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January 30, 2005

SRU must step up franchise quest

Posted by Editor on January 30, 2005 06:00 PM | 2 comments | Print | E-mail author
Scotland's pro teams - Glasgow, Edinburgh and Borders - survived a bid to axe them in favour of diverting extra cash to traditional amateur clubs.

But Sporting Life reports that, at a special general meeting at Murrayfield today, the SRU were urged to step up their quest to persuade businessmen to snap them up as franchise outfits.

Director of rugby Ian McGeechan stated: "We need to have a proper structure behind pro teams. No union in the world doesn't support pro teams.

"There should be more direct accountability and less central control and the Scottish teams should be self-sustaining."

Interim chairman Fred McLeod added: "It would be naive to think that by June the pro teams could be franchised."

He added that the consequences of pulling one of the three teams out of the European tournaments and Celtic League would be serious.

He stressed: "We would lose cash from the ERC, the league and through TV, not to mention a huge redundancy bill."

The bitter power battle took yet another twist when the men who forced the Scottish Rugby Union's top two officials to quit were effectively kicked out.

Delegates at the SRU's emergency general meeting at Murrayfield backed a plan to completely revamp the way the trouble-torn sport is ruled north of the border.

It means the all-amateur regionally-elected committee, who ousted chairman David MacKay and chief executive Phil Anderton just two weeks ago, are now on borrowed time.

The blueprint, which was overwhelmingly given the go-ahead during the marathon summit, will also result in scrapping of the current executive board.

There will be a Scottish Rugby Board instead, accountable to the clubs via a new council made up of representatives from the Premiership, National League divisions and other sections of the game.

The proposal was drawn up by Heriot's and backed by 16 other leading clubs, including last season's double champions Glasgow Hawks.

But demands for the league season to by rejigged to feature more summer rugby and a mid-winter shutdown were booted out.

And in future, teams cannot be forced to play competitive matches on Sundays if they do not want to.

You can read the article here

More info on the SRU site

Comments
Posted by Jimmy on January 30, 2005 07:53 PM | Reply to this comment

"Teams cannot be forced to play competitive matches on Sundays if they do not want to."

So that's all of Scottish Rugby's problems out in the open and sorted then?

Anyone else have thoughts of a chimps tea party this afternoon?

Posted by hugh on January 31, 2005 03:14 PM | Reply to this comment

It is time for the OFT to become involved again--clubs must be allowed their head in Europe how can you have one owner operating three teams in European competition imagine what would happen if the Chelsea and Arsenal had the same owner

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