Jaysus Mick, Drag That Useless Manc Out Of That Feckin' JCB

WHEN, I wonder, will one, or several of the BT Murrayfield minions grow a pair, enter the inner sanctum and tell TCD: “Look Mark – FFS STOP DIGGING.”

TCD, hard at work for the god of Scottish Rugby

Because, after reading David Barnes' latest scoop on The Offside Line this morning, it is clear – somebody has to drag our esteemed Chief Executive away from the controls of his personal JCB, before he fatally undermines the good name of the Scottish Rugby Union.

Fold in the backactor, lift the outriggers, spin the seat around, lift the front bucket and drive the JCB away TCD, it's time to stop digging.

WITH the “Forgotten Four” Premiership clubs and the 12 National League clubs in open revolt – and the National League 2 and 3 clubs similarly unimpressed by how BTM is handling Super-6 and Agenda-3, the last thing TCD needed was for big Jonny Petrie to hand-in his notice this week.

Jonny Petrie - joining the exodus to Belfast

Big JP is off to Belfast, to join Ulster – who have already nicked Dan McFarland from off the SRU payroll. What's the attraction of Belfast? Are the DUP directing some of that massive bribe they got from the Conservative government to Kingspan Stadium?

The timing is suspect too. We have – wee John McLellan's dummy-spitting at the douce Edinburgh coonsillors not getting a peak at the “Legoland” plans before their officials passed them aside – the prospect of Edinburgh finally having their own home. You might think the club CEO who drove this through would want to hang around to see the project through.

Of course, those of us used to watching Murrayfield machinations ken fine who will be front and centre, resplendent in high vis jacket and hard hat when the project starts – it will be oor ain Dirty Dom, the king of the photo-call.

AS IF the ramifications of the SRU's fuck-up of getting S6A3 up an running were not bad enough, they still have to cut the Gordian Knot of where to put the S6 “club” XVs.

I began with this problem, so, I will end today's post with it, by printing a copy of a letter which Lorne Boswell, the Stirling County president sent out last week.

This reads:

I am contacting you about Super6. As you may know, I am now the President at Stirling and, as such, am heavily involved in the Super6.

There is a lot of mist and wind being spoken in the rugby community just now. A lot of it is ill informed but until things are signed off by the powers that be rumours will be rife.

I know there is a proposal to put the S6 club teams into a reserve league. In an email I shared with the other S6 teams a couple of months ago, I described this as the 'nuclear option' and one that would bring about an irreversible split in the club game. The S6 are opposed to this because of the following:

1 Every player of any ambition would move to a S6 club in the hope of catching the coach's eye

2 S6 clubs would become Super clubs 

3 The damage to other clubs would be massive.

At the moment we are planning on S6 squads of 35 including 5 academy players. If the reserve league is created that will go out of the window and be acknowledged in name only. Players will migrate to S6 clubs to try their hand and we will be fielding 5+ teams on a Saturday. The debate will then become where do our 3rds, 4ths and 5ths play. The S6 clubs have applied to be responsible for one one team on top of what we currently do, not to be the destination of every player of ambition on Scotland.

If we have a 'part time pro' S6 and an amateur game beneath that we will have to make the 35 work. It is worth remembering that the squad budget is £125k and the individual ceiling is £12k.

I know there is massive anger in the rugby community about Russellgate. It is crucial that people think clearly. The Aberdeen motion to the SRU AGM is a classic example of unintended consequences and muddled thinking. I would urge you to encourage debate to ensure another mistake is not made.

The S6 clubs could make the reserve league work. It would suit some clubs more than others. I believe it would be disastrous for Scottish rugby as a whole which is why my club is opposed to it.

Happy to talk further if that helps.

Best

Lorne Boswell

President, Stirling County RFC.

 Stirling County's Lorne Boswell

Lorne makes some valuable points in this letter, which I feel is worthy of greater discussion. However, I can see some of his other points upsetting some people. The point he makes about ambitious players gravitating to the S6 clubs is a fair one, and one which has been much-discussed.

As I see it – if the SRU seriously wants to establish a “bridging” level of rugby, between the club game and the professional one – THEY MUST SET IT UP AND RUN IT.

I have never deviated from my belief, in putting this level out to tender, they are admitting: “We cannot afford to run the lower level of performance rugby in Scotland, so we are asking six clubs to do this for us.”

I admire the six clubs for having a go, however, the whole manner in which it has been done is shambolic and I fear for the futures of some of the six, particularly the three Edinburgh franchises. THREE FRANCHISES IN EDINBURGH WILL NEVER WORK.

For long and weary, in the amateur era, the level of rugby between the club game and the international one was the Inter-District Championship. Had the SRU brought-in a similar grade of rugby, but run by the Performance Department, to reflect the game in 2018 it might have worked.

Some S6 clubs will thrive, others I can see failing. It's a nonsense. We need to stop now, before things get any worse, and think again. As things currently stand, it cannot work.