Biggar and Dalkeith rugby clubs – who were the only sides in the country to have already guaranteed promotion when the domestic season was halted early due to Covid-19 in March – will make their case for a dispensation in the decision to declare the 2019-20 season ‘null and void’ to a Special General Meeting of the Scottish Rugby Union next Thursday.

Biggar had already claimed the National One title, and thereby promotion to the top-flight Premiership, when the season went into lockdown. Similarly, Dalkeith were an unassailable 17 points clear at the top of the East League Three table. But the decision by Murrayfield to ‘null and void’ the season explicitly ruled out any sort of promotion or relegation.

The SGM has been called with the support of 30 member clubs to discuss and vote on the following motion: “To promote those teams who had, without doubt, won promotion for 2020-21 season, reverting back to SRU’s intended structure following a full season of play. This need not alter the decision to ‘null and void’, only seek to rightfully reward successes already gained. We specifically do not seek to relegate any team that does not wish to be relegated.” A turnout of a third of the total members or representatives eligible to attend is required to make the meeting quorate, and the motion requires a two-thirds majority of those in attendance to be carried.

“From the outside looking in, this might all seem a bit boring, but the situation we are facing as a club has, over the months, invoked both outrage and depression, and several emotions in between,” said Biggar secretary Mike Booth. “We have kept reminding ourselves that we won that promotion fair and square, we had been presented with the trophy by the SRU’s own representative, and had begun planning our future in the Premiership – we owe it to the players and our membership to fight for what we have rightfully earned.

“Whilst it appeared to turn into a battle with the SRU and the processes that have taken it over, we have to remember it’s about those lads and lassies who make up Biggar and Dalkeith Rugby Clubs,” he added. “It’s about rewarding their dedication in turning out on cold and dark Tuesday nights to train in the snow and the mud. It’s about the minis, midis, girls, boys, colts, ladies and 2nd XVs that all look up to the success our 1st XV has achieved and see what that dedication can bring. “How sad it is that this couldn’t have been dealt with without the need for this battle, but we had to fight this decision with all the tools at our disposal and we know that had this happened to any other club then they would quite rightly be doing the same.”