TCD Takes His Piss-Taking To The Limit

WHEREVER you were in Scotland, you maybe heard the explosion, late yesterday afternoon. It was not an ultra-loud thunderclap, or an accident at Coulport; that loud roar, followed by a howl of anguish was in fact my reaction to the news that Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links has joined the SRU Board as a Non-Executive Director.

 

Jing, crivvens, help ma boab; what next? When will TCD announce to the world that we are changing the Union's name to The North British Rugby Union? Does this mean, that under the order of precedence of the British Establishment, this Baroness, even one appointed for being a good Tory, gets to sit next to The Princess Royal at Murrayfield?

Still, it could have been worse – they might have offered the job to Wee Krankie – Duchess of Dreghorn, or “Wee Fatso”, the “simple crofter” from Ardnamurchan - so we should be thankful for small mercies.I am sorry, but I cannot think of any positive outcome from appointing this political lightweight to the board.

Mind you, political failures, kicked upstairs to the overloaded 'Other Place' 'The Upper House' do have a tendency to pick-up non-executive directorships, after all, it must be difficult to bob along on £342 per day at current London prices.

To be fair to Her Ladyship, she has a long and distinguished track record of getting her smug face into the papers, atop a buffalo, in the turret of a tank and so forth, so I dare say Jeff Holmes and the other snappers will welcome her to HQ with open arms.

I suppose too, being a top Tory, she will have good contacts, perhaps unfortunately at the murkier end of the City of London, so, let's not rush to condemn her. However, if any appointment helped reinforce the SRU as the organisation of choice of the BPHB (The Bonnie Purple Heather Brigade) and the PSBs (Proud Scots, But), it is this one.

She's not the first pro-Union Tory to be parachuted onto an SRU Board, but, at least the last one, Lord Malcolm Offord of Garvel did have a connection with the game through his long membership of London Scottish.

Now, I would not go as far as the late Aneurin Bevan, so wonderfully portrayed by oor ain Brian Cox in the biopic Food For Ravens, which was shown on BBC4 this week to mark the 75^th anniversary of the NHS. Not all Tories are: “lower than vermin.” However, there are very-few 'One Nation Tories' active in today's party.

If we had to appoint a Tory peer to the board, I could have lived with Baroness Goldie of Bishopton, 'Auntie Bella' is for my money the last decent Tory left in Scotland. 'Ruth the Mooth' no thanks.

Before posting this, I had a quick look at the BTL comments on The Offside Line story of The Mooth's appointment. They are running more than 90% against her involvement in rugby; and one of the very few in-favour is from a poster who uses the same nomme de plume as a notorious Unionist troll on Wings Over Scotland, so hardly an unbiased opinion. Still, negative publicity has never bothered TCD, or Ruth the Mooth.

THE DEATH of Greig Oliver has come as a great shock to everyone in Scottish Rugby. After the Robbie Dyes' tremendous league and cup double in the season just ended has been a welcome boost to everyone in Hawick. That feel-good factor has been broken by the terrible news of Greig's passing, following a paragliding accident in South Africa.

Mind you, it says much about how they build them down there in Hawick that Greig should even be attempting that dangerous sport at the age of 58.

I would normally write a full obituary of a legend such as Greig, however, having reading the heart-felt tribute penned by his life-long friend Malcolm Grant, the Hawick RFC vice president, I will not bother. Malcolm said all that was necessary better than perhaps anyone else could.

I spoke with David Barnes yesterday afternoon, Big Barney has already re-printed Malcolm's tribute in The Offside Line – that says it all. I encourage everyone to read it. Greig's passing is truly sad, he has been taken far-too-young. My condolences to his family and to everyone in Hawick.

GOOD TO SEE Kyle Rowe signing for Glasgow Warriors this week, following the collapse of London Irish. I am certain, once he regains full fitness, Kyle will offer a welcome addition to the serious fire-power Warriors now have behind the scrum.

GOOD TOO to see Scottish match officials strutting their stuff across the world this weekend. Our leading referee: wee Hollie Davidson will be in-charge for the Georgia v Wales match at the World Under-20 Championships in South Africa; while Mike Adamson will have the whistle for the Japan v All Blacks World Cup warm-up game in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the women's Pacific 4 tournament is taking place in Ottawa, where my second favourite Scottish referee, big Andy McMenemy, is on TMO duty for the clash between Canada and The Black Ferns. There is Scottish interest too in the other game, between The Wallaroos and the USA. TMO in this one is Canada's Andrew Hosie, who is, of course the son of that legendary whistler: 'Lord Hosie of Hughenden,' former SRU President Alan.