Scottish club rugby will move to a 12-team Premiership for next season only as part of the reshuffle following the demise of the Super Series. 

The Club Rugby Board made the decision to have a transitional season which will see four of the Super Series teams compete in the Premiership.

Stirling County, who won the Super Series last season as Stirling Wolves, will compete in National League Division One alongside Boroughmuir.

Ayr and Heriot's had already booked their place in the Premiership and they'll be joined by Watsonians and Melrose as part of the shake up. The league will then return to becoming a 10 team league the following season and the Club Rugby Board (CRB) admit some of the clubs had different views on how they should proceed. 

They say the decision was based on three factors. They are: 

  • To be as fair to as many clubs as possible
  • Least disruption to 10-team National League structures and regional leagues
  • No club to be seriously inconvenienced.

READ MORE: Super Series to be scrapped as new player pathway revealed

Seven options were then put forward with option two being decided on and it will see National 2 and National 3 becomes nine-team leagues. 

As well as the league restructures, there is also set to be a review on the payment of players in the Premiership. The CRB will make a decision on that in the near future. 

Keith Wallace, Scottish Rugby vice president and chair of the CRB, said: “This was always going to be a difficult decision to come to. We have followed a consultative, robust and constructive process.

“I’m pleased we’ve reached a positive outcome, and we now have clarity on a way forward for the coming season, which will allow preparations to begin.”

Director of rugby development Gav Scott added: “We were always mindful there will some disruption for this transition season on clubs somewhere within the league structure however we now have clarity on the way forward.

“We’ve been encouraged by the level of engagement and collaboration from clubs across the country. They have helped to ensure there was a wide range of views informing the CRB to make its decision.”