THE SRU annual meeting has come and gone; the Wee Man from Tarbowton has stepped down as president, to be replaced by Alan Lawson - we now move on into a bright new tomorrow. At least if you buy the fluff in the latest SRU Strategic Plan.
Nothing against the plan, nothing I can fault in it, but, it does read a wee bit as a wish list - and we can all write wish lists. To be fair, this is a time of promise for Scottish Rugby, we have a young international squad, which will improve with added experience, we have some really-promising young talent coming through - but converting promise to real, tangible results, is the difficult part.
There is ambition afoot in Murrayfield, something which wasn't always evident in the old days of Buggins' turn and the alickadoos who had a fiefdom for life. Like everyone else in the body of the kirk, I have at times longed to run amok with a loaded AK47 through the corridors of power in Murrayfield; but, the feeling passes and I realise, our administrators actually do a difficult job rather well. For instance, the SRU doesn't get into half the fankles their colleagues at Twickenham trip over.
No, for me, the SRU has always been smarter than they were given credit for. So I hope they grasp the opportunity being presented them by the current difficulties in Scottish football. The round ball version of football has always ruled the roost in most areas of Scotland. Yes, rugby rules in the Borders, but the Braw Lads, Teris, Soutars, Jethart Lads and the rest have always been - well, the Dingles of the Scottish rugby village. They have their own way of doing things.
The Rangers implosion and the fall-out will not really worry them; any way, they've got their own problems and if you don't believe me - the fact that two Hawick stalwarts can leave to play for BIGGAR!!! indicates that all is not well in the land of McLaren, McLeod, Grant and Renwick - and that's a worry.
Glasgow Warriors should be going flat-out to fill the gap caused by Rangers' problems. A lot of Glasgow businesses whose principals used Rangers for marketing, pr and schmoozing purposes will be looking for somewhere to go in the new season - Warriors and Scotstoun could be that place. And if that potential new money can be channelled properly, Glasgow District and Scottish rugby could be major beneficiaries.
Warriors might also gain from extra media opportunities which are to be found. But they will have to work at this.
The clubs will also have to work harder. I do not sense the same amount of social rugby is played today as was in my day. For instance, Ayr are, on the face of it doing well; certainly their first team is, in spite of last season's disappointments. However, scratch beneath the surface and a frown appears.
When I was playing in Ayrshire rugby, Ayr fielded five XVs every Saturday, and on some, they could field six. The first XV was playing in the old unofficial championship; the second XV could beat all the other Ayrshire first teams, except Kilmarnock's; the A1 XV was the development team; the A2's was the drinking XV and the 3rd XV was for all the guys who fancied a trot around on a Saturday but either couldn't or wouldn't train.
Today, they have the first XV, playing at the top end of the Premiership, the 2nd XV, which is the rest of the squad, then the Millbrae XV, some of whom are approaching the stage of being ancient monuments and therefore uninsurable. Sure, they have an excellent mini and midi development section, but far fewer active adult playing members.
Even Cumnock, the enfants terrible of Scottish rugby, only formed 50 years ago, was, within ten years of being formed, fielding three XVs every week and on occasions four. Ayrshire rugby then was thriving - on the back of rivalries established from school days. You started playing in the First Year. Ardrossan, Ayr, Cumnock, Irvine Royal and Kilmarnock Academies, Dalry High School, Marr College, Spiers School all played rugby in all six years - by the time you reached the Sixth Year, life-long friendly rivalries had been established. Then, you left school and went to the town club - where the rivalries continued.
Ayr and Kilmarnock were that bit better, but there was nothing between the Ardrossan, Cumnock, Dalry, Irvine, Marr and Old Spierians clubs. There were also the school-boy rivalries with the Glasgow schools. Yes, Ayr and Kilmarnock Academies and to a lesser extent Marr College played Hutchie, Glasgow High School, Hillhead, Kevinside, Glasgow Academy, St Aloysius and the like, but the rest of us enjoyed taking on Shawlands Academy, Jordanhill College, Bellahouston Academy, Queen's Park, Whitehill, Hyndland and Jordanhill College School.
How many of these schools are still playing rugby? How many still have strong ties to their FP clubs? Where are today's successors to Stiffy McClure, Campbell Bone, Keir Hardie, TB Watson and the other pe teachers who encouraged and "sold" rugby to guys whose first sporting dream was to pull on a Rangers' shirt?
These are the guys whom Scottish rugby is missing today. I am all in favour of the SRU's wish list - I'd be more-impressed if the document had mentioned the crying need to recruit and train missionaries to "sell" rugby to potentially its best hope for future success - schoolboys.
John Beattie has something to say on this in his BBC blog - I'm with you on this one John boy.
