The debate between club and school rugby in Scotland is beginning to resemble football’s long-running “club versus country” dispute — but at a youth level, and with far fewer resources at stake.

While rugby’s professional calendar is carefully managed to avoid clashes, the amateur landscape tells a very different story.

Dual Commitments Work — Until Age 14

Before the age of 14, the system functions smoothly. Young players can turn out for their school on a Saturday and their club on a Sunday, giving them more rugby and more development time without fixture conflicts.

But at U15, the structure changes dramatically.

Club competitions become formal leagues, and SRU regulations prevent players from taking part in two competitive matches on the same weekend. What had been a flexible setup quickly becomes a direct battle for player availability.

Clubs Feeling the Strain

Clubs often lose out. Many of the most promising players come from schools with well-established rugby programmes — regular coaching, strong facilities, and weekly fixtures. Clubs, by contrast, rely heavily on volunteers and generally offer fewer training hours.

West of Scotland’s U15 side found this out the hard way. After boasting a strong and well-balanced U14 group, the club saw numbers fall significantly the following season as school commitments took priority.

But Schools Are Under Pressure Too

It’s not just clubs that are feeling the squeeze. Even schools with proud rugby traditions now struggle to field more than one team each weekend. Second XV fixtures are increasingly cancelled because opposition schools cannot raise full squads.

The result? Fewer meaningful matches and more young players limited to training-only weeks — a situation that benefits no one.

This leaves both club and school coaches with difficult decisions: select the players who regularly attend club training, or choose the stronger school-aligned athletes who may be unavailable under SRU restrictions?

Is a Combined Pathway Realistic?

Some have suggested an integrated school-club pathway. But that idea immediately hits familiar obstacles:

• Schools traditionally play on Saturdays
• Clubs traditionally play on Sundays

Neither side is keen to abandon its established slot, and many dual-pathway programmes already rely on this two-day structure.

The Open Competition: A Trial with Limits

In 2025, the SRU introduced the Open Competition, designed to bring top school and club teams together at U16 and U18 levels. It stemmed from the recommendations of the U18 Pathway Review and aimed to provide high-quality fixtures across both sectors.

But uptake was small. Only five schools and three clubs entered, with many major rugby schools opting out entirely. From the outset, it was clear the competition was too narrow to fix wider participation and scheduling challenges.

The Road Ahead

The core issue remains unchanged:

Young players need more rugby — not more barriers.

To achieve that, the SRU will need a more inclusive and sustainable approach. The current format of the Open Competition is not enough. Its selective nature fails to address the structural divide affecting most youth players across Scotland.

Resolving the club-school conflict will be essential for developing the next generation of Scottish talent. Whether through calendar reform, shared governance, or more flexible development pathways, the goal is straightforward:

More games, better development, and greater opportunities for every young player in Scottish rugby.