The SRU May Have Problems, But, At Least We Are Not Wales

WE MAY have grave concerns over the manner in which the ruling Junta is managing the Scottish Rugby Union, but, compared to the problems currently afflicting the Welsh Rugby Union – with new Chief Executive Nigel Walker being asked to in effect clean-up a mess of Augean Stables proportions – all is peace and love in EH12.

However, there is one nagging problem which, typically, our esteemed CEO Sodoff Baldrick TCD seems determined to avoid – the fact, the Cattigan Family is still hurting and feels the SRU is at least partly to blame for the sad death of Siobhan. That TCD should cancel a planned meeting with the family at short notice – well, from what we know of our esteemed leader and his dictatorial ways, that's no surprise. That he should cancel two planned meetings, even less of a surprise.

But, what does concern me is that the new Chair of the Custodians Board – Professor Lorne Crerar hasn't stepped-in before now and pulled TCD into line. I have always considered Lorne one of the good guys and thought he might have had this distressing situation in-hand by now.

I would like to think, before the Scotland party sets off for London this weekend, that Professor Crerar has made it clear to TCD: “Set an early date for the meeting with the Cattigan family and, regardless of what might happen in the interim – keep it, because I will be in the room with you.”

Almost as troubling is the situation at Liberton RFC, where their Women's Section felt so unloved as to Walk away. I al aware there is a considerable minority of male rugby men who have doubts about women playing rugby, being old school, many of these doubters are my contemporaries.

However, as the father of four daughters, had they wanted to play – and there weren't as many opportunities for girls to play when they were growing up; yes, I would have had my doubts, but, I would like to think I would have supported them.

If women want to play rugby, we should help them do this, and, I am delighted to see Leith Rugby stretching-out a hand to the Liberton ladies.

Dr Ross Tucker, one of World Rugby's panel of experts on head trauma, was an impressive guest on BT Sports' Rugby Tonight on Sunday. The South African-based Dr Tucker gave a cogent and clear explanation of the science and the thinking behind the moves to lowering the tackle height.

I found his use of the traffic lights analogy very impressive:

• Sternum and above – the Red Zone

• Midriff – sternum to the top of the hips – The Green Zone

• Hips and below – The Amber Zone.

That made sense, even Austin Healy saw the common sense in what he was saying. OK, we have to admit:

• The RFU – being a rugby governing body, managed to fuck-up their announcement of the lowered tackle height.

• World Rugby, being World Rugby, has been slow to react

• The professionals, who will surely have to adapt their game to a new, lower tackle height – aint happy

• A lot of the amateur players and clubs, who will need to work harder on technique, will be similarly unhappy.

• Even after the tackle height is lowered and we get to these traffic light zones – there will still be the occasional distressing collision as players forget themselves.

But, we have to try to make the game safer and this traffic lights system could well work, so, let's get it into place.

Mind you, I also think – as I always have - a return to real rucking, and a demand that the ball be played with a foot at the breakdown, would do much to remove these head-on-head collisions from the game.

FURTHER PROOF of how important the FOSROC Super6 is to Scottish Rugby came on Tuesday with the appointment of Glen Tippett (pictured) as Glasgow Warriors' Head of Commercial. By the way, that's bad grammar Warriors.

The big man from Hawera, Taranaki, has been a familiar figure in Scottish Rugby for the past decade and more – as a player, coach and high heid yin at Millbrae, and before devoting himself full-time to rugby in the Land o' Burns, as one of the best Regional Development Officers the SRU ever had.

The likes of Pat McArthur, Gordy Reid, Ali Price, Finn Russell, Mark Bennett, Stafford McDowall, Ollie Smith, Marshall Sykes, Alex Samuel, Pete Murchie and Pete Horne have all benefited from time spent with Tipps; while his time as General Manager of Ayrshire Bulls, mainly working on the commercial side, has given him a good, solid grounding for his new role with Warriors.

But, he will be missed, both with the Bulls and in Super6 as well and he will prove a very hard man for the Silverbacks at Millbrae to replace.