The Monday Bulletin (17th March): mixed bag for Scotland U18s in Newcastle and Edinburgh head to Melrose 7s

Yesterday at 11:19 AM

by COLIN RENTON

Sevens date for Edinburgh Rugby Academy squad

A team from Edinburgh Rugby Academy will compete at the Howden Melrose Sevens in May. It will be the first appearance of a squad from the Murrayfield outfit since they lifted the title in 2016. The invitation to compete is seen as an opportunity for young players to develop and test themselves against professional outfits who will be sending strong sides to the tournament on May 24th. To buy tickets for the Howden Melrose Sevens, click HERE.

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Mixed bag for Scotland Under-18s in Newcastle

AScotland U18 lost 33-17 to Wales yesterday [Sunday], but there was a last-gasp 40-38 win for a Scotland U18 Development side against Newcastle Falcons in the earlier game at Kingston Park in Newcastle. "We're delighted to have seen more than 45 of our best young Scottish players in action yesterday, and for them to have been involved in two competitive games,” said Ross Miller, head coach of the Scotland Under-18s programme. "Of course, there's things to work on from both games, but we saw a lot of good things from both of our teams. It was a first taste of international rugby for a lot of players today, and they've seen the standard that is required at this level. We'll keep working hard in our camps leading up to the Six Nations Festival [in mid-April] and take our learnings from today as we continue to develop as a group."

Prendergast takes new award

Ireland stand-off Sam Prendergast has been named the inaugural Six Nations Rising Star. The 22-year-old was chosen from a shortlist of three that included Scotland's Sam Prendergast and Mickael Guillard, the French second–row. The accolade is for players who made their first appearance in the tournament this year.

Neath tweet causes controversy

Neath Rugby Club posted a tweet that sparked outrage among many of its female members. A promotional message for the West Wales derby between Neath and Llangennech stated that the game would not be for the faint-hearted, half-committed or for girls. Club owner, Matty Young, responded to the angry outpourings by deleting the original message and claiming that his controversial post had aimed to provoke debate. He then issued a further tweet saying that he had wanted to highlight “the casual misogyny that still exists in parts of rugby”. He has agreed to delay further tweets until he is sure the tone is correct.

All Blacks suing for sponsorship money

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has had a busy time recently. The owner of assets including the chemical company, Ineos, Manchester United and the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team has announced plans for a new football stadium in Manchester. That was viewed as good news in some quarters. However, he has been accused of diverting money that could have helped to rescue the Ineos Grangemouth site which is closing down, He has also been criticised by New Zealand Rugby for failing to honour a sponsorship deal said to be worth NZ$21 million (£9.3 million approx). The Kiwi governing body is taking legal action after Ineos failed to pay the first instalment for 2025. The company's advertising will now be removed from All Black kit.

Fans will pay to see Lions squad announcement

Supporters hoping to attend the squad announcement for the British and Irish Lions summer tour are being asked to pay for the privilege. The event will take place in London's indigo at the O2 on 8th May. More than 500 tickets will be allocated free, with the recipients decided by a ballot. The remainder of the 2,700 places will go on sale, with priority given to Lions Rugby Club members and prices believed to be starting at £40.

Falcons face Sharks in northern 'derby'

The marketing team at Newcastle Falcons deserves credit for a promotional campaign that seems to be stretching a geographical point. The visit of Sale Sharks to Kingston Park is being dubbed a derby. While the clash between the Gallagher Premiership's two most northerly sides promises excellent entertainment and should be a hard-fought contest, the distance of around 150 miles between Manchester and Newcastle surely means that the 'derby' tag is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Stadium ban for beer-flinger

A supporter at Perpignan, soon to be the home of Jamie Ritchie, has been banned from attending matches for the rest of the season. The fan threw a beer at the referee following a match against Clermont Auvergne in May 2024. Perpignan made a formal complaint against the individual and a local court ruled that he should serve a six-month suspension. However, given that much of that period will cover the off-season, he will be able to return to the Stade Aime-Giral in September so shouldn't miss too much action.

World Cup hopes still alive

Belgium's hopes of competing at the World Cup remain alive after a 31-10 win over Netherlands in the fifth-place play-off at the Rugby Europe Championship. The result means the Belgians will compete at the qualification tournament in November. The four automatic places had already been secured by Romania, Portugal Spain and Georgia, who won the title for an eighth successive year. The Georgians were given a tough test by Spain, eventually winning 46-28 after holding a one-point lead at half time. Meanwhile, tournament newcomers Switzerland sparked wild celebrations when they snatched a dramatic last minute win over Germany in a match that had a strong Scottish connection, with Harry Stevens featuring at full-back for the victors, while brothers Cameron and Mike McDonald were in the German side, together with Watsonians second-row, Luis Ball:

🇨🇭🇨🇭🇨🇭WHAT HAVE WE JUST SEEN🇨🇭🇨🇭🇨🇭

Clock in the red.. and Switzerland get their first ever Rugby Europe Championship win.

Jules Porcher, take a bow! 👏 pic.twitter.com/hI4aXVwGUP

— Rugby Europe (@rugby_europe) March 15, 2025

6N debrief: disappointed and frustrated but Gregor Townsend still sees progress

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