Time For A Game Of Boardroom Musical Chairs?

I AM now, more than ever convinced, I may live long enough to see the Union Flag lowered over that new and very expensive UK Government in Scotland hub in Edinburgh, to be replaced by the Saltire, the flag of the once-again independent country of Scotland. And, when we recover from the equestrian party which will follow Independence (it will be at least a three-day event), we will begin to see many, but probably not all of the English carpetbagger whom the British Nationalist Unionists brought north: “Rebellious Scots to crush,” heading home to the sunny bank holiday weekends, warm beer and cricket and additional riches which they are being re-assured will arrive with Brexit.

I am telt, our glorious leader, TCD might well be one of the first through the repatriation gate at Carter Bar, in fact, I hear, if things go well, the head of The Junta might not even wait for Independence, before heading south.

Having failed to be appointed CEO of both the RFU and The Six Nations, I understand our favourite corporate warrior, is hoping to ingratiate himself sufficiently with CVC Partners, in their efforts to gain a considerable foothold in rugby, that they will offer him a nice lucrative post inside the organisation.

OOr Dominic models the new SRU corporate suit

And this could be just the break Scottish Rugby's answer to Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen, oor ain Ayrshire COO, the Domster has been waiting for. You may ask why the reference to the fragrant Welsh dandy. Well, I have learned from one of the worker ants inside the EH12 Big Top, that, after finding five proffered rooms in the five-star hotel he was billeted in during an international trip didn't come up to his high standards, Dom was known as “Changing Rooms” to the HQ staff.

So Dom, henceforth, you will be referred-to in this blog by Mr Llewellyn-Bowen's initials – LL-B.

Apparently LL-B is already brown-nos.., sorry, positioning himself to succeed TCD in the top job. He has already mastered the basics of the job, automatically turning left at the door of an aircraft and so forth. Why, the youngish pretender has even managed to wangle himself a place on the high-powered SRU off-field team for the forthcoming Rugby World Cup in Japan.

TCD going, yes, that's ok – he's a World Rugby Executive Committee member, along with John Jeffrey and Lesley Thompson, they've got to be there. Dee Bradbury, as President of the Union, yes, no problem with Dee going'

But, is it really necessary for the Chief Operating Officer to be off to Japan on a jolly? Ah hae ma doots. What can he do over there which could not be done equally well, or perhaps better, by the CEO?

The hired help melting the plastic on the corporate credit card, unfettered by the non-executive directors who are supposed to hold them in-check on behalf of the shareholders is nothing knew, merely the sign of an organisation that has lost its way.

I would have no objection to LL-B's place on the Japanese junket going to one of the Council; I might not agree with every decision that body makes, and yes, I do feel they have allowed the hired help too-much rope in the past, and still are allowing them too-much, but, I know how hard our Council members work.

They deserve the occasional trip, all those pitches lined, balls inflated, coaching sessions carried-out, regional meetings attended on the way up, that sacrifice merits being introduced to the Princess Royal, the best seats inside Murrayfield and the best half-time purvey, and yes, the odd overseas trip.

But, in return, we, the pbi of the game, we ask that you test the decisions the hired help want you to agree to; question their motives, keep an eye on their performance and always remember – at the end of the day, it's your and our money they are spending.

Stop the mini-empires from being formed, and make sure, we get sufficient bang for our buck.

A couple of blogs ago I compared the management models of the four home unions. The Irish Union is still primarily run by its ELECTED committee, towhom the paid executives answer. The RFU and WRU have separate executive boards, their hired help run things day-to-day; HOWEVER – the ultimate power rests with their main boards and councils, where the ELECTED officials have oversight and the ultimate veto.

The SRU is run by the board of SRU Plc, and while in theory that board is balanced:

• Four ELECTED officials, currently – President Dee Bradbury, Council Members Willie Gardner, Adam Gray and Graeme Scott
  
  
• Four EXECUTIVE (i.e. paid) officials, currently TCD, LL-B, J Cheever Loophole and Finance Director Andrew Healy (I really must get a nickname for Andrew)
  
  
• Four INDEPENDENT directors, currently – Chairman Colin Grassie, Lesley Thomson, David McMillan and Julia Bracewell
  
  

In theory, the balance of power should rest with the four independents, if it comes down to an argument between the hired help and the elected officials. The view abroad at the moment is that TCD snaps his fingers and the rest jump – we could maybe do with the pendulum of power shifting to weigh more-positively on the side of the elected officials.

I would certainly like to see the seats, currently occupied by TCD's underlings, handed to elected officials, able to better reflect the views of the stakeholders.

Change is coming in rugby, but, we must always remember, at its heart, Scottish Rugby is all about the people who play and watch the game, the ordinary club members. Right now, they appear to be divorced from Murrayfield – it is time they got back to feeling it was their game, and they mattered, by having more genuine rugby men and women sitting on the Board.