Seven Nations To Pay-To-View - Will That Be Any Surprise?

I HEAR whispers – that the Six Nations will vanish from free-to-air television in 2024, thereafter, it will be on one of the paid platforms and the bidding to win the rights will be brisk.

If these early rumours are in any way true, and I have no reason to doubt them, then there is going to be a lot of pressure on the ELECTED officers at the SRU and the other big Unions, to stand-up for their members – the guys who put them up there – and to keep the 6N on “Cooncil Telly.”

We need not expect TCD and similar PAID officials to support keeping the 6N free-to-air. As long as they get their big salaries, generous expenses and can guarantee they turn left when entering an aircraft, they will side with the big-money men.

Guys like TCD don't care about the good of the game – only the bottom line and their own package matters to them.

There is another rumour around the 6N – apparently, perhaps even before 2024, it will become “The Seven Nations.” Now that the four South African teams are playing in the United Rugby Championship, and will be able to compete in the Heineken Cup and the Challenge Cup, it seems obvious to totally integrate South Africa into northern hemisphere rugby, by inviting them to join the 6N.

Money talks, it will happen. But, if it does, might there be a case for also integrating Georgia into the Big Show and going to Eight Nations?

Puts into perspective the suggestion that, when it resumes next spring, Super6 will become Super7 – with London Scottish involved, as the SRU scrambles around to find somebody willing to take-on the eighth franchise.

I HAVE BEEN a “Non-Person” in the eyes of the SRU for some time now. I am not allowed anywhere near BT Murrayfield for big games, I don't get official SRU press releases or access to any of their press activities. In the old Soviet Union, if TCD had been First Secretary of The Party, my offences would have seen me sent to be Sports Editor at the Uelen bureau of Pravda. Such is the lot of agitators who have been outside the tent, pissing-in.

But, if you've had a less-than-stellar career, spent inside the tent-pissing out, then you'll be looked after. For instance, there was little or no wailing, gnashing of teeth and renting of garments when Tappe Henning retired from the SRU recently.

But, I do not beLIEVE it, old Tappe has popped-up this week, announced as the new Head of Referees for the URC – seamlessly switching from Edinburgh to Dublin.

Nice gig if you can get it, but.....

THIS IS already a costly winter in terms of those who have been taken from Scotland's rugby community. In the past few days we have seen “Mr Porty” - Portobello RFC stalwart Barry Sinclair taken.

Barry, gave more than half a century of service to the Cavalry Park club and to Edinburgh rugby. We are told, nobody is irreplaceable, Barry just might be.

Hard on the heels of Barry's passing came the news that Morven Pollock, one of the founders and leading lights of Cartha-Queen's Park's women's section, and captain of their women's team between 2011 and 2013 had passed.

My condolences to all at Cavalry Park and Drumbreck.

But, perhaps the biggest loss was the passing of former Scotland winger or centre David Whyte, who has died, aged 81.

The term “sporting thoroughbred” is often used, but, it suited Whyte admirably. He won 13 Scotland caps between 1965 and 1967, but, to these he added Great Britain athletics vests as a sprinter/jumper.

A Fifer, from Cupar, he was the fourth of five siblings and his sporting prowess was evident when he captained the XV at Bell Baxter High School and represented North and Midlands Schoolboys.

He went on to St Andrew's University where he captained the Scottish Universities XV, won the AAA's and British Junior long jump titles – he also played for Howe of Fife at this time.

From St Andrew's he went on to Oxford University to read for a Diploma in Education, winning his rugby 'Blue' in 1963 and representing the Barbarians.

He married childhood sweetheart Judith, returned to Scotland to teach at Strathallan and play rugby for Edinburgh Wanderers. He won all his Scotland caps out of Wanderers, making his debut against Wales in February, 1965, being an ever-present in the 1966 and 1967 Five Nations campaigns, scoring two tries and having a third disallowed in his final international, the 1967 Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham.

He then, as so-many players of his era did, concentrated on the day job, ending-up as Rector of Golspie High School, before taking early retirement, on health grounds, in 2002.

David spent his final days back in his native Fife, in Dunfermline, to be near his family, he is survived by Judith, sons Stephen, Geoffrey, Barnaby and Sebastian and 11 grand-children.

OH DEAR – I note there has been a little local difficulty in North London, with Maro Itoje “unfriending” Big Jim Hamilton on social media, after taking exception to some comments which the Big Yin made about the current England lock.

Maro's parents are Nigerian and there have been several instances of sportsmen and women of Nigerian or African heritage being given the Christian name “Precious” (Precious McKenzie the weightlifter and bowler being perhaps the best-known). The more I see of Master Itoje, the more I feel, his parents missed a trick here, he certainly appears to think he is something precious.

I don't think Itoje unfriending him will worry Big Jim too-much, media personalities wear such actions like a badge of honour.

FINALLY – I note centre Jordan Venter has departed Murrayfield for Bath Rugby. Apparently he was not enamoured of the amount of game time he was getting in the capital.

He certainly had his moments, playing for Watsonians in Super6, but, given the competition in the Edinburgh midfield, he made little or no impact further up.

I was critical of his signing; I have nothing against bringing Scottish-qualified players such as Kyle Steyn over from South Africa, but, I don't see the point of project players who, if they're not getting their way, are free to move-on.

Another waste of our money by The Junta – let's simply add it to the bill, which they will never pay.