Scottish Rugby Announces Changes to Men’s Regional and Reserve Leagues for 2023/24 Season

Scottish Rugby has announced changes to its men’s Regional and Reserve League structures for the 2023/24 season. The decision was prompted by the fluctuation in player engagement in the adult male game following the Covid-19 pandemic. The Competitions team set out a series of recommendations to the structures, which were endorsed by the Club Rugby Board (CRB).

At the top end of the game, five structures will operate next year including the Premiership and four National Divisions, each comprising of 10 playing teams. The first of the Regional League changes can be seen in Caledonia League Division 1. This competition will now comprise of 16 teams from the Caledonia Midlands and Caledonia North region and will incorporate two conferences of eight teams. The conferences will see teams play on a home and away basis.

New for the 2023/24 season is the creation of a Regional Development Leagues, centred on participation. This structure has been created in response to challenges relating to fluctuating player numbers for additional teams across the region. The Development League will see a minimum of one game per month in each region scheduled between identified teams.

There are no structural changes to the Regional Leagues across the East or West, with the exception of the Reserve Leagues. The most significant change to the Reserve Leagues is the creation of an Inter-City Division. This competition will now sit at the top of the Reserve League structure, whereby teams in the Regional Reserve Division 1 Leagues will vie for promotion into the Inter-City Division.

A new Borders Reserve League has been created in response to a desire from clubs based in the south of Scotland to play locally. Seven teams from the Borders will play on a home and away basis. There will be no promotion or relegation in this competition. The Competition Rules for the Leagues will be updated to reflect the new formats and structures and announced later in the Spring.

Scottish Rugby’s Head of Competitions and Compliance, Vicky Cox, said “We have taken the time to gather feedback and listen to those at the heart of the men’s game and we hope that the new structures outlined will also create enhanced playing environments and opportunities to engage in our sport at all levels of the game.”

Scottish Rugby Vice-President and Chair of the Club Rugby Board (CRB), Keith Wallace added “I’d like to share my thanks on behalf of the CRB for the engagement of our community rugby stakeholders in the consultation period, and to the Competitions team and Competition committees who have all worked together to review the current structures and revamp them in line with the feedback provided.”