We Can Ignore S6A3 Real Action Is Back

REAL rugby, with apologies to the Galway-bound Warriors, cranks into top gear this afternoon, with the first full Saturday of club rugby. And I, for one, will welcome back what looks like being – barring an unexpected outbreak of reality-biting at BTMurrayfield – the first and only season of the Tennent's Premiership.

 

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I don't care that it was never “fit for purpose” as a means of preparing players to hold a tackle bag for the professionals, it has always worked in its primary role, of deciding which is the top club in Scotland, and I see no need to change this for the bourach of franchises.

The opening round of fixtures plays out as follows:

Currie Chieftains v Boroughmuir; Edinburgh Academical v Ayr; Glasgow Hawks v Heriot's, Hawick v Melrose; Watsonians v Stirling County.

Match of the Day, for me, is the Malleny Park clash of Currie, who are several knowledgable pundits' pick as potential Champions, against their near-neighbours, who have recruited strongly over the summer and looking for the consistency which was missing last season. However, Currie have also strengthened and will surely again be in the mix at the sharp end – unless of course, coach Ben Cairns' rumoured mid-season switch to Stirling County, in preparation for Stupid-6 next season, actually happens, and the wheels come off the bus.

Promoted Edinburgh Accies have a home start, against an Ayr team shorn of several long-standing players, but, with some exciting, new young talent in their ranks. This one will, I feel, be tight.

Hardest match to call is probably the Borders Derby between Hawick and reigning Champions Melrose, at Mansfield. The 'Rose has been pruned of several regulars of their recent successes, with Rob Chrystie giving some of his bright young guns a chance to show what they can do. Hawick beat them last time out, and, notwithstanding some disappointing warm-up results, will feel they can win again this afternoon.

Disgracefully shunned in the pauchle that was the S6 bidding process, Hawks will be looking to make the case for Glasgow rugby when they begin life at their new Balgray home, against a Heriot's team seeking to recapture past lustre. Jason Hill is back for the Nails, will be he as-influential as he was first time round? And, will the Hawks' youngsters be up to the task. I will see for myself, because this is where I am going today.

Finally, much is being expected of Watsonians, who kick-off at home, against Charity Shield winners County. I expect this might be the highest-scoring game of the day.

IN NATIONAL League 1, the match which catches the eye is the Southside Derby, for the Billy Barnes Cup, between GHA and Cartha-Queen's Park, at Braidholm. GHA took possession of the silverware when it was first contested last season, and they will be hoping to use home advantage in today's first leg, to help them keep possession.

Elsewhere in the National Leagues, surely a Lucky White Heather prize is in order for Caithness. After their tremendous achievement in gaining National League status last season, they were surely worth an easier baptism than having to make what is perhaps the longest trek in all the leagues, to face Newton Stewart in their first match. Good luck guys. Good luck too to Carrick, who visit Haddington.

I will be keeping a close eye on Tennent's West Regional Division 1 this season, since that's where my beloved Cumnock will be playing, following their promotion at the end of last season.

They kick-off up at Fort Matilda, against Greenock Wanderers, who welcome back Brendan McGroarty from Hawks. We have five Ayrshire clubs in this division, with one of them, Garnock, welcoming Allan Glen's to Lochshore in what looks like being that division's match of the day, although, you might argue that tag could just as easily be put on the Irvine v Kilmarnock clash at Marress.

Given the number of aged reprobates who have played for both clubs, the Marress bar might be a place to avoid tonight. Ach! Who am I kidding, enjoy the craic boys.

Finally, a regular commenter on here has issued a challenge, which I am happy to take up. Should anyone spot either: The Fat Controller, The Thin Controller or the Lesser-Spotted Johnson at a club game today – please let me know. We must log these rare sightings when they happen.

 

THE GUINNESS PRO14 kicked-off last night, with Edinburgh losing narrowly, 13-17 to Ospreys, for whom George North had a dream debut with two tries. Ospreys have certainly recruited well over the close season, so, a losig bonus point defeat was not a bad result from Edinburgh's visit to Liberty Stadium.

This afternoon, the attention switches of Glasgow Warriors, who are on familiar first day ground – the Celtic League fixture computer appears to have Connacht v Glasgow Warriors as its default Round One setting. Dave Rennie's men kicked-off with an excellent win in Galway last year, the start of a terrific run, which had them assured of a semi-final in record time.

Then, the wheels came off their bogie, and, after a poor European campaign, and, not least after Edinburgh won the 1872 Cup, Glasgow were suddenly being questioned. They have lost ground to their capital rivals, sudenly bragging rights have to be restored.

Glasgow did not suddenly become a bad team. I still fancy they will be at the sharp end of things in the PRO14 all season, and I also expect them to do better in Europe, when the time comes. Of course, they will miss Finn Russell, but, they have the talent to compensate for even the loss of him and Dave Rennie has certainly named a strong team for this afternoon's opening.

The Warriors squad, as ever here in 1-23 order is:

Oli Kebble, George Turner, Zander Fagerson; Scott Cummings, Jonny Gray; Rob Harley, . Callum Gibbins (Co-Captain), Ryan Wilson (Co-Captain); George Horne, Adam Hastings; DTH van der Merwe, Peter Horne, Nick Grigg, Tommy Seymour; Stuart Hogg.

Replacements: Fraser Brown, Alex Allan, D'Arcy Rae, Adam Ashe, Chris Fusaro; Nick Frisby, Alex Dunbar, Niko Matawalu.

That squad looks good enough to win in Galway, but, it will not be a foregone conclusion.

Glasgow has the following players unavailable due to injury: Brian Alainu'uese (back), Matt Fagerson (thigh), Siua Halanukonuka (foot), Sam Johnson (head/knee), Huw Jones (wrist), Lee Jones (achillies), Kiran McDonald (hand), Ali Price (groin) and Tim Swinson (lower limb).

 Sam Thomson - has a big game today

AND finally, good luck today to former Scotland age group cap and Glasgow Hawk then Warrior Sam Thomson, who will be packing-down in the Warringah Rats boiler-room for their Shute Shield Grand Final, against Sydney University.

There ought to have been two Scots in action for the Rats, but, former Ayr and Warriors partnership player Ruaridh Mackenzie, son of former Selkirk and Scotland prop Gregor, picked-up an injury a couple of games ago and misses out on the big match.

The PRO14 Is Back Tonight - Real Rugby In The Premiership Tomorrow

AFTER all the sweat of pre-season training, and the altered reality of warm-up games, real rugby gets going for the new season tonight, when Edinburgh Rugby take-on Ospreys, at the Liberty Stadium.

 

Henry Pyrgos - one of four Edinburgh debutants tonight

Much is expected of the capital outfit this season, following their quantum leap up the table, once they bought-in to Richard Cockerill's hard-nosed approach last term. They are back in Europe, and everyone from the SRU hierarchy down will be hoping to see them kick-on from that, stop seemingly being there to make-up the numbers in the PRO14 and, along with Glasgow, make a real bid for the big prizes.

Cockerill has certainly named a strong team for tonight. In 1-23 order the Edinburgh squad reads:

Pierre Schoeman, Stuart McInally (Capt), Simon Berghan; Ben Toolis, Grant Gilchrist; Luke Hamilton, Hamish Watson, Bill Mata; Henry Pyrgos, Simon Hickey; Duhan van der Merwe, Matt Scott, Mark Bennett, Dougie Fife; Blair Kinghorn.

Replacements: Ross Ford, Allan Dell, Murray McCallum, Fraser McKenzie, Jamie Ritchie; Sean Kennedy, Jaco van der Walt, James Johnstone.

That is one experienced and battle-hardened unit – 12 internationalists in the starting line-up a further four on the bench. Four players, Schoeman, Luke Hamilton and the half-backs are making their debut, but, none comes into the callow youth category. Of course, it is never easy to win in Wales, but, after winning in Newcastle last time out, that squad ought to be capable of cutting down the Ospreys.

The Welsh side named is a strong one, packed with experienced Welsh and Lions caps and there are some rare tussles in prospect. George North, on his return to Wales, facing Duhan van der Merwe is a heavyweight clash, as is the battle in the centres. Up front, the tussle at the touchlines will be good, as will the back row battle at the breakdown.

If Edinburgh can win this one, it will really lay down a marker for the season, and that result is not beyond them.

 

NEIL DIAMOND, as so-often, hit the nail on the head when, in: 'Forever in Blue Jeans,' he wrote: “Money talks, but it don't sing and dance and it don't walk.” Money has been talking in rugby for a while now, but, the big-money English and French sides don't have it all their own way when it comes to walking away with the big rugby prizes.

Of course, we don't exactly know what sort of tax deal has been agreed, between the IRFU and the Dublin tax office – but, when Scotland tears itself away from the cold dead hand of Westminster, the next CEO of the SRU should waste little time in kissing and making-up with Dublin to find out exactly what deal they do have, and set about trying to persuade Holyrood to give the same deal to Murrayfield – that way we keep our best talent at home.

But, that's a wee meander off today's straight and narrow – what are we going to do to get rugby's finances sorted? Reading the Guardian this week was heart-stopping stuff, as they outlined the financial forces conspiring against efforts to have England as rugby's master race. Basically, the English Premiership is financially fucked, with only Exeter declaring a profit the last time figures were released, cumulative debt among the clubs rising and D:Ream's only hit off the Twickenham play list, since they all doubt if things can ever, far less only, get better.

The Taffia are in their usual state of civil war, with those unloved “families”: the Blues – who run things in Cardiff, the Dragons, the top family in Gwent, the Ospreys who run things around Swansea Bay, and the Scarlets, who rule the wild West of Wales, conscripting all the young guns into new Under-23 and A squads to take on the Irish, while the politicians back at HQ cut the Welsh Premiership by 25% of the clubs, slash their pocket money and try to force them into associating with half a dozen new Scottish sides in an unloved cross-border competition, the details of which appear to have been worked-out on the back of a packet of ten Woodbine.

At least, the Welsh Premiership does have a TV deal on “cooncil telly”.

France U-20s, world champions but, the players will struggle for game time in the Top 14

Over in France, meanwhile, even their second tier clubs are operating with budgets which are eye-watering when viewed from this little offshore European island with pretensions to world domination. The result of all these Euros flowing into the coffers of the Top 14, and even the Division Two clubs – well, they are plundering the South Seas, the bottom of Africa and the Celtic fringes for talent, which will make it very difficult for even the players in the World Cup-winning French Under-20 side to get game time, to the long-term detriment of Les Bleus.

The Irish, Paddy does his own thing – which seems to work OK, notwithstanding a wee crisis of confidence in Ulster at the moment.

Open Rugby (we must always remember, the game is open – it is not professional) is on one-hand a business, but, on the other hand, it is a game, a pastime. But, if it is to flourish, it has to be profitable, in the financial sense, as well as in making those of us involved in it feel good.

Profitability appears to be absent from the top level in England, France, Scotland and Wales, indeed, I am not alone in starting to think, top-level, professional rugby, can never be profitable long-term. The top clubs in England and France appear to be aping the worst-excesses of their football clubs when it comes to recruiting ready-made big names off the shelf, rather than – with one or two clear exceptions such as Exeter and Saracens, growing their own.

At least we have been, up till now, spared the ridiculous over-blown transfer fees of football, so let's be thankful for small mercies.

In a lot of respects, I find it impossible to argue against the SRU's base financial model, which is based on a successful Scotland team being the principal generator of income. I would not argue against the notion – however much it goes against the traditional club ethos which we have grown-up with – of the SRU looking after our elite players. But, I do have reservations about their management of player resources. I honestly think they can do much better here.

Oh! And, in case you think I've gone soft – drop Stupid-6, now.

I Would Not Go Near The SFA With A Barge Pole

“CARDINAL” Martin Hannan is one of Scotland's finest all-round journalists, able to write with authority on a wide range of sports, but, also liable to see his by-line in the front section of the paper, where he can fulminate as eloquently on politics and other social issues as he can on fitba, rugby and horses in the comic sections at the back.

 

 

If the accountants and salesmen running Scotland's ever-shrinking dead trees press had half a clue, or the stumblebums looking after our broadcast media in charge of our broadcast media had any idea about talent and how to use it best, Martin would be a much-better-known journalist than he is via his singular columns in the National.

Yesterday he had something to say about the ongoing debate between Hampden and Murrayfield, and what he said made sense. I urge you to seek it out and read it for yourself. I thought I would divest myself of my thoughts on this great debate – one which is set to continue for a week or so yet, following the SFA's board's entirely-predictable decision of yesterday: to make no decision on the matter.

I have been going to Hampden since 1956 and to Murrayfield since 1958, so, I have known triumph and disaster (probably more of the latter) at both grounds. At Hampden I have seen most of the legends of the past 60-years, ditto Murrayfield, and while a trip from Ayrshire to Murrayfield is probably – given the apres-match in the hostelries of the capital – better for the spirit than the shorter journey to Hampden, emotionally I doubt if anything will come close to beating England in 1962, watching Alan Gilzean's header go in two years later, or Joe Jordan's crashing home in 1973.

Joe Jordan serves-up an iconic Hampden moment in 1973 

So, where do I stand on Hampden or Murrayfield? Actually, I firmly believe, once we have escaped England's increasingly-desperate,  vice-like grip via Indyref2, the first post-Independence Scottish government should, as a matter of urgency, commission a proper NATIONAL stadium being built on a site with good road and rail access, somewhere central – around Stirling – and get it built.

This ought to be a 100,000-capacity, roofed, state-of-the-art stadium to be used for both football and rugby internationals. Building such a stadium would allow both the SFA/Queen's Park to downgrade Hampden and Murrayfield to smaller grounds and perhaps sell-off surplus land to underpin their finances.

Cutting Murrayfield down to say a 30,000 capacity ground, to be shared by Edinburgh, Hearts and Hibs makes sense to me. Make Hampden similar-sized, to be shared by Queen's Park, Partick Thistle and Warriors also makes sense – not least because it could return Scotstoun to athletics.

This, of course will not happen. Once we get out from under England's (sorry, make that London's) less than benevolent thumb, there are a lot more issues, more-important than the home grounds of our national sports to be sorted-out. In any case, while our politicians – of all hues – like the publicity to be gained from being seen at the big, set-piece sporting occasions, they lang syne discovered, having to deal with the guys running our main sporting bodies is a short cut to headaches and ultimately delirium.

As I have said before, there is a protocol in Ayrshire junior football – the village idiot gets onto the local club committee. In senior football they send the VI to Hampden to sit on the many SFA comittees, while in rugby, the useless committee-man the club wants kept out of the way, is sent to the various fora and from there onto the SRU Council. (I know, occasionally, mistakes are made and someone half-way competent finds his way onto this body, but, there are always enough numpties already there to offset and good sense they might bring).

I am still trying to work-out quite why The Fat Controller and The Thin Controller ever decided to get involved with the stumblebums who stalk the sixth-floor corridor at Hampden. No possible good can ever come of associating with a bunch of preening half-wits, permanently trying to stay on the good side of the Bigot Brothers; totally unaware, as those of us who can think for ourselves have long known – there is no good side to the Bigot Brothers.

It has always been my belief, in this issue of where the Scottish football team plays its home games: wee Peter Lawwell, Celtic's CEO, is playing the SFA and the SRU off against each other so, he can at some point, step in and offer Celtic Park as an alternative home for Scotland's home games and the big cup finals. And getting the Dublin Murphyia to accept “the San Giro” as the venue for the 2019 Guinness PRO14 final is all part of the plot I think.

The logistical case for Murrayfield is overwhelming. When the SRU did-up Murrayfield, they did it properly; when Queen's Park and the SFA did-up Hampden, they messed it up fairly comprehensively. But, it is the emotive case for Hampden that the SRU is having to fight. And sporting emotion is an unfair adversary.

All those memories: Alec Cheyne's goal direct from a corner in 1929; those two huge attendances in 1937; Great Britain v the Rest of Europe in 1947; Archie Robertson's equalising goal from Clyde, direct from a corner, in 1955; Real Madrid v Eintracht in 1960; Maradona's goal in 1979; Kenny Dalglish's final Scotland goal v Spain; Leigh Griffiths' two free-kicks against England in 1917 – there's 88 years-worth of raw Hampden emotion for you – how do you fight that?

No, the SRU should stay well clear of the SFA, leave them to sort-out their own failings around Hampden. In any case, should Murrayfield prevail - the first time the Bigot Brothers come calling at Murrayfield together will, in one afternoon, convince even the SRU Council – we boobed in hosting these people – how do we get out of this deal.

  Taking it easy - The Eagles playing Hampden

By the way, if you're interested, my best Hampden memory – my late wife and I went to an Eagles gig there in about 2002. On the way out, I met an old sports-writing friend, there with his missus. We both agreed, leaving Hampden feeling very-happy and glad to be alive was an unusual occurrence.

In Sport - Home Is Where The Money Is

WHILE I was mulling-over yesterday's blog, about franchises, I had a wee chat with another of the Scottish Rugby Writers' 'Last of the Summer Wine' platoon. We were discussing the North American sports franchising system – as used by the NBA, NFL etc, and he came up with an interesting hypothesis which he asked me to consider.

 

Oakland/LA Raiders - have had more homes than the Queen

In North American sport, franchises moving is not uncommon. Take the NFL's Raiders, for instance: born in Oakland, moved to LA, now back in Oakland, but they could yet move again, back to the other side of LA, or even to Las Vegas.

The Cleveland Browns moved to Batimore, after Baltimore relocated to Indianapolis or somewhere else in the “flyover” states. And, of course, in baseball, the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to LA in 1958, while their erstwhile New York rivals the Giants, later moved to San Francisco. And that's merely four I thought of, off the top of my head.

So, the hypothesis is this. In the first season, one of the three Edinburgh franchises finds itself squeezed. They get out-bid for new players they have tried to recruit, their core fans refuse to watch them, sticking with the long-established amateur club. They finish bottom of the table, their sponsors pull back and they discover they cannot continue.

Scenario 1: A well-heeled chap, from somewhere without a franchise: Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow maybe, comes along and agrees to take-over the franchise, but move it to his chosen new location. What would the SRU say?

Scenario 2: The franchise itself, realises it isn't working where they are, but, a club, elsewhere in their original Scottish Rugby region, which was unsuccessful in trying to obtain one of the six franchises, offers to host the franchise, if they will move to the new location. What would the SRU say?

Scenario 3: One of the franchises collapses mid-season. Might the SRU live-up to Mark Dodson's opening launch boast: “If we do not get enough recruits, we will start our own franchise” and set-up a replacement from scratch. In which case, what would the other five franchises say?

Mind you, potential franchise collapse, franchises moving – these scenarios could all be the products of over-febrile journalist's imagination. We can never say never, but, if any of these things happen, it's a good two years away.

The more-immediate train wreck will come over the placement of the franchise-owners' “core” clubs in the pyramid of Scottish Rugby. When The Fat Controller wrote the original franchise plan, he was certain the franchises, which we now know will be Ayr Raiders, Boroughmuir Bears, Goldenacre Gladiators, Real Melrose, Stirling County and Myreside Mustangs – or whatever, only the Boroughmuir and Stirling names are certain, will be the franchise names – they would play in the Super-6.

The franchise plan, as originally envisaged, identified the eventual six franchises as being “beacons of excellence within their regions” and, let us not forget: “there will be no more than two franchises in any one region.”

Had the SRU stuck with that, we would have seen – ideally: a franchise covering the Grampian and North of Scotland area; a franchise covering Angus, Fife, Perthshire, Stirlingshire, Clackmannanshire; one franchise in Edinburgh; one franchise in the Borders and two in Glasgow and the West – one covering the city and its environs, the second based on Bill Nolan's SWARC sub-region.

But, between a lack of ambition and co-operation in Aberdeen and Dundee, and the Murrayfield Minions and Bill Gammell's selection committee fucking things up, we have ended up in a right moger, out of which there seems no way.

Then, unable to stop digging, The Fat Controller made a bad situation worse, when he announced: “Super-6 will come under the umbrella of Domestic Rugby.”

I cannot reiterate this too-many times: This has been one fuck-up after another.

But, what of Ayr, Boroughmuir, Heriot's, Melrose, Stirling and Watsonians, where will they play – given the National League 1 clubs, and probably the National League 2 teams, are resolute in their determination NOT to see them shoe-horned into their League.

Let's take a look at how they do things in the USA, the home of the sports franchise, by looking at baseball. There the interest is in Major League Baseball (MLB). This is where we find the big clubs – the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs etc. Here, each franchise declares, at the start of each season – their 25-man playing roster; the equivalent of our six rugby franchises' 35-man roster.

But, below that, each MLB club also has a 40-man reserve roster. To keep them more-or-less up to speed and ready to play their part when called into “The Show”, as MLB is known, these guys play for affiliated clubs to the MLB side.

We might well consider these affiliated clubs as the baseball equivalent of our six franchises' “core” clubs, although, in truth the relationship is not that close. These players will play for their affiliated club in one of the Minor Leagues – which are all independent, but split into categories. The top minor leagues are AAA (triple A rated), dropping through AA, to A to C standard. These leagues are regionalised around North America, which is, of course, a much-bigger patch than little old Scotland.

 George M Steinbrenner Field, Tampa - not bad for a wee team

For instance, the mighty New York Yankees' affiliated club in Florida – the Tampa Bay Tarpons, play in the AA-Advanced Florida State League. Their home is the 10,000 capacity George M Steinbrenner Field. This arena, named after the Yankees' legendary and also notorious long-time owner, is where the Yankees do their spring training prior to the long MLB season.

I suppose the Scottish equivalent would be for “Goldenacre Gladiators” to have Heriot's Rugby as an affiliated club; with Goldenacre Gladiators playing out of Goldenacre, and Heriot's playing out of Inverleith – which has been renamed Andy Irvine Field (sorry Stew-Mel, don't get annoyed, this is unlikely to happen).

So, whatever happens – the big debate/argument/stooshie/stair-heid rammy/free-for-all, however you describe it, will still be around, where the core clubs play.

As I have said – the four unwanted Premiership clubs, plus the unsuccessful franchise bidders, plus the other clubs with ambitions to play at a very-high level, will not have the core clubs anywhere near the Championship.

The lesser Championship and National 1 clubs will not want them anywhere near their league, while the National League 2 and 3 clubs will also, not want them near their league.

The six core clubs will rear back in horror at the thought of having to drop into the regional leagues; although, while the franchise situation is not a direct comparison with what we have come to call “the Glasgow Hawks precedent”, there are similarities.

Then, there is the fact, the whole shooting match – the establishment of a new level of competition, involving new clubs who are not subject to the normal rules as to SRU membership etc – still has to be ratified by either a special general meeting, or at the 2019 agm – just three weeks before it is due to start.

Maybe, if somebody inside Murrayfield had engaged brain before opening Mancunian mouth – a lot of this ill-feeling could have been avoided.

What If It Was Ronald Rather Than Mark Who Was Running Stupid-6?

McDonald's, or maybe KFC or Burger King, perhaps Costa or Starbucks; when you think of successful franchise operations, you think of these American corporations, rather than British franchises such as the big railway companies.

 

This guy could teach The Fat Controller how to set-up franchises

So, as Scottish Rugby prepares to go down the franchise road, what are Ayr, Boroughmuir, Heriot's, Melrose, Stirling County and Watsonians liable to be – examples of trans-Athlantic “can-do” business expertise working, or of unnecessary British tinkering with an established system failing to satisfy the customers?

A franchise, any kind of franchise, is a business deal, between franchisee – in this case the six clubs, and franchisor – the SRU. Let's ignore the deeply-flawed SRU model, and see what say McDonald's looks for when it decides to award a franchise.

New franchises are offered for sale, when the core corporation sets out to grow its business in a new area. McDonald's for instance, will not offer a new franchise 600-yards along the road from an existing one – unless that existing franchise was already doing record-breaking business, with queues out of the door all day, every day, or, where there is – such as in large city centres – massive passing “foot fall” of potential trade.

They will, instead, try to grow the brand by taking it to new locations.

[I should say here, MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises in North America are only offered as “expansion” franchises, into new cities. These are perhaps, although much higher finances are involved, the closest equaivalent I can find to a major sports governing body, such as the SRU, offering franchises]

No way would any of the major North American sports offer franchises just along the road from existing teams, and, the idea of offering three new franchises within one city could never come up.

So, what is involved in taking-on say our McDonald's franchise? A look at the corporation's corporate web site gives some insight, starting with a list of myths about McDonalds.

This tells us:

1. You don't have to be a millionaire to buy a McDonald's franchise, but, you do need £110,000 in “unencumbered funds.”
   
   
2. You don't need restaurant experience
   
   
3. You will receive nine months' of unpaid training from McDonald's
   
   
4. You will have to divest yourself of other business interests
   
   
5. Potentially, you might have to re-locate, as the McDonald's corporate site makes clear: “We have UK-wide opportunities and will always strive to place you in the right community for you and your business”
    
6. You have to pay ongoing fees to McDonald's: “monthly percentage fee based on the sales and profitability (usually between 10% and 18%), plus 5% service fees for the use of the McDonald’s system.”
   
   
7. You will be required to spend 4.5% of your net sales on advertising.

 

How might these seven pointers operate in the SRU franchises?

I just wonder, did the six clubs all have £110,000 in “unencumbered funds” to invest in their new franchise. Or, perhaps more to the point – did they all have the minimum £65,000 funding the SRU was looking for, and was that seed cash “unencumbered?”

I think we can take the rugby experience as read. But, what, if any training in running a semi-professional team are these officials from “amateur” clubs going to receive?

How might the “divesting of other rugby interests” work when it comes to “amateur core clubs?”

Relocation, now that is interesting. We already know, Ayr are looking to leave Alloway for “Ayrton Senna”; Melrose are reported to be at least training in Edinburgh, with some people thinking as a precursor to moving the franchise there, while Heriot's are reportedly re-locating their franchise to the other end of Goldenacre.

Ongoing fees to the SRU – that would be interesting.

Having to spend 4.5% of net sales on advertising. Wonder how that might work.

McDonald's say in their franchising advertising, taking on a McDonald's franchise is a 20-year commitment. Well, the SRU are not asking for as long a buy-in, they are only offering a five-year franchise, which, on the downside, offers less opportunity to get over the loss-making early days of growing brand recognition, prior to, hopefully eventually turning a profit.

The explanation as to how McDonald's pick their successful new franchisees is also interesting. It is a ten-stage process, much-more rigourously undertaken by McDonald's, the franchisor, than ever appears to have been the case with the SRU's franchise scheme.

I also don't see McDonald's moving the goal posts half-way through the recruitment process - “no more than two franchises in one region” anyone.

Then you look at your average McDonald's restaurant. In out of town locations, one branch looks the same as any other. They have a basic design which works. Some might be larger than others, but, the basic template is there.

Might we then see identikit stadia being built to host our six franchises? Will they all have 3G pitches? Will there be minimum standards set-out for grandstands, floodlights, press boxes, etc?

The reality, of course is, you cannot totally compare a sporting franchise with a business one. It would never do to have exactly the same menu at all six venues, that would be boring in the extreme.

McDonald's aim for consistency across their supply chain. Their farmers only grow certain types of potatoes for the fries, they tend to use the same breed of cattle for the meat, the same breed of chicken for the chicken, and only cod goes into the fillet o' fish. The SRU franchises will not be restricted to using players who are perhaps cloned from the SRU's notion of the ideal, while the coaches will not be required to use the same tactics and calls.

In short, these are not franchises as such – so, why use the term. To me, they are a means of the SRU exercising control over a greater share of the game – without having to spend too-much money on getting that control.

They could have accepted reality – and been honest with Scottish Rugby. They could have said:

• "The Premiership is supposed to prepare players for a professional career"
  
  
• They didn't
  
  
•   “The Premiership is failing in this duty to provide players for a professional career because...”
  
  
• Then shown proven evidence of this failing
  
  
• "We are therefore taking control of the Premiership away from Domestic Rugby and placing that league under the control of the Performance Department"
  
  
• But they didn't
  
  
• "We will follow the example of our Irish and Welsh friends and establish A teams, linked to the two professional teams, these squads will be a mix of fringe professionals, Academy players and the best of the Premiership players. They will be full-time and part of the Edinburgh and Glasgow set-up"
  
  
• But they didn't
  
  
• They could have – as many people suggested they should have – gone down the District route, taking the most-impressive potential professionals temporarily out of the club scene and “hot-housing” them in a short, sharp tournament, to decide which reacted best under pressure and might therefore be worth taking a chance on with the full-time professionals.

In short, the SRU have not gone into franchising in a business-like manner. They have not even looked at best-practise for sports franchises.

More and more the conclusion must be – they don't know what they are doing and, by their actions, they could be leading six good, long-established clubs into trouble.

McDonald's would never be as dim.