Biggar Rugby Club finally set to get appeal over voiding of title win heard

Back in March, the Scottish Rugby Union announced that all domestic leagues in the 2019-20 season – finished early due to coronavirus – would be declared null and void, wiping out Biggar’s Tennent’s National Division 1 title triumph and denying them promotion to the Tennent’s Premiership.

Those two achievements could be salvaged on Thursday, though, if Biggar get two-thirds of a vote on the issue at part two of an extended virtual annual meeting.

Biggar’s case at the meeting will be argued by club secretary Mike Booth and club president James Orr.

Mike told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette: “Our argument hasn’t really changed all along.

“It’s been that it was only fair that Biggar, Dalkeith and any other clubs – Aberdeen Medics and, I think, Allan Glen’s seconds – that had already won their leagues should have that reinstated.

“To take it off us was done in haste.

“The actual consultation process was flawed.

“When the process is done in haste and flawed, then you have to fight it, and that’s what we’re still doing now.

“I do expect to win this Thursday because I think throughout this process we’ve had a lot of sympathy from clubs, and I think that sympathy will now turn into support when they see what we’ve had to be fighting all the way through.”

If Biggar do win their appeal and are promoted to the top flight, their participation won’t start until after spring 2021.

That is due to last week’s announcement that Scottish Rugby will abandon 2020-21 competitive fixtures at all levels of the club and school game due to the national impact of the covid-19 pandemic and resulting public health guidelines and travel restrictions now in place.

Teams had previously seen the season delayed until January 2021, but that timescale has now been put back further to the end of the regular season, spring 2021.

A statement issued by Scottish Rugby read: “With the current public health guidelines in place, full-contact training and friendly matches cannot be resumed, resulting in the vast majority of players being unable to fully and safely prepare for competitive matches in the new year as previously intended.

“Despite the cancellation of the revised competitive league programme, Scottish Rugby aims to facilitate local friendly fixtures in the months ahead at a time when it is safe to do so.”