BT's Support Is Good News

WE couldn't accuse the SRU of not putting maximum effort into yesterday's anouncement that, for the next five years at least, the home of Scottish rugby will be the BT Murrayfield Stadium, rather, as has been the case for the past 89 years, just plain old Murrayfield.

Aye right. Being distinctly old school, I will continue to follow the guide lines laid down by that leg end of Scottish sports writing, Ian "Dan" Archer. Dan, who bestrode the Scottish sports-writing scene as befitted a man who was, at the same time, an Old Rugbeian and a Partick Thistle supporter, swithered long and hard about how to recognise sponsorship,without getting carried away. He decided, sponsors would get a nod in the first two paragraphs, thereafter - forget it.

So, the company which is my internet service provider, having been recognised in the opening paragraph above, back to normal. At Murrayfield yesterday, there was good news from the financial injection which the BT deal has brought to the game. As ever, no sum was mentioned, but, nobody was prepared to dissuade we hacks from speculating the deal was worth around £5 million per annum to the SRU.

This has to be welcomed, as is the fact, it will not immediately disappear into the seemingly bottomless pit of the professional side of the game, but will be used for the general good of the game up here - of which, more later.

It was a bit disappointing that new coach Vern Cotter wasn't there to speak to the press, and, with the first tranche of the summer touring parties leaving tomorrow - Friday, for the USA, and Glasgow having a somewhat important match in Dublin on Saturday, we might not get a chance to interrogate Vern Cotter until after the summer tours.

I did get a chance to speak to Peter Oliver, the Honcho of BT Sport, who assured me Scottish rugby would get a mention on their excellent midweek Rugby Tonight programme, which, at present, is a homage to how wonderful English rugby is.

Mr Oliver said they hoped to bring the programme to Murrayfield in the new season, and did hint at better coverage of the PRO12, particularly when their teams play in the new European Cup next season. Let's hope his deeds match his words.