How Come We Never Get An Answer?

BACK ON 17 May, I sent off the following note to Sean Lineen and Zoe Paige, the two SRU apparatchiks charged with delivering Super-6. To me, the reasoning for contacting them, seem quite reasonable. The note said:

“Some regular readers of Aristotle have asked me to seek answers to the following questions, which I hope you can answer for me. These are:

1. What will be the names of the 6 teams?
   
   
   
   
2. TV coverage, are the SRU attempting to set-up some sort of coverage?
   
   
   
   
3. Will they be playing Friday nights or Sundays or Saturday nights to avoid clashing with club rugby?
   
   
   
   
4. They are actively seeking Borders and Glasgow franchises to make up to a Super 8 or even more further down the line. So when would this be integrated into the competition and how promising are things at the moment in their bid to increase to finally represent these two areas properly?
   
   
   
   
5. These changes in laws they plan to trial with referees to 'make the game more Scottish' - what are they and did they have to run this by World Rugby before doing it?
   
   
   
   
6. How do they get round the issue of players getting pay cuts to play S6? Have they got other sweetener packages up their sleeves to attract more into S6?
   
   
   
   
7. What is the long term goal of Super 6 if all goes to plan after the five years?
   
   
   
   
8. Who is paying for the Welsh Cross Border competition if the Welsh have (reportedly) said they have no money to fund it?
   
   

I have some additional questions of my own:

• When might we learn of the allocation of Stage III Academy players to the six clubs – who goes where?
  
  
  
  
• Has there been any clarity or confirmation from sportscotland as to possible funding for the 3G pitches, as I understand there is doubt about availability of funds for such projects?
  
  
  
  
• Is the Union planning a bells and whistles Super-6 launch, at which we might learn the fixture schedule? If so, any planned date as yet?
  
  
  
  
• Is the Union any closer to securing a separate naming rights sponsor for Super-6, or will it come under the Tennent's banner?”
  
  

At the time, indeed, I still do, think these were reasonable questions, which I was asking on behalf of those concerned ordinary clubmen who, like me want answers, and clarity on S6, sooner rather than later.

Regular observers of Murrayfield's management methods will hardly be surprised to learn, one day shy of five weeks later, I have still to ever receive an acknowledgement of my interest in S6.

I suppose, I should have addressed this enquiry to “Buddy” Horler – the Head of Media. However, if I tell you that, in the esoteric world of chocolate teapot and fireguard manufacture, an example which fails pre-sale testing is known as: “A Matt Horler”, you will appreciate why I went directly to the officials at the sharp end.

I also appreciate, I will not get immediate, or direct answers to some of the questions, but, I still have a right to ask them, on behalf of the body of the kirk of Scottish rugby in general, and the fan base of the six franchises in particular.

But, disappointed that I am, particularly in Sean Lineen's failure to interact, it is hardly surprising – it seems to be the SRU way these days.

Back when I was involved in basketball, we had a Scottish internationalist point guard at our club, who was the master of a move we called: “The Smart Give and Go.” A normal “give and go,” a move used in several team sports, is give a pass and go into a position to get the ball back.

The Smart Give and Go was: “give me the ball and go away. I'm taking this on myself.” I would suggest, “give and go” is now a Murrayfield management tactic – as in: “give us the money, go away and stop bothering us for answers as to what we are doing with it.”

Only, I am not going away – I will keep pestering for an answer to these questions.

Five weeks and counting guys.

I HEAR Glasgow Life, who own and operate Scotstoun, and Glasgow Warriors, may have poked a hornet's nest with their moves to expand the stadium to cope with the greater support the Warriors have built-up.

The local Residents Association around the ground are apparently not at all impressed by the lack of information-sharing and consultation which has gone on around the extension plans, and are on the case.

One of Glasgow's leafier areas, the residents are not happy at the disruption caused to their lives when matches are on, due to parking issues and they are concerned as to a lack of interaction with Glasgow Life and the Warriors over the proposed extensions.

With the athletics community – in particular Victoria Park-City of Glasgow AAC - not at all happy at the disruption to the running track which accompanies big Warriors games, perhaps a wee bit of a charm offensive is called for around Scotstoun.

This, naturally begs the question: can the SRU, Warriors and Glasgow Life actually DO charm?

We know, some of the SRU High Heid Yins are very good at offensive, however.