Eddie McAvinchey of the SARFL reports that the Scottish league are looking to raise their profile with another preseason cup, hoping to have up to 8 teams attend.
The Scottish Australian Rules Football League has announced plans to stage its second annual Scottish Pre-Season Cup in 2006. The competition, due to be held in Glasgow, will be played on 18 March. April 2005 saw the Glasgow Sharks, Edinburgh Bloods and Sussex Swans fight out a 3-way Haggis Cup in Edinburgh, with the Bloods coming on as victors. The success of that tournament has led the SARFL to raise their game and widen the number of entrants to a maximum of 8 next year.
The format of the day will be based around 2 pools of 4 teams. Each team will be guaranteed a minimum of at least 3 games, and as many as 6 if they make the final. The competition is expected to be 12-a-side, to allow maximum flexibility for teams still in midst of their pre-season preparations. In a bid to concentrate on the development of the game in the UK, each side must field a minimum of 4 British or non-Australian players at any one time.
Entry will be open to sides from any league, but expressions of interest are already understood to have been received from a number of BARFL and ARFLI sides. Any sides wishing to enter the competition sould contact the SARFL directly at sarfl@hotmail.com. Further details will appear shortly on the Glasgow Sharks' website.