequence was soon apparent: fewer players were selected from English clubs to represent Scotland. For the first time since before the First World War, the domestic game was producing an adequate number of players of genuine international class. Though the SRU's administrators were often seen as backward looking, Scotland had a national league before England, Wales or Ireland. |
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The new situation suited some of the 'open' clubs but many of the older former pupils' clubs found it difficult to compete successfully and were forced into going 'open' themselves to try to recruit some of the better players. Those that didn’t declined. Open clubs kept their old FP or Academical name, and still played on grounds owned by the schools. |
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In the first 14 seasons of league rugby the Division I championship was won by Hawick on 10 occasions. Heriot’s FP became the first city club to win the championship, they had already attracted "outsiders"; their leading try-scorer was Bill Gammell, a Fettesian already capped for Scotland while playing for Edinburgh Wanderers. League rugby drew the crowds, and the 20 years that followed its introduction were the best in the history of Scottish club rugby. In that period the title of champions rarely went out of the Borders, Hawick, Gala and Melrose enjoying long periods of ascendancy. |
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Since the advent of the leagues, the [[Scottish Rugby Union]] have, from time to time, taken opportunity, more than once, to re-organise the competition and have added, in the mid-1990s, a sponsored knock-out cup competition. |
Since the advent of the leagues, the [[Scottish Rugby Union]] have, from time to time, taken opportunity, more than once, to re-organise the competition and have added, in the mid-1990s, a sponsored knock-out cup competition. |
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Revision as of 23:18, 6 March 2006
BT Premier League Div 1 is Scotland's national rugby union league.
Up to season 1972-73, Scotland's rugby union clubs participated in what was known as an 'unofficial championship'. It provided very unbalanced competition: some clubs played more fixtures than others and some fixture lists provided stiffer opposition than others. The resulting league table at the end of each season gave a very unbalanced and difficult-to-comprehend set of results.
Starting in season 1973-74, the Scottish Rugby Union organised the full member clubs into six leagues. There was a concentration of talent as players moved to ambitious, successful clubs and the standard of club rugby improved. The district championship became more meaningful, even though games were often played in foul conditions in December. Players were more accustomed to experiencing pressure in matches where the result really mattered. One consequence was soon apparent: fewer players were selected from English clubs to represent Scotland. For the first time since before the First World War, the domestic game was producing an adequate number of players of genuine international class. Though the SRU's administrators were often seen as backward looking, Scotland had a national league before England, Wales or Ireland.
The new situation suited some of the 'open' clubs but many of the older former pupils' clubs found it difficult to compete successfully and were forced into going 'open' themselves to try to recruit some of the better players. Those that didn’t declined. Open clubs kept their old FP or Academical name, and still played on grounds owned by the schools.
In the first 14 seasons of league rugby the Division I championship was won by Hawick on 10 occasions. Heriot’s FP became the first city club to win the championship, they had already attracted "outsiders"; their leading try-scorer was Bill Gammell, a Fettesian already capped for Scotland while playing for Edinburgh Wanderers. League rugby drew the crowds, and the 20 years that followed its introduction were the best in the history of Scottish club rugby. In that period the title of champions rarely went out of the Borders, Hawick, Gala and Melrose enjoying long periods of ascendancy.
Since the advent of the leagues, the Scottish Rugby Union have, from time to time, taken opportunity, more than once, to re-organise the competition and have added, in the mid-1990s, a sponsored knock-out cup competition.
Past winners
1973 Hawick
1974 Hawick
1975 Hawick
1976 Hawick
1977 Hawick
1978 Hawick
1979 Heriot's FP
1980 Gala
1981 Gala
1982 Hawick
1983 Gala
1984 Hawick
1985 Hawick
1986 Hawick
1987 Hawick
1988 Kelso
1989 Kelso
1990 Melrose
1991 Boroughmuir
1992 Melrose
1993 Melrose
1994 Melrose
1995 Stirling County
1996 Melrose
1997 Melrose
1998 Watsonians
1999 Heriot's FP
2000 Heriot's FP
2001 Hawick
2002 Hawick
2003 Boroughmuir
2004 Glasgow Hawks
2005 Glasgow Hawks
2006 Glasgow Hawks