I VOTED Yes in last year's Independence Referendum. This act, however, won me no friends at the rugby clubs wherein I conduct my Saturday match-reporting shifts.
If Scotland is a conservative country, then Scottish Rugby is a Conservatice constituency. Given the predominance of rugby followers who were schooled privately, or in Scottish senior secondary schools back towards the end of the era when the old Tory-supporting Scottish Unionist Party was the power in the land, or who have grown up during the long years of Scotland being a Labour fiefdom, it is hardly surprising that SNP supporters are merely a growing minority on the touchlines of Scotland.
But, it just might be that eventual Independence will be the salvation of Scottish Rugby - if recent events in Wales are any guide.
Now, I accept that, if "The High Road South" is the most-pleasing aspect for a young Scot with ambition, so a similar claim might be made of the Severn Bridge with regard to ambitious Welshmen. I sometimes regard Welshmen as wannabee Englishmen what speak funny, but, there is a long tradition of thrusting young Welsh rugby players gravitating towards Old Deer Park, home of London Welsh, and a cap.
Indeed, the wonderful series-winning Lions of 1971, for all the genius and brilliance of "The King", Barry John, and Gareth Edwards at half-back and Mike Gibson in the centre, and for all the forward graft from the likes of Ian McLauchlan, Big Broon frae Troon and Willie-John McBride, well, that party was almost London Welsh On Tour, with so-many players from that club joining Lions' skipper John Dawes in the Antipodes.
Much closer to today, in some ways, the decision to go to four Welsh regions was, in part at least, driven by a desire in the Valleys, to stem the flow of young talent across the Severn and along the M4. But still as Newport Gwent Dragons discovered this week with Taulupe Faletau's agent announcing the Wales and Lions number eight was joining Bath, the big-money lure of the Aviva Premiership is hard to resist.
Warren Gatland's plans for next season are now seriously compromised, since he cannot select all the Welsh superstars now playing outwith the Principality, and the WRU's idea of central contracts has proved incapable of keeping an out-of-contract player, who knows he can earn more in exile, inside the Welsh tent.
Of course, we Scots have lang syne learned to live with our top talent being exiles, I suppose the Welsh will, somehow, cope.
The Irish, however, despite that nation's Celtic propensity for travel - is there a major city anywhere in the world which doesn't have its Irish bar? - have by and large managed to keep their best players on the island.
Why is this? The Republic is some way from being the Celtic Tiger of legend these days, but, by and large the top Irish talent stays at home - only venturing abroad for the purposes of pension-fund topping-up.
Might this have something to do with the Irish government's enlightened attitude to the taxation affairs of sporting talent? In truth, we don't here too-much about how little tax top Irish sportsmen pay, but, the belief is, they get a good deal.
And here, at last, we arrive at the kernel of this post. Might it not be that, when Scotland is finally independent, and this writer, closer to 70 than 60, hopes to be around to celebrate FREEDOM DAY!!! one of the first acts of the newly-independent Scottish government, is to make certain our top sportsmen, including our rugby players, can remain at home, remain competitive and retain a generous proportion of their income.
I hope those Edinburgh players who are going out of contract at the end of this season can be retained, just as I hope, the likes of Messers Hogg, Bennett, Horne, Dunbar, Russell and Gray can play-out their careers with Glasgow.
We need to keep as many good Scots as possible at home, if we are to have a secure future.
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