This is absolutely ludicrous that young underused pro players who train full time on SRU payroll cannot get game time in Scotland.
To compound this nonsense the SRU recently asked Premier 1 clubs to give game time to a New Zealand pro who was over in Scotland and he has been turning out for a Scottish club in league matches whilst the likes of Stuart and Eric Milligan are denied the same opportunity -you could not write the script
I bet Aberdeen GSFP would have been delighted to give Stuart as much game time as he wanted and to say that would not be in a highly competitive situation just ponder on Aberdeens upcoming match at Hawick

Totally agree, Hugh. Policy on keeping our best young players actually playing in Scotland is farcical, I'm pretty sure that this summer there will be a raft of young talent either heading South for English Div 1 teams or becoming so disillusioned that they give up altogether, knowing that signing a pro contract up here means hours spent in the gym and on the training field, but definitely not doing what improves any rugby player most - PLAYING!
Even the English are starting to realise that it's not all about what you can bench press (Austin Healey's comments this weekend) it's about what your skill levels are like and how much 'game sense' you have.

Fully agree with both comments.

Young Scottish players putting in the sweat and the graft, knocking their pan in during the week to sit twiddling thumbs every weekend when game time comes around.

Moneys definately short in the game but Instead of literally setting fire to thousands of pounds with the Australia fireworks display at Murrayfield last weekend how about putting that money to the back up players of the Scottish pro teams to travel to play meaningful, competitive games against the back up squads in Wales or Ireland.

I know of three young club players this season who were asked to join up with the SRU on apprentice contracts. They have decided to stay with their clubs as they are playing regular, competitive rugby.

These three players are capable and able of going into the pro ranks but are seriously disillusioned with the way they see the SRU treat their friends & former club colleagues who have accepted apprentice contracts.

They want to play rugby, not sit around dreaming of action come the weekend.

It is SEAN LINEEN that blocked pro's playing club rugby. Edinburgh and the Borders wanted but glasgow said no as they could get better rugby in back up fixtures!! all three of them. one evry two months well done sean!

Naaa you have to explain that one mate. I'm not with you on it.

When did Sean Lineen block the fringe pros from playing club rugby? When did Edinburgh & the Borders say they wanted the scheme and when did Glasgow or Lineen say no to it?

I'm sure I read an online newspaper article saying Edinburgh and Borders were happy to release players to clubs but Glasgow weren't. I'll try to find it again.

I think I can confirm that that was the reported case - Glasgow put objections forward to this scheme, which at least allows players to get a regular game. Maybe it was because they were unable to deal with all the 'protocol' that surrounded it!
Also I seem to remember a thread on this website a few weeks ago where somebody said they couldn't think of many young Scottish players who had been lost to our clubs and pro teams through the influx of overseas players at both levels. This case just enhances the fact that this it is indeed the case - anyone who follows Age Grade rugby would be able to confirm THAT fact.

Is it really an influx of foreign players that meant Stuart Corsar had to leave Scotland to get some game time? Surely it's daft rules that mean he can't play for the Aberdeen team he turned out for last season?

spot on Gordon however if pro teams have their way and have full blown academy teams with full fixture lists then clubs at Prem 1 level might as well not be there--this is a debate that has gone on for years and I mean years--the pro players should go back to clubs as sru cannot afford academy sides and if governing body if they had been prepared to have a proper relationship with clubs -a two way street Prem 1 would serve as the "academy"--whats also forgotten is that the clubs are the Union they are the shareholders and the own the assets except the current SRU hierarchy seemed to have forgotten that othrwise their CEO would not have spoken to his shareholders the way McKie did recently re international tickets.