EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
BILL LOTHIAN

SCOTTISH Rugby bosses announced today that they have sold the Edinburgh Gunners.

Brothers Bob and Alex Carruthers from Kirkcaldy have paid an undisclosed sum for a five-year contract to run the team.
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Part of the deal allows them the opportunity to enhance their interests in the music business through exclusive rights to attract concerts to Murrayfield.

The ground-breaking deal means the Gunners will be run by people with both a sporting and business background.

Alex, 45, is particularly well known in rugby circles as a former professional player with Caledonian Reds.

The Carruthers, who also back Kirkcaldy rugby club, will transfer player contracts to a new company they have set up, in which the SRU has a minority shareholding.

Agreements have also been reached regarding player release for international training and matches and commitments have been given about underwriting the cost of academy players.

Alex Carruthers insisted Edinburgh's model would be this year's European Cup winners Munster.

He said: "We want to enhance what is already in place. I am looking for the Munster model where 10,000 people might be regularly attracted to watch matches. We might always like to bring in big named players but our future will lie in developing Scottish players.

"We will be investigating other facilities within Edinburgh. Our commitment is to stay within Edinburgh.

"Another priority will be to make appointments on the commercial side - Edinburgh are a sleeping giant. I come in to try to develop Edinburgh which is the message I have given the players. As a professional player myself I was a victim when the four districts were cut to two. I will be looking around and be open to other areas. I have even looked at the academy set up at Manchester United."

Gordon McKie, SRU chief executive, said a coach would be appointed to succeed Todd Blackadder in due course.

"Hopefully this will encourage Borders and Glasgow to attract similar funding," he said. "We are very pleased with the outcome because essentially Alex, who will be executive chairman and Bob are rugby people. They have made an investment over five years and we are delighted with the assurances in terms of player release and developing the academies.

"Scottish rugby is committed to consolidating the debt situation and this is exactly the sort of business model we want to work towards."

Bob Carruthers will be the principal shareholder and a SRU statement described him as a "author, film producer and music promoter".

This article was posted on 10-Jul-2006, 14:54 by Hugh Barrow.