No Deal Between the SRU And London Scottish - What Happens Now?

FOR some time now, this blog, and other rugby media outlets, have been calling for the SRU to fund at least a third professional side. The obvious core situation for such a team has, in our opinion, and in the opinion of several other commentators, been London Scottish.

That club has an honoured place in Scottish rugby history, not least from the fact, it has produced more Scotland caps than any other club. It is already functioning as a professional club, and, it seems to us, entirely sensible that the co-operation agreement, which the club and the SRU entered into earlier this season should have been extended and expanded.

Our preferred option would be for Scottish to become a London-based Pro12 club, tapping into the Scottish diaspora in the capital and the greater financial muscle which the Scotia Nostra in the City of London could come up with. Sadly, this aint gonna happen. Scottish have today announced the ending of even their arms-length agreement with the SRU, and, they are making it quite clear, it's Murrayfield's fault.

I dare say, when Murrayfield gets around to explaining their part in the whole minor disaster, theirs will be a different tale, time will tell, but, it is disappointing to see something which promised much, ending so soon and in such rancour.

What happens next? Well, all may not be lost. We keep hearing that the semi-professional Premiership will happen, maybe Murrayfield has decided, their resources are better spent in Scotland, on home-Scots players, playing for Scottish clubs. We must wait and see. Or, maybe they are going to fund the acquisition of some world-class talent for Edinburgh and Glasgow. It might even be, their gin bill has been greater than budgeted for, you never can tell with the blazers.

We can only think, unless they come up with something wonderful from left field, and this is Murrayfield we are talking about, a golden chance might have been lost and the wrong decision has been made – again.

AT LEAST, Dom McKay and his team, by all accounts, made rather a good job of organising Saturday's Guinness Pro12 final, at BT Murrayfield.

Dominic McKay, his team produced a cracking Pro12 final

The day went well, the match attracted a record crowd of nearly 35,000 and Connacht, the underdogs, had their day. Well done Pat Lam, John Muldoon and the men from the West of Ireland. You earned it.

TWO different squads met-up for the first time today. At Murrayfield, the Scotland squad for the Summer Tour to Japan convened, while in London, the Team GB Sevens squad for the Olympic Games met-up for the first time. Good luck to both groups, in particular to the Scots in the Sevens squad.

ITALIAN referee Marius Matrea had the whistle in yesterday's England v Wales match at Twickenham – his first Tier 1 international. He did better there than he has in some Pro12 games, as did his two touch judges – Haud It and Daud It, of George Clancy and John Lacey.

Marius Matrea

Well, that's the top Italian official getting a Tier 1 international, how long must we wait before the top Scottish referee gets a Pro12 game?