MARTIN Waite will seek to release his frustrations in a positive manner tonight by helping Glasgow Caledonians to a crucial Celtic League victory over Neath at Hughenden.

Understandably, Waite was not exactly dancing a jig of delight when his employers signed up another back-row man from South Africa last week, but he has pledged to respond to the extra competition from Roland Reid by stepping up the level of his own performances in the weeks and months to come.

''It was a bit mysterious that they took on another back-row when you consider who is actually on the injury list just now,'' declared Waite.

''The explanation was that they need a squad of 30 for the European Cup. Rowen Shepherd and Craig Chalmers, who are both backs, are out of the running, yet, they brought in another back-row player.

''I found it a bit strange - but it makes me all the more determined to state my case on the pitch. It is not the first time it has happened and it won't be the last time Antipodeans or pseudo-Scots come over.''

Waite has been absent from the Reds line-up for two months with a niggling knee injury sustained during the World Cup warm-up tussle with Scotland at Hughenden.

He proved his fitness, however, by coming through two World Cup sideshow ''Legends'' matches for the British Select against New Zealand.

''We were thrashed in both games, but I gained a lot from the experience,'' he insisted. ''What I needed more than anything was two hard workouts - and I was certainly given that by playing against a team packed with former All Blacks, Super 12 men, and young guys being groomed as future All Blacks.

''The results bore out the fact that they were a very good team and we were a side flung together at the last moment. But the most important thing for me was that I came through 160 minutes without any injury problems.'' Team:

Glasgow Caledonian Reds - G Metcalfe; A Bulloch, J Stuart, I Jardine, S Longstaff; T Hayes, A Nicol; A Watt, G Bulloch, G McIlwham, S Campbell, J White, M Waite, G Simpson, D McFadyen. Replacements - I McInroy, B Irving, F Stott, R Reid, D Burns, D Hilton, G Scott.

q Scotland's club representatives have approved the change in bye-laws and articles that will allow implementation of the sweeping changes to the goveranance of the game as recommended by the Lord Mackay Review panel and accepted by the Scottish Rugby Union SGM in September.

However, last night the same body rejected by 88-57 a proposal for a 12-team league format for next season put forward by Boroughmuir and Stirling County at the special meeting of the Scottish Rugby Union at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh.

Boroughmuir secretary George Clarke, who proposed the motion for 12-team leagues next season said: ''Scottish club rugby cannot survive on a diet of only nine home games.

''The future of club rugby is seriously threatened by a diminishing support,'' stated Clarke, who argued that club supporters have been deterred from watching their club play because of the paucity of home matches. ''Our last home game was October 23. Our next home game is December 4.

''Supporters have not drifted away from club rugby to watch the Superdistricts. The size of crowds at Murrayfield during the World Cup was the final verdict on that.

''We must have league rugby week in week out'' exhorted Clarke, who questioned the idea of not playing league matches on international weekends.

''How many players actually go to international matches nowadays.''