Biggar Rugby Club at last find out date for decision on appeal to SRU

Last season’s Tennent’s National Division 1 champions were devastated this spring when the domestic leagues – uncompleted due to coronavirus – were declared null and void by the SRU, thus ruling out the Hartreemill men’s place in Scotland’s top flight.

But, after a long period of uncertainty, it has been announced that an online SRU special general meeting – giving clubs the chance to vote for Biggar’s promotion to an expanded 11-team Premiership – has been pencilled in for Thursday, November 26, directly after the governing body’s AGM2.

Biggar RFC secretary Mike Booth and club president James Orr will follow proceedings remotely and vote for Biggar’s promotion, with this poll being triggered if at least a third (just over 100 people) from Scottish clubs support the motion.

Assuming this happens, Biggar then need a majority of the 300-plus club members and regional representatives tuned in to win their appeal.

Mike told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette: “It’s a relief that this SGM has been triggered. Now we’ve just got to make our plea and hope for the best.

“I think a couple of minutes would give the president and me enough time to say everything we need to say.

“We are not asking the SRU to reverse the null and void.

“If that was the case, we would need a two-thirds majority to win.

“We just asked the SRU to promote the clubs that had already won their promotion, including going up to 11 teams in the Premiership, which would remain for one full season from August 2021.”