EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
BILL LOTHIAN
THE withdrawal of top players from the conclusion of the Celtic League this weekend is liable to scare off potential investors in Scotland's three district rugby teams, it was claimed today.

Former Scotland internationalist and coach David Johnston has called on the authorities to tread warily when putting an international match against the Barbarians next Wednesday ahead of Edinburgh's clash at Murrayfield this Friday with title-chasing Leinster.

The SRU has come under attack by insisting on resting players with other issues at stake, particularly the domestic scrap between Borders and Glasgow for the second Scottish spot in next season's European Cup.

Johnston said: "Putting a stronger emphasis on essentially a bounce match against a select side than a competition which has been running all season does not, in my mind, stack up. Edinburgh [and the two other Scots teams] should have priority otherwise it is a slap in the face to a number of people.

"I am not sure what sort of message it sends out to potential investors."

The SRU was invited to comment specifically on Mr Johnston's claims but failed to respond, however, a spokesman said earlier that all options regarding selection for this weekend remained open.

Already £23million in debt with projected losses of £2-3m for the year ahead, the SRU has indicated it might be prepared to sell off the pro-teams subject to certain conditions.

While some have questioned whether the SRU is prepared to give up control, which is deemed necessary for any sale, Johnston said they had to be careful not to scare off necessary backers.

"You can question a number of aspects of the pro-teams. But it is a good thing that the SRU recognise that a total review is needed and that, financially, things cannot continue as they are.

"As for giving autonomy to the pro-teams the SRU have got to look very closely and stop backing themselves into a corner.

"Potential investors might be having second thoughts."

Johnston claimed that if players in England were able to turn out more regularly for clubs as well as country then Scots had to do likewise.

"If Jason White [Sale Sharks] can go through the schedule he has had and also play in the Six Nations then home-based players who are full time must do the same." White has started 29 competitive games for Sale and Scotland this season.

This compares with the following figures for Gunners stars Hugo Southwell (26), Chris Paterson (26), Scott Murray (26), Marcus Di Rollo (24), Ally Hogg (25), Mike Blair (23) and Simon Webster (17).

Where the system breaks down, according to Johnston, is with the insistence on closed-season touring.

Calling for players' to be given a proper summer break, he said: "There may be an element of back-scratching so that in order for teams to provide opposition for the Autumn Tests Scotland and others have to visit the southern hemisphere. But the last tour I coached Scotland on was to New Zealand in 1996 and they were not interested in us. The country was focused on Super 10, as it then was, along with All Black trials while looking forward to the Tri-Nations series.

"Touring once served Scotland well as bringing together players from different backgrounds and sending them abroad under expert coaches helped us to be a force in world rugby.

"Nowadays I don't understand the rational behind traipsing players across the world especially when development work can be done at home. To call the Baa-baas game the start of a tour doesn't register with me either.

"Although I enjoyed playing for them, including one tour when I turned out four times in five days - albeit in an amateur era - it is a fun fixture. This is distinct from when Scotland are playing Australia, Tonga or whoever - then, of course, as a nation we should support them.

"At the moment, the likes of Edinburgh should have priority."

This article was posted on 24-May-2006, 11:57 by Hugh Barrow.