THE HERALD REPORTS

Edinburgh’s row with SRU takes a bizarre new turnKEVIN FERRIE, Chief Rugby Writer July 06 2007
The row between Edinburgh and the Scottish Rugby Union took another remarkable twist yesterday as the club transferred ownership of their 12 Scottish international players to a sports management group in an attempt to prevent the SRU from withholding the club's right to play competitively.

The SRU have reported Edinburgh to the International Rugby Board for ordering their players to train with their club instead of the World Cup training squad.

The threat of such action from Graeme McKie, the SRU chief executive, prompted Alex Carruthers and Graeme Stirling to resign as chairman and chief executive of Edinburgh on Wednesday. The row now seems destined to end up in the courts, perhaps as soon as next month.

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Graham Ireland, the SRU secretary, issued a statement saying: "We have now written to Edinburgh Rugby on two occasions, reminding them of their obligations to release players for Scotland duty in line with the IRB's requirements.

"Regrettably we have now been forced to refer the matter to the independent disciplinary body for consideration. It is now out of our hands. The disciplinary panel will independently determine the rights and wrongs of this case and sanction Edinburgh appropriately."

Carruthers' older brother Bob, the main financier of the consortium that took over Edinburgh last year, held a press conference yesterday - before the SRU confirmed they would be reporting the club - and explained that the players' contracts had been transferred to the newly formed Tamanoir Sports Management Group.

Tamanoir is another Carruthers-run business, but it means Edinburgh and the SRU are technically competing for the players' services.

Carruthers was withering in his criticism of the SRU in general and its chief executive in particular. "They keep saying they have honoured the contract we have with them, but they have defaulted on it constantly," he said. "Gordon McKie told us that if we try to assert our rights through the courts he will close Edinburgh Rugby.

"He's saying he will invoke SRU bylaws and International Rugby Board regulations to withdraw our rights to play."

Carruthers compared the problem with that in England where a similar dispute has raged almost constantly since the sport went open.

"They were adult enough to recognise that there were issues that could only be settled through the courts.

"The difference is that in England there are 14 clubs to work together, here it's just us. We've already seen one club close this year and now McKie says he's going to close another one. That is the fundamental lunacy of Scottish rugby."

He added that he sees no real prospect of Edinburgh closing, but believes McKie simply wants to force out the consortium he welcomed as saviours a year ago.

"He said yesterday Give back the club and you walk away'," said Carruthers.

Carruthers seemed to indicate that the resignations of his brother and Stirling were more about making a point than anything else since he claimed they simply needed a rest and expressed confidence that they would return to the business.

He admitted that as happened in the Borders recently, professional players are the innocent victims. "We've got a squad of players who are questioning whether they are going to have a job," said Carruthers.

Those now include Stephen Larkham, the Australian international stand-off, as well as the Scotland internationals.

The task of reassuring them falls to Dean Lewis, seconded by Murrayfield Leisure Ltd - the umbrella company under which Edinburgh is run - to act as Edinburgh's interim managing director.

He explained why the change to the players' contracts had been made: "The sports management group can't be dealt with under International Rugby Board regulations. We will now buy the services of the players from them."

By his calculation that may be for as few as eight matches next season, since as well as World Cup and Six Nations Championship commitments he claimed that the SRU is looking to squeeze post-World Cup autumn internationals into an already congested schedule. The SRU denied that.

Carruthers says that he has had requests to make presentations to the SRU board rejected by its chairman, Allan Munro, and had no reply to two offers to go to mediation.

Now, he says, the last resort of going to court could happen within three to four weeks.

The SRU insist they have "fully complied with the terms of their contract with Edinburgh at all times."

The statement added "We are dismayed that Edinburgh continues to make unfounded allegations."

This article was posted on 5-Jul-2007, 22:50 by Hugh Barrow.