InTouch

A regular programme feature that keeps you up to date with rugby and club issues and news by Kenny Hamilton.

(These might be the views Glasgow Hawks).

Welcome to The Greens
Jim Hay has done a remarkable job with his young charges at Hawick and deserves great credit. After last season’s painful defeat at the hands of Hawks there was a clear “never again” atmosphere resurrected at Mansfield. They have confounded some pundits who suggested that they might do well to escape relegation this session and now sit in 4th spot with their eye on 3rd place or better at the season end.

Of course there is a theory that the spectre of relegation was promoted by Hawick supporters to catch the rest of us off guard.

Exciting Season
In the September programme I did predict that this would be the most exciting Championship race in many years and it appears that the Hawks team refuse to make a liar out of me. Having now made the run in for the championship interesting I would be more than happy if it very quickly became dull again.

But nobody gives you championships for putting yourself into a winning position. With 7 matches to go the championship remains firmly in the grasp of Hawks – but we need to reach out and take it.


Not Five Eighths the Team they used to be.

Part of Jim Hay’s call to arms for the Hawick team was in his comments in the match programme when we visited Mansfield on 1st October. Reminding the team and supporters of their proud history he observed that their 12 Championships are “double the amount of any other team and 10 times more than Glasgow Hawks.” Which means we have lost 0.8 of a championship someplace.

He is clearly a better coach than mathematician – and a thoroughly nice guy who has a sense of humour. I hope.

(Was Jim Telfer yer heidy?)

Still Making Progress
Lest we forget it was just 12 months ago that we were mired in the destruction of the international credibility of Scottish Rugby. The rebuilding process continues and I expect that by early next season we will see some practical difference at club level with the advent of a Regional Development process supported by reasonably significant public money.

This will be aimed at increasing the involvement and participation in our sport and there is some real enthusiasm for this across a range of the more active clubs in Scotland. I believe that Hawks should play a lead role in encouraging that development.

However, there has been no progress on putting the “Performance” group in place to try and develop the top end of the game – which includes Premier 1. While I accept that these things take time it does seem to have fallen into a black hole with no sign of activity. It’s importance in coordinating the efforts of top clubs, academies and the pro teams should not be underestimated and the sooner it is in place the better.

The next significant stage in the healing of Scottish Rugby will be the EGM that I think will be held on Sunday 5th March to finalise the Governance structure and formally remove the District set-ups.

This article was posted on 11-Jan-2006, 18:54 by Hugh Barrow.