AYR RUGBY Club are confirmed today as one the six franchises which will form the new Super 6 competition starting in season 2019/20. 

The six available franchises have been awarded by Scottish Rugby to Ayr, Boroughmuir, Heriot’s, Melrose, Stirling County and Watsonian FC. Franchise agreements will be entered into shortly.
Of the 12 applicants for the six franchises, the following bids were unsuccessful: Currie Chieftains, Dundee, Edinburgh Academicals, Gala, Glasgow Hawks and Hawick.
All 12 franchise applicants submitted their bid documents within the 30 March deadline and presented to a Review Panel in April.
This Review Panel, which was independently chaired by Sir Bill Gammell and also included Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of Sportscotland, conducted a rigorous assessment of each application before making a recommendation to the Scottish Rugby Board on which bids should succeed. The recommendation was unanimous and fully supported by the Board.
Sir Bill Gammell, said: “I believe the advent of Super 6 is an exciting, forward-thinking evolution within Scottish rugby. I was impressed by the strength, quality, partnership and collaboration in the 12 bids, demonstrating the real potential for future growth.”

The bids were all assessed across consistent criteria which were: rugby, vision, governance, ground and facilities, partnerships and links, and financial sustainability, with consideration also given to the people behind the bid and its deliverability.
At least one franchise will be based in each of the four regions: Caledonia; Glasgow and the West; the Borders; and Edinburgh and East Lothian. Two additional franchises have also been awarded.
The six successful bids were those considered to be the most robust and which best met the criteria.
Scottish Rugby Chief Executive, Mark Dodson said: “At the outset I’d like to thank everyone associated with the 12 applicants who worked so hard to put forward a fantastic selection of bids. It was a great response and evident that a great deal of time and effort had been put into them.
“Given we had double the number of bids for the places available in Super 6, inevitably some of the applicants would lose out. The Review Panel gave each bidder a full, fair and equal opportunity to make their case.
“The six successful applications will, I believe, enable Super 6 to achieve our ambition to raise the standard of rugby at the top of the club game in Scotland and also create strong, sustainable franchises in their own right.
“The bids from the successful six clubs clearly demonstrated a shared vision for what Super 6 can become and highlighted the ambitions of these clubs to grow. This is the start of our Super 6 journey together and I feel we are well-placed to make it a success.”
Scottish Rugby President, Rob Flockhart said: “This is an important component of our Agenda 3 Initiative aimed at improving the sustainability and quality of the club game in Scotland.
“I congratulate all those who have been awarded a franchise. It has been a very valuable exercise for us and, I hope, for all the clubs involved, even if they did not succeed this time.
"It is immensely encouraging to see so many clubs interested in a Super 6 franchise and in developing the game.”
Scottish Rugby will now form a working party consisting of members of Scottish Rugby and representatives from each franchise.
The aim of this group is to ensure that all aspects of the Super 6 are covered, from rugby operations to commercial matters, in preparation for the start of the Super 6 2019/20 season.
Work will also continue with the six unsuccessful applicants to provide both individual feedback through a series of meetings led by Mark Dodson and the opportunity to comment on the application process and the reaction from their respective partnerships.Statements f

Ayr RFC welcomed the news and said in a statement: “Ayr RFC are excited to have achieved Super 6 status and looking forward to playing in the new set up and, in particular, the cross border competition as Ayr are the only Scottish team to have reached the quarter-finals in the B&I Cup."