No Shitting In The Woods From The Bear, As He Delivers Some Home Truths

YESTERDAY'S blog post about the cost of S6, elicited some very interesting posts, which I feel demand further examination.

The first one I want to touch on was a comment on my Facebook page from a definite hero of Scottish rugby: Iain “The Bear” Milne, of course a past president as well as a marvellous player for one of the six franchise winners, Heriot's.

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The Bear had this to say:

“Firstly I’d like to make it clear that my opinions are my own and nothing to do with my club Heriot’s.

It has always been my belief that Scotland needed another tier of rugby between the Premiership and the 2 Pro clubs. My preference has always been for an Edinburgh and Glasgow A teams then possibly Districts. The Premiership clubs did not want these options and tasked the SRU to come up with a solution, this they have done. ( remember the clubs rejected an 8 team league).

The long term benefit of the Super 6 will be the development of more young Academy players fit to play professional rugby, never mind the development of more back room staff.

As professional players salaries continue to spiral it is important that we keep developing young players to play the pro game, the savings will far outstrip any cost of financing the Super 6.

The thorny issue of where the Super 6 teams play is not easy. However the Super 6 clubs have to appreciate they are in a privileged situation and have to work with the other clubs for the betterment of Scottish Rugby. They should not be allowed to proceed beyond the 2nd tier of club rugby for at least 3 years.

My main concern is the dying off of the male adult game. Despite all the money and resources being put in to youth rugby actual playing numbers in the male adult game continue to decline.

Clubs have to work together, start trusting each other and think of the big picture and produce a product that young men want. Less travel, shorter season, fun and and a game that gives them its traditional values of trust, respect, friendship and a game for ALL.

As I’ve said for over 20 years we do not have enough bad players playing the game.
Let’s put self interest behind us, now is a great opportunity to make our game great once more.

Cheers to all true rugby people. “

It is difficult to argue with the big man's reading of things. He makes an interesting point, one which has perhaps been forgotten in all the fire and fury of the S6 debate – Murrayfield seized the initiative in forcing through S6, because, as Iain points out: “The Premiership clubs did not want these options and tasked the SRU to come up with a solution, this they have done. ( remember the clubs rejected an 8 team league).”

I agree with Ian, option one: Edinburgh and Glasgow A teams, or option two: Districts are both infinitely-better options than the divisive S6 template. And, as Iain says, the Premiership clubs rejected an eight-club league, again, in my view, a better set-up than either the existing ten-club situation, or the six-club one we will have next season.

However, the real meat on the bones of The Bear's comments come towards the end, when he says:

“My main concern is the dying off of the male adult game. Despite all the money and resources being put in to youth rugby actual playing numbers in the male adult game continue to decline.”

This is serious, very serious, because, if there isn't a domestic game, if ordinary guys who will never get close to wearing the thistle don't keep playing – there will be nobody interested enough in rugby to want to go and watch Edinburgh, Glasgow or the Scotland team.

Iain is correct when he says:

“As I’ve said for over 20 years we do not have enough bad players playing the game.”

The professionals, the national squad, the professionals with Edinburgh and Glasgow, the semi-professionals with the current Premiership clubs and next season's franchises – they get their strips and boots supplied; they train in club track-suits, which are supplied.

They don't buy their own kit, they don't buy the club ties, sweaters and polo shirts. They are relatively fit, they are not the backbone of the bar takings, they don't buy the pies after the game – it's the ordinary club members who keep that major part of the Scottish rugby economy going.

Where many, long-established clubs, 50-years go were running six teams, and even 20-years ago were running four teams, today, they are running two teams, if they are lucky three. Even at regional level, today it is all about “performance”.

Very few people today are playing “Coarse Rugby.” There should have been a preservation order on that form of the game – if not invented, then certainly championed by my old Sunday Times sub-editing mate Michael Green. We badly need, as Iain Milne has realised, to bring back Coarse Rugby, if mainstream rugby is to have a future.

But, the grass-roots do not concern the “suits” at Murrayfield. They are only concerned about the bottom line – form the professional and performance arm of the game. Of course, far-too-many of the “suits” don't have a clue about Scottish rugby.

And, maybe we, the ordinary club-men and women are to blame, because, from where I am sitting, while we have a few good men still in-situ, it seems as if, of late, we have elected too-many “wankers”, to use the Chewin' the Fat description, to high office.

For instance, one current Board/Council member has not called a meeting of the clubs he represents for over a year – other than the vice-residential hustings, which were called at a time and place guaranteed to be as inconvenient as possible for them. Yet, the said senior member of the “Blazeratti” (elected officials are blazeratti – the paid executive guys are “suits”) is always front and centre in the posh seats at PRO14 games.

These sort of guys are not interested in the people who put them there – once they have a place to put their snouts in the trough.

Already, even before the new league season has kicked-off we have seen Bowl and Shield games forfeited – because clubs cannot raise teams, with a particular problem in finding front rowers.

Every season, we see more and more lower league or 2^nd XV league games called-off, but, so-long as the money is coming in to fund the professional game, the “suits” and some of the “blazeratti” are unconcerned.

You have a problem Murrayfield – when are you going to do something about it.