The Bear Is Shitting In The Wood Of SRU Inaction

THE GREAT Iain Milne has been banging-on about the lack of “ordinary” adult players playing rugby in Scotland for some time now. He has famously said: “The trouble is, we don't have enough “bad” players playing the game.” It is an issue which concerns him.

 Iain Milne - concerned for the long-term health of Scottish Rugby

“The Bear” was on his hobby horse again, in the course of a spirited Facebook debate at the weekend, one which I thought deserved to be discussed further. It all kicked-off with something Bill Lothian posted, regarding the supposed Edinburgh revival.

The debate then took a diversion into a wee bit about Super-6, before settling down on the matter of club rugby, with The Bear saying this:

“We need to move forward now, there is not a lot of time to get things right at club level. I would doubt we had many more than 4,000 adult males playing the game on Saturday, these numbers cannot sustain the game in the future.“

I reckoned that “4,000 adult males playing the game on Saturday,” estimate from big Iain looked dubious, then I checked. On Saturday, 81 league games were played, across the 4 “national” leagues (Premiership and Nationals 1, 2 and 3) and 13 Regional leagues in Scotland. Assuming each team had a 20-man squad, that's 3240 adult male players involved.

In addition, 22 Reserve League games were played. If we assume an average of 35 players per game (2x15s plus some replacements), that gives us another 770 players in action, making a grand total of 4010 adult males playing rugby in Scotland on Saturday.

Only one scheduled league fixture at 1^st XV level was unplayed on Saturday – a 99% completion rate. However, 35 Reserve League games were scheduled for Saturday, but only 22 of these, or 63% were actually played. Overall, 88% of Saturday's scheduled adult male games went ahead.

In all, across Scotland, around 150 clubs are fielding at least one XV in first team league games on a Saturday – while a look at my latest edition of the SRU Handbook (2017-2018), listed some 250 adult male clubs in either full or associate membership of the SRU. I arrived at that figure by discounting the likes of “invitation” clubs such as Co-optimists, or the overseas clubs – London and Hong Kong Scottish.

But, even allowing that, this means, only 60% of Scotland's rugby clubs are playing on any given Saturday. I accept, the colleges and university sector has largely withdrawn from league rugby – they now mostly play in the BUCS (British Universities and College Sport) competitions, which are mostly played on a Wednesday afternoon.

Certainly, many students, as they have always done, continue to play for their home clubs on a Saturday, and we have such student teams as GUM (Glasgow University Medics) playing in the leagues.

But, can some way not be found, whereby some of the smaller – perhaps more social clubs and more university clubs - can be got playing regularly on a Saturday?

If even half of these irregular clubs could be helped to put out a team on a Saturday, that would be a further 1000 players, a 25% increase on the current number, playing. That has to be a good thing.

Again, I turn to the wise words of The Bear, who said:

“As I will keep saying the biggest issue in club rugby is the lack of adult players playing the game. The club game is not sustainable in its current form unless we increase the numbers. I am not talking financial though the more playing will generate more income but the lack of new volunteers for the future.

“The Super 6 is nothing to do with “ Grass Roots Rugby” it’s about giving a vehicle for young elite players to bridge the gap to pro rugby. Our game at the top level and by that I mean Super 6 upwards is in quite a strong place.

It’s proper club rugby that is dying, by that I mean 2xv, 3xv ( very few clubs) and 4thxv rugby. Take a look at the SRU league site, see how many games actually took place and how many reserve games are cancelled. (I have dealt this this point of Iain's above.)

“Let the Super 6 take its course but let’s concentrate on getting more bad players playing the game and enjoying our club room banter.

This is really controversial and I appreciate the work done by our club volunteers but clubs are failing in their duty to produce a product that young adults may enjoy.
With the 10,000 ‘s of youngsters (U18) playing but not coming into the adult game something is not working.

It is not a simple problem to solve but there are actions the clubs could take that would make a difference.”

Unfortunately, The Bear did not make any suggestions as to what actions clubs could take. However, on the basis of actions speaking louder than words, I could suggest, the big man has acted, through his part, along with the Calder twins, in setting-up Ferry Road Wanderers – the new Stewart's-Melville/Heriot's composite club, aimed at getting more of Iain's “bad players” playing.

As far as I can tell, FRW has a squad, some of whom are, and I do not mean this unkindly: “Has Beens and Never Weres” - experienced older players who still feel the need to get out an have a run around on a Saturday, augmented with some younger, fresher “legs”; guys who had a good grounding at the two rugby-playing school, but, who have yet to show they are ready for higher things in the Stew-Mel and Heriot's first and second team squads.

This is an old rugby ploy, back in the days – before squads and wholesale replacements - of multiple XVs being fielded. Most clubs had a “social XV”, where good players who could not devote the necessary time to training, could strut their stuff, and if, along the way, they helped develop a few players who could move up to the club's top XV, that was a bonus. But, the main idea was to enjoy the game and the craic afterwards.

We need to get more of these sorts of teams playing – for the overall health of Scottish Rugby. We have become too-focused on if not elite rugby, then performance rugby at whatever level.

Dealing only with the professional, and from next season, semi-professional side of the game suits the “suits.” But - “fewer but stronger,” simply will not cut it for the great majority of Scotland's clubs and players.

So: More power to Iain Milne's crusade on behalf of “bad players”.

Simply The Worst

WEEK FOUR of the season, and let's get the bad bit over with first. That horrible Glasgow Warriors performance, against Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth was quite simply the worst display I have ever seen from any Scottish team. It was right up there with such football lowlights as the Iran game in 1978 and Kenny Dalglish's final cap, against Luxembourg.

I thought of my old friend the late David Francey (above) – that was, indeed: “Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! Disaster for Glasgow.”

As for Edinburgh, well, I wasn't expecting much from their trip to Dublin to face Leinster, so I wasn't disappointed when they did indeed lose. But, the red card for Pierre Schoeman – well, South African props have never been known for their intelligence and common, far less good sense.

MEANWHILE, back at home, it's normal service at the top of the Tennent's Premiership, with Ayr and Melrose unbeaten and with the maximum number of bonus-point wins at the top of the table. And, with second-placed Ayr due to host the 'Rose, at Millbrae on Saturday – plus the annual Oktoberfest Beer Festival taking place, Millbrae will be the place to be on Saturday.

I must admit, I didn't fancy Ayr's chances of maintaining their unbeaten start to the season and keeping hold of the Bill McLaren Shield, at Goldenacre on Saturday. Certainly, a great first half had them in the box seat, but, back came Heriot's, and it was touch and go, before Man of the Match Frazier Climo sealed it for Ayr at the death. The Nails, however, remain in third spot.

Frazier Climo - the Kiwi was in great form for Ayr at Goldenacre

Melrose, meanwhile, continued their high-scoring start to the season with a comfortable 38-5 victory over still winless Edinburgh Academical. If it was tight at Goldenacre, it was even-closer at Bridgehaugh, where a very young Stirling County XV, containing no less than eight teenagers, edged out Currie Chieftains 27-24. Currie, however, remain fourth in the table, just ahead of County.

Boroughmuir hold sixth place in the table, in spite of going down 14-23 to seventh-placed Watsonians. At Meggetland. The final game in the league on Saturday was at Mansfield Park, where in the battle of two sides, each seeking their first win, the young Glasgow Hawks, their youth somewhat offset by having four Warriors in their ranks, including capped wingers Lee Jones and Lelia Masaga, proved too-strong for the young and professionalless Hawick; Hawks winning 47-27.

MARR'S 41-17 win over Kirkcaldy at Beveridge Park, was the first time the Fifers have lost at home for 18-months. So, something to celebrate for the Troon lads, but, of greater importance to them was the fact, the win put them top of National League 1.

GHA went second, following their 43-36 win in a high-scoring match at Musselburgh, ahead of Aberdeen GSFP, who won 46-33 at Kelso. Fourth place is held by Jed-forest, who beat Gala 50-24 at Riverside – the only home team to win in this division on Saturday.

Selkirk's 45-34 win at Cartha-Queen's Park took the Soutars above the Braw Lads into fifth place. The top two have 17 points, third and fourth have 16 points with the two Borders clubs on 15. Two points covering the top half of the table, that's a competitive league, and no mistake. The final game in this division on Saturday was at Mayfield, Dundee, where visitors Hamilton beat Dundee HSFP 40-27.

NATIONAL League 2 is led by Biggar, the only unbeaten team of the dozen. They went top after a comfortable 58-7 home win over Falkirk. Second place is occupied by Highland, whose trip back up the A9 on Saturday night was certainly a happy one, after their 47-15 win at Whitecraigs.

Peebles may have lost 31-38 to GHK at Old Anniesland on Saturday, but, they remain third, ahead of Stewart's-Melville, who won 17-13 at Lasswade. The final two games saw Glasgow Academicals beat Howe of Fife 40-31 at New Anniesland and Preston Lodge beat Dumfries Saints 29-21 at Pennypit Park.

NEWTON STEWART were the only one of the 46 Premiership and National League sides to not concede a point on Saturday, beating Hillhead-Jordanhill 27-0 at Hughenden. That performance took them to the head of Natonal League 3, ahead of similarly unbeaten West of Scotland and Gordonians.

West, like Newton, are on 19 points, following their very good 43-5 Burnbrae win over Carrick. Gordonians are one point off the pace, and on Saturday they had a huge 74-5 home win over bottom club Haddington.

Ardrossan Academicals lie fourth, following their 39-10 home win over Orkney, with Perthshire lying fifth after their 45-23 home win over St Boswell's.

EAST REGION 1 is led by Royal High, 43-17 winners at Portobello on Saturday. Royal High have a one point lead over Berwick, who beat Linlithgow 39-14 on Saturday. Defending champions Hawick Harlequins lie third, a further point behind. These are the only unbeaten clubs in the league, while Quins, who were the idle team in the 11-club division on Saturday, have a game in hand over the two above them.

Ex-Hawk Brendan McGroarty - now flying high with Greenock Wanderers

WEST REGION 1 is led by Greenock Wanderers, who beat Allen Glen's 50-32 at the Bearyard on Saturday – Wanderers' fourth straight bonus-point win. Wanderers are averaging 51 points per game, to hold a five point lead over East Kilbride, who won 36-20 at fourth-placed Annan. Glen's occupy third place in this division.

CALEDONIAN 1 is headed by Strathmore, the last unbeaten team in the division, who had a 17-32 win at Dunfermline on Saturday. Glenrothers lie second following their 50-7 home win over Harris Academy FP.

HILLHEAD-JORDANHILL made it five wins from five starts to head the Women's Premier Division, winning 48-24 at Stirling County. Second place is held by Watsonians, who had the biggest win of the day, putting 109 points on Stewartry Sirens, without reply. The ongoing problems of Murrayfield Wanderers saw that club, for so long the standard-bearers of Women's Rugby in Scotland, fail to fulfil their fixture for the fourth straight week.

Oban Lorne head the Women's National League, following their 70-0 win at Greenock Wanderers. That makes it five from five for Lorne. Garioch went four wins from four starts, by winning 48-7 at Howe of Fife. These are the only two unbeaten clubs in this division.

Listen, Do You Want To Know A Secret? Well, Murrayfield Isn't Telling You.

REMEMBER this little quote – from back in the day, after “Russellgate” erupted, following Keith Russell's ten-try, bonus-point win over the SRU at his Employment Tribunal?

Announcing the “Independent” review into the circumstances surrounding Russell's dismissal and the court case, in the wake of the ensuing shit storm, Chief Executive Officer Mark Dodson, aka “The Fat Controller”, told the world:

“We're not hiding – there will be no secrets.”

Following the release of the Review statement, there is only one response to that one:

“Aye Right!!”

Now, in the wake of that “Independent” review being published, Keith Russell – in an interview with Tom English of BBC Shortbread, has said: “Scottish Rugby has not learned the lessons of the failings in its governance and is continuing to dig a hole for itself.”

At the SRU's annual general meeting in August, outgoing president Rob Flockhart spoke of: “a cloud over Scottish Rugby," because of the Russell affair. Colin Grassie, chairman of the SRU board, said the union was "not proud of this episode". No place there for Sir Alex Ferguson then.

Look who The Fat Controller has morphed into now

But, for The Fat Controller, absolutely castigated by Employment Tribunal head, Judge Joseph d'Inverno: he channelled his inner Reg Dwight. For him: Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word.

Actually, a couple of lines from that Elton John classic are surely apt:

“It's a sad, sad situation,
And it's getting more and more absurd.”

The Fat Controller comes across as a total bully – he has a long track record of bullying, and he seems quite proud of it. He also appears to think he is untouchable. No contrition, not even: “with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps.....” And we are stuck with him for at least another three years. He appears to be master of all he surveys.

In his BBC Shortbread interview, Keith Russell makes another interesting point: He said: "Its (the Review's) first recommendation on how to improve the governance is about strengthening the human resource capability within Murrayfield, but in my case there was no failing on the part of the human resource team. It was a failing on the part of the chief executive [Dodson], and the general counsel, who knew what the human resource process was telling them and then chose to ignore it.

"The HR people at Murrayfield are fine. There is no lack of HR expertise. The problem is that there is a culture within the organisation of getting rid of people and then silencing them through Non-Disclosure Agreements [NDAs]."

There is an impression abroad that Dodson runs the SRU. Yes, he is responsible for day-to-day activities inside Murrayfield. BUT, Dodson and the other paid employees are supposed to have their activities overseen, their decisions reviewed and where necessary overruled, by the people who are supposed to be the real ringmasters inside The Big Top – the SRU Council.

If The Fat Controller and any of the other paid staff mess-up, the Council is supposed to step in and bring them to heel. Clearly this was not happening. The people who got us into the mess – by not doing the job they were elected to do, are the Council.

Some of the real failures - The SRU Council members who let this clusterfuck happen

So, step forward – Past President Rob Flockhart – now an SRU Trustee – current President Dee Bradbury, and Council Members: Peter Laverie, Colin Rigby, Andy Little, Willie Gardner, Adam Grey, Dr John Hlliday, Kenneth Knott, Rosey Hume and the now past-members: – the elected Council members at the time all this was going on - Graeme Scott, Jim Littlefair, Alan Brown, Graeme Kerr and Mike Monro:

• You are the guys who took your eyes off the ball
  
  
• You are the guys who did not do the job you were elected to do
  
  
• You failed to “review the operational activity delegated to the Board,”
  
  
• You failed to “review and advise on matters of policy and strategy”
  
  
• You failed to oversee the activities of the Executive
  
  
• You, rather than The Fat Controller – who appears to think: “Never apologise – never explain” can refer to Commoners a well as Royalty, got us into this moger.

When you signed-off on Board and Executive decisions, such a the one when they decided to sack Keith Russell; you accepted The Fat Controller's reasoning and his excuses for the costly outcome of Keith Russell's successful Employment Tribunal case.

You let down your constituents – big style.

At the very least, you owe the guys who voted you into these lofty positions and expected you to be the guardians of the game – a sincere apology. And I don't think such an apology, if offered, would be enough.

If your decision to back The Fat Controller was a unanimous one – then you ladies and gentlemen who remain on the Council, should seriously consider your positions. You are responsible.

There is an impression within the game that some of you are rather too-comfortable in the posh seats at BT Murrayfield. Nobody in the body of the Scottish Rugby kirk objects to you enjoying the perks of office – the oportunity to exchange small talk with the Princess Royal, access to the top level of th SRU purvey and so forth.

But, in return, we expect you to make the correct choices when it comes to management decisions. In passing this bland example of corporate gobbledegook, you – who were implicated in the whole clusterfuck, and the five newomers to the Council – who passed Friday's bland release - made the wrong choice.

There was, in the event of dissent among the Council, a case for a minority report being released; that possibility should have been addressed. However, the feedback I have had since Friday clearly indicates – the lack of censure for the disgraceful actions of The Fat Controller and the Consigliore is the official SRU line – the Gospel according to Murrayfield.

Well, I for one, have a long and proud past record of hermeneutics (look it up), and when it comes to accepting this review – I am a proud heretic, and I am not alone.

Murrayfield – you have a big problem. There is a perception in the wider world of Scottish Rugby, of an ominpotent CEO ruling the Council, rather than the other way round. Battening down the hatches and hoping it will go away, or be forgotten, will not work this time.

Not Just Bullshit - Weapons Grade, SRU Bullshit - The Best There Is

KEITH RUSSELL was either very lucky, or a genius like his son. When he opted not to take the money and walk, but to fight his unfair sacking, he took the sort of gamble Finn faces on a weekly basis, when he (Finn) decides to take on three bigger back row opponents. As with his son on the field, when Keith decided to take on the bullies in SRU suits,in the industrial tribunal court room – it could all have got messy for him.

 Keith Russell - not a mention of his case in the review document

But, Keith took the gamble and it paid-off, when Judge d'Inverno ruled in his favour, awarded him a very generous six-figure settlement and allowed him to get on with his life, away from the “toxic” atmosphere of BT Murrayfield. Good luck Keith Russell.

But, what of the rest of us in Scottish Rugby? Those club officials, giving of their free time to keep the local club which means so much to them going; the ordinary players, trying to remain fit and competitive in a game which appears to ask more of its participants every season, for no apparent gain other than being able to play this wonderful game?

What of these former players, who want to relive their youth by going down to the club of a Saturday, watching their successors play – perhaps having a moan: “Naw, this present lot arenae as guid as we were,” as they sup their post-match pints – only to discover, the game they wanted to watch was off, because the opposition couldn't raise a team?

Scottish Rugby is in a mess. It is a mess of its own making. And, if yesterday's 1703 words of soothing pish, this: “Joint Statement from the Board and Council” was meant to help clean-up that mess – it has failed – spectacularly.

Jock Craig, John Jeffrey, Davie Rollo and “Muff” Scobbie are perhaps the best-known farmers in Scottish Rugby, I bet these four legends, even on the day they put the beasts back out in the fields after a winter indoors, have never been confronted by such a huge steaming pile of bullshit as that review document.

A veteran hack described the document as: “One huge fudge,” adding: “And too much fudge makes you sick.”

Why, even Morry and the Ferryman – who some of us feel are contractually-obliged to not rock the boat, managed to show, as much as they are allowed, they were slightly-miffed at the sugar-coated pile of keech which emerged yesterday.

The Herald and The Hootsmon demonstrate their take on the Review document

They would be as well donning black suits, black shirts and dog collars, and standing outside BT Murrayfield, holding aloft signs reading: “Careful now”, and: “Down with this sort of thing.”

How can you conduct a review into “Russellgate” and Judge d'Inverno's “toxic culture within Murrayfield,” use up 1703 words, and fail to mention either Keith Russell's sacking, or the good Judge's view on the working culture?

Or might “Cher” as she sits among her peers in whatever posh Edinburgh howff the College of Advocates frequent, be able to say with pride: “I was warned to not mention the War, I think I got away with it.”

And what of the main man or men. The word was, the review, when released, would not make good reading for The Fat Controller and The Consigliore.

“The counsel cannot survive, his reputation has been shredded,” was the whisper from inside The Big Top, as the worker ants have named BT Murrayfield.

“They cannot afford to sack The Fat Controller, but, his power-base has eroded, his wings have been clipped and he is looking for an out,” was another whisper.

The pair had driven a D9 bulldozer through Employment Law, only to run into the bigger, stronger, more-powerful D11, driven by the Employment Tribunal Judge d'Inverno, by whom they were verbally flayed. Their actions cost the SRU, certainly in Keith Russell's case, a significant six-figure sum – but, you can, as I have, go through the entire document line by line – and you will still find no mention of either; far less a word of censure.

I have had club officials, whose previous conversations with me on rugby matters on which I have blogged has been: “I think you went a bit too-far there, and were a tad unfair,” absolutely furious at the review and how it has been mishandled.

The Court of Rugby Public Opinion has considered its verdict, which is: that this is a black day for Scottish Rugby, and it leaves the Executive and the game itself in a bad place.

We learn from the review document: “lessons have been learned.” FFS, various incompetent political parties and governments have been using “lessons have been learned” for decades. The only lesson that has been learned is: when the public read that, they just know little or nothing will change.

We are told, the new Governance Committee under Gavin MacColl QC, will consider how governance can be improved, and report back – why does this not fill me with hope?

The President confronts her CEO about the Review document

The Mancunian “Nelson Munz” is still strutting around the school yard in EH12. He still has the confidence of “Chairman Montgomery Burns” and “Edna Krabappel” is still finding her feet at Murrayfield Elementary.

I want to finish by telling you a story. In the media game, you come across all sorts of people, and I was recently chatting to a fellow journalist, who encountered The Fat Controller in his previous life in the newspaper industry. He told me this.

When he was running the Guardian's stable of weekly newspapers, The Fat Controller had a different nickname. The Mothers and Fathers of the various Chapels (that's shop stewards in the print industry, where every trades union branch is a chapel) knew him as: “That C*** Dodson.”

With the Guardian, he adopted a policy of fewer but stronger – closing weekly titles and working from fewer, larger production units. The Guardian eventually sold-off their weekly titles at a loss, and TCD walked away with a nice thick severance cheque.

Well, it worked for him once, why not twice? Just saying.

A Cry Of "Pish" Ran Through The Crowd

Joint statement from the Scottish Rugby Board and Council

Following previous statements on 9 June and 17 June 2018, and comments made by the Scottish Rugby President and Chairman at the Scottish Rugby AGM on 4 August 2018, the Council and Board of Scottish Rugby wish to provide the following update.

As was noted on 17 June 2018 Lesley Thomson QC, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and former Solicitor General for Scotland was asked to conduct a full review to look into the sequence of events that led to the recent employment tribunal and matters in respect of its findings.

It was also noted at the 2018 AGM by Chairman Colin Grassie that the Board would also review, with the aid of external independent experts, the use of settlement agreements within Scottish Rugby.

This work has now concluded. The Board have taken appropriate time to fully consider Ms Thomson’s extensive report. The steps taken by the Board throughout this process and the recommendations made by Ms Thomson have also been considered by the Scottish Rugby Council as part of their oversight responsibility.

Both bodies have accepted the recommendations Ms Thomson has put forward and have committed to implementing changes in relevant operational areas and procedures within Scottish Rugby to reflect the recommendations.

These include:

• Strengthening Human Resource capability and resource at a senior level to reflect the growing scope of Scottish Rugby as a diverse and complex organisation with multiple staffing needs and expanding legal responsibilities.
  
  
• Recognition that settlement agreements are a legitimate facility which should be retained, but are not to be used as part of performance management procedures.
  
  
• Any other use of settlement agreements to be in exceptional circumstances only, with advance approval of the Board’s Remuneration Committee and following ACAS codes of practice and guidance, if they are to be used.
  
  
• An enhanced remit for the Remuneration Committee of the Board providing for:
  
  
• (i) Reporting to the Committee of performance management issues,
  
  
• (ii) Committee approval for any dismissals of any employee whose initial appointment was subject to Committee approval, and
  
  
• (iii) Committee approval in future of any request to use a settlement agreement
  .
• A full endorsement of the decision to conduct a governance review, led by Independent Chair Gavin MacColl QC, to examine governance structures and ensure they are fit for purpose in a modern and transparent rugby environment.

Following on from the commitment made at the AGM to examine the use of off-field settlement agreements, external experts PwC were commissioned to review the 14 off-field settlement agreements entered into since September 2011. They also met with a number of former employees as part of their work.

PwC’s review identified that there were various reasons for making the 14 Settlement Agreements. For a certain number of the Settlement Agreements reviewed, PWC considered that the documentation available did not make it immediately obvious why those Settlement Agreements were considered necessary. Scottish Rugby provided additional context in this regard.

In relation to the content of the Settlement Agreements themselves, PwC considered them to be in line with what would be expected, such as evidence of independent legal advice received by the employee, evidenced by a solicitor’s certificate contained within each Agreement.

The Board also conducted additional checks on agreements entered into in the same period relating to the early termination of fixed term contracts of on-field non-playing staff, with similar conclusions reached and shared with the Council.

Any future use of settlement agreements will continue to be by exception and only with the prior approval of the Remuneration Committee of the Board.

Scottish Rugby Board and Council, after taking external, independent legal advice and in line with staff privacy policies and data protection legislation, have confirmed that no further information within Ms Thomson’s report can be made public.

Scottish Rugby Chairman Colin Grassie said: “I would like to thank Lesley Thomson QC for her exhaustive report which has helped us to reflect and work through issues raised by this recent sequence of events.

“It is vital as an expanding organisation that we adopt the necessary learnings from this process to enable us to prepare for the next phase of our growth and increasing complexity in various aspects of the game. With the help of independent, external professional advisers we have reviewed relevant operational areas and recognised that improvements needed to be made.

“Following a long and thorough exercise the Board remain clear about its role and having absorbed and acted upon lessons learned, will now move on.

“The Board and Council reiterates its earlier position and the pride it has in the positive culture within Scottish Rugby.”

Scottish Rugby President Dee Bradbury said: “This has been a very significant and useful exercise for us to go through and I am grateful to Lesley Thomson QC for the depth and quality of the review she submitted.

“It is vital that Scottish Rugby continues to maintain high professional standards to support all areas of its business and the wider game across Scotland. The Review has enabled us to focus on areas where we can improve, as well as reviewing current practices.

“This has been a disconcerting period for Scottish Rugby’s hard-working and talented staff and on behalf of the Council I would like to thank them for their continued support.

“As Scottish Rugby grows the time is also right for the governance between Board and Council to be reviewed and updated where appropriate and I look forward to working with Gavin MacColl QC on this important piece of work in the coming months.

“I would actively encourage all our clubs to participate fully in both the consultation process on issues related to player payment and league structures and in due course, the wider governance review.”

Scottish Rugby reaffirms its commitment to developing rugby across the country and continues to work with member clubs to deliver the extensive Agenda 3 programme to help future-proof the grassroots game.

A significant regional restructure programme has been developed and is now being implemented. A successful external and internal recruitment programme has just concluded and details of the newly appointed Regional Directors and Regional Managers were announced this week.

A strong domestic game is vital to provide strong foundations and continue rugby’s important role in local communities and for the nation.

 

GOVERNANCE

 

As referenced by the Chairman at the AGM there is a clear need for the governance structure based on the Dunlop Report of 2005 to be updated, to better reflect the growing organisation Scottish Rugby has become and the challenges of administering the modern game. There are also certain discrete matters that have been referred for consideration by the AGM.

Scottish Rugby operates in a highly competitive and dynamic environment on a global and domestic level. This sporting landscape is constantly evolving and it is imperative Scottish Rugby keeps pace with the speed of change.

Following a briefing from Gavin MacColl QC, Independent Chair of the Council Standing Committee on Governance, the Council and Board have also approved a programme for consultation with clubs on issues related to player payments and league structures discussed at the August AGM, and taking account of the requirements of the Bye-Law changes introduced at the AGM.

The programme approved is as follows:

End September 2018 (previously communicated to clubs in July)

• Final submission date for club responses to player payment survey.
  
  
• Formal communication from Gavin MacColl QC to member clubs updating on consultation programme and timeline.
  
  
• Finalisation and distribution of 2019/20 Domestic League Structure Survey to clubs. Returns by end October 2018

October 2018 – Collation and analysis of Player Payment & Reward Survey results.

End-October to mid-November 2018 – Collation and analysis of 2019/20 Domestic League Structure Survey results.

Mid-November to end-November 2018 – Governance Committee to formulate recommendations on options/proposals and consultation method/next steps.

6 & 13 December 2018 – Board Meeting and Council Meeting. Decision points on recommendations and next steps on any recommended options/proposals.

14 December 2018 to 10 January 2019 – final consultation period with clubs on any recommended options/proposals (if required).

17 & 24 January 2019– Council Meeting and Board Meeting. Decision point on final proposal to put to clubs and any next steps.

Mid/end March 2019– SGM to approve final proposal, if required.

The Council and Board express their appreciation for Mr MacColl’s assistance and encourage all clubs to participate in the consultation process.

Mr MacColl has also updated the Council and Board on the approach that he will be adopting to the wider governance review. A small working group will be formed from stakeholders in the game, together with independent individuals with appropriate skills and experience, including governance matters, and chaired by Mr MacColl.

The detailed remit and membership of the group will be finalised in October 2018, with the group starting work formally shortly afterwards.

The working group will operate on a “review and recommend” basis and report to both the Council and the Board.

The review is intended to be wide ranging, taking account of views from within the organisation itself, clubs, stakeholders and other interested parties, as well as considering alternative corporate and governance models used elsewhere.  It is a necessarily longer-term exercise, though the intention is for updates on the Committee’s work to be provided on a regular basis.

Details on how to contribute will be released in due course, after the group has been formally constituted.

Scottish Rugby fully acknowledges the challenges presented following the outcome of the employment tribunal in June. It has acted to address them and take on board the necessary recommendations to improve our processes in the future.

Scottish Rugby remains in great health. We have seen a positive start to the domestic rugby season, good performances from our professional clubs, several significant new sponsors joining or extending their relationship with us and the launch of the new Rugby Development department and its associated appointments to work more closely with clubs in their communities.

As we enter the year to go to the Rugby World Cup 2019 we will continue to work hard to develop and support rugby in Scotland alongside our member clubs and many partners.

DURING the 2014 Independence Refrendum, a spoof film was made - you should look it up on You Tube; it was called: 'Jim Murphy - Saviour of the Union.' That priceless spoof has just been updated by the 1703 words above. Somebody will need to make: "Lesley Thomson - Saviour of the Union."

These 1703 words tell us nothing we want to know - they fail to address the principal issues raised by "Russellgate" - the way in which the Fat Controller steamrolled over all the employment legislation to be rid of someone, and the way the SRU's legal counsel allowed him to do this - thereby costing the Union a six-figure settlement figure.

With his announcement of the Review findings, we must assume, the worst that has happened to the Fat Controller and the Consigliore is, they have been told: "You are very naughty boys, now don't do it again."

This review is a whitewash, in fact, it's about one year's production at the Sandtex factory's worth of whitewash - and it still cannot cover-up, or take away the smell of pish eminating from this report.

The memorable line from 'Jim Murphy - Saviour of the Union' was: "A cry of pish ran through the crowd.

Well the same cry will resound through Scotland's rugby clubhouses tonight.