Would love a third side. But the issue, as always is:
Is there enough support in the North, wherever a Caledonian would be based.
or
Would the people of the Borders turn up and Support a Reivers side REGARDLESS of where they play?
If the answer for both of these questions is no, we simply can't have another side, regardless of the financial cost of starting a team.
Still, I don't mind the idea. If we had a development side as well, Edinburgh's recruitment wouldn't be. such an issue. Hell, I'd be happy for them to chase guys like McKibbon and Lachie Mitchell as well.
I think at this point the SRU just need to bite the bullet and set up another 1 or 2 sides. They need to take a long term view and the simple fact is long term having a maximum of 2 players starting in each position every week is not going to produce a strong Scotland team.
Setting up new teams is very difficult and I don't believe they should be judged until at least 15-20 years. Munster didn't become the best supported club side in the world over night.
It was through successive generations giving their all to the cause that they slowly built the support and became an integral part of the community. It's something that's built up over a very long time to the point where the lines between the club and the community become blurred and there's a feeling that one wouldn't exist without the other.
That's not something that short term plans can achieve. 3-5 years is nothing in the history of a community. Players who settle in the area would still be considered the new people. I would set up the teams in the knowledge that for a long time there will be small crowds and poor results. But I'd put a focus on ensuring that there was a core of local players in the squads who were likely to stay in the area once they've retired to help build those bonds.
I'd also talk to people connected with clubs like Munster, Biaritz & Leicester as they're the ones who've got it right in terms of the club belonging to the community. Then I'd look at what the likes of Leinster are doing to emulate that in a modern environment.
What I wouldn't do is follow the Sarries model. I get a feeling that once the money and the success go all that will be left is a soulless husk of a club that will quickly fall apart.
But hey I'm passionate about rugby and I want to see it thrive in all areas and maybe sometimes I gloss over the practicalities. But for me a sustained concerted effort would seem to be a better plan than sporadic short-term costly plans where so much money is wasted on things like consultancy fees, rebranding etc.
