The Scottish Reserve League is the largest of the three organisations operating 2nd XV Leagues in Scotland. Originally all 2nd XV rugby union league matches were played under the auspices of the Scottish 2nd XV League, however in recent years a number of breakaways have occurred - clubs in the Scottish Borders forming their own Borders Championship, and clubs in Edinburgh and the Lothians the Edinburgh & Lothian 2nd XV League (although confusingly, some clubs have their 2nd XVs in the Scottish and their 3rd XVs in this breakaway body). A Caledonia 2nd XV League was established for 2005-2006 but abandoned without a game played, although a competition for clubs in the very north of Scotland - the Brin Cup - did go ahead. Moves are afoot to reunite the 2nd XV league system.
After a short lived "experiment" of a pod system to reduce travel, the leagues reverted to a straight pyramid system for Season 2012–13. The Caledonia District teams were all entered into the main league system to provide more regular opposition, leaving the regional reserve league with only two districts.
The league was formerly called the Inter-City 2nd XV League, then Scottish 2nd XV league prior to adopting its current title.
The East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) is a senior football league based in the east and south-east of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–9 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league system, known as the Scottish League Championship, and the Scottish National teams. The SRU is headed by the President and Chairman, with Mark Dodson acting as the Chief Executive Officer. Dee Bradbury became the first female president of a Tier 1 rugby nation upon her appointment on 4 August 2018.
Stewart's Melville RFC is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh, Scotland. They team competes in Scottish National League Division One, the second tier of Scottish club rugby. Home matches are played at Inverleith; this was the venue for Scotland's home games between 1899 and 1925, during which time the first matches against France and New Zealand were played.
The Border League, is the oldest established rugby union league in the World, having been formed in 1901. Currently known as the Booker Border League, after its sponsors, teams from all over the Scottish Borders as well as Berwick RFC from Northumberland compete every year from the competition.
Rugby union in Scotland is a popular team sport. Scotland's national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. The first ever international rugby match was played on 27 March 1871, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, when Scotland defeated England in front of 4,000 people. Professional clubs compete in the United Rugby Championship, European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, while the Scottish League Championship exists for over 200 amateur and semi-professional clubs, as does a knock-out competition, the Scottish Cup. The governing body, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), is one of the ten first-tier member nations of World Rugby.
The Scottish League Championship is the domestic rugby union league system within Scotland. Operated by the Scottish Rugby Union, the championship was founded in 1973 as the first formalised national league system within any home nations country.
Kilmarnock Rugby Football Club is a Scottish rugby union club which was founded in 1868, and is based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire in west central Scotland. They play in West Division One. Often simply referred to as "Killie", their ground is at Bellsland in Kilmarnock, and they were formerly based at Rugby Park.
Dalziel Rugby Football Club, formerly known as Dalziel High School Former Pupils Rugby Club, currently has a playing and social membership hailing from Motherwell, Wishaw, Bellshill and other parts of Lanarkshire, Scotland. Historically the club was closely associated with Dalziel High School in Motherwell from which it takes its name. A number of current players are former pupils of Dalziel High School. However, during the 1990s it was felt that the club should drop the "former pupil" tag and be known, in what was felt to be a more inclusive manner, as Dalziel RFC.
The Caledonia Regional League is one of three Regional Leagues operated by the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), which play at a level below that of the National League structure.
Domestic club rugby union within Scotland remains a predominantly amateur sport; however, semi-professional and professional outfits have been created in recent decades to participate in cross-border competitions.
The Scottish Regional Leagues are the lowest levels of the Scottish rugby union system. They consist of three regions:
The Grampian Alliance League was a small rugby union competition participated in by clubs in the Grampian region. Together with the Highland Alliance League, it was one of the few remaining leagues not part of the Scottish rugby union system, and therefore neither it nor its clubs were part of the Scottish League Championship structure.
University rugby union in Scotland is predominantly organised through BUCS, the British Universities Sports Association. Unlike in England and Wales, where a pyramid system of 4 regions and a Premier above exists, the Scottish system is separate. However, Scottish universities do receive places in the end of season knock-out tournaments which decide overall British champions. However, due to the small size of the divisions, some Scottish universities organise teams to play in regional or national leagues as part of the general Scottish league system for clubs, the Scottish League Championship. In addition, some universities organise University Saturday Leagues for their 2nd XV, or they organise informal friendly matches. The following universities have teams playing elsewhere in Scottish Rugby:
There are three organisations operating 2nd XV Leagues in Scotland. These are :
The University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club is an affiliated member of the University of St Andrews Athletic Union in Fife, Scotland. The club runs four men's and two women's teams, which play in the university leagues.
Highland Rugby Football Club is a rugby union amateur club from the city of Inverness that compete in the Scottish National League Division One. They have a number of teams taken from different age groups including micros and minis, S1 and S2, Under-15, Under-16, Under-18 and senior first and second teams. They play their rugby at Canal park in Inverness.
The Scottish Rugby Academy, for sponsorship reasons the Fosroc Scottish Rugby Academy, is a national academy structure designed to give Scotland's young rugby stars a pathway into the professional game.
The 2014–15 East of Scotland Football League was the 86th season of the East of Scotland Football League, and the 1st season as the sixth tier of the Scottish football pyramid system. The season began on 9 August 2014 and ended on 16 May 2015. Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale were the defending champions.
The Edinburgh Lions are a basketball club based in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Heriot-Watt University RFC is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club operates a men's team and a women's team. Both currently play in the university leagues.
Scotland