If I recall correctly the game of rugby football turned professional, after a hastily convened International
Rugby Board Meeting, during the World Cup in South Africa in 1995.
The word was that Australian Media mogul Kerry Packer had just landed in the Republic intent on taking the game professional, forcing difficult, uncomfortable, decisions to be taken.
The group gathered had to decide whether to take control of the game or lose control.
With that as the background, let’s not kid ourselves, the last 25 years have proved to be immensely draining in Scotland as well-meaning men and women have attempted to hold us within the top 10 rugby-playing nations of the world.
But, having tumbled out at the qualifying stages of the most recent World Cup, we now find ourselves slipping into the also-ran category.
Harsh? Surely no-one could argue that we were thoroughly mauled by Ireland first up in Japan, to be then outplayed and fairly beaten by the host nation in the last game of the pool stages.
Collectively, we all need to face facts that, unless we pull together, we risk being cut lose from the leading pack.
A friend contacted me on Sunday night to ask me what
the “Gammell/Murray” report really meant to those who hold the game in Scotland close to their hearts?
I explained it to him as thus.
Imagine trying to run a “plc” entity with all meaningful decisions taken by the shareholders once a year at
the AGM? The business is strangled on a day-to-day basis, resulting in investors becoming wary and weary.
So the clubs have been asked to either endorse the many recommendations made in the Gammell/ Murray report to split the game into two arenas – Professional and Development, and Domestic – or hold onto the status quo.
So, what is the status quo at club level in Scotland?
Almost without exception clubs are short of players, short of volunteers and, in the main, short of cash. There are simply far too many clubs and not nearly enough players to go round.
A Rugby Development Board – with club rugby people, nominated by the clubs based on their appropriate skills and expertise – is a positive step.
The new structure would put the domestic game in the hands of a board whose single-minded focus would be to enhance, develop and encourage club
rugby for men and women, boys and girls.
Yes, it would have to fight
for resources to grow the game but it would have control of its own budget and vision for the club game.
Growing the game and encouraging more young people into rugby is essential. More young players will mean a greater chance of someone becoming a representative player on the national stage. That would be a positive case to make – invest in the grass roots of rugby.
This is an opportunity, even if not everything pleases you, to endorse the Gammell/ Murray proposals. I’m not aware of any alternatives.
If we don’t grasp the opportunity we could face another 25 years of trying to keep Scotland in the top echelons of the global game.
I don’t want to take that chance, nor I’m sure will anybody else who has the good of the Scottish game at heart.
Finlay Calder OBE, won 34 caps for Scotland including the 1990 Grand Slam and captained the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in 1989. He is chairman of Stewart’s Melville Rugby Football Club
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