The Scotsman reports
DAVID FERGUSON
BOB Carruthers yesterday offered an olive branch to the Scottish Rugby Union in a bid to defuse the explosive row threatening to sabotage professional rugby in Scotland, but it seems unlikely to be accepted by the Union.

Carruthers, the main Edinburgh shareholder, called a press conference at the capital's Caledonian Hotel, his main residence when in Scotland, and, through palpable frustration, called on the SRU to meet him to strike a new deal and put an end to fears that Edinburgh will soon go out of existence.

The dispute between Carruthers and the SRU has brought rugby to the brink of the abyss in Scotland, and there are genuine fears that any further deterioration in the situation could kill off the professional game after years of struggle and internal strife. Without a professional tier, Scotland's ability to produce a steady flow of players capable of international rugby would be eroded, and the supply would dry up.

New fears for the game were sparked on Monday when the SRU stated that Edinburgh could not play any games after withdrawing their membership of the SRU, a bizarre move which Carruthers insisted was made simply to cut ties with the union's 'mutual association' of clubs, but not intended to affect the affiliation to the union.

Heightening the stress around the Edinburgh club, the SRU followed up by calling the club's directors to appear before an SRU disciplinary panel tomorrow to answer a charge that they breached IRB regulations by keeping their internationalists from taking part in Scotland training last week - the spark which ignited the latest row.

Carruthers yesterday tried, somewhat unconvincingly, to appease worried supporters, sponsors and his own staff, including many players and their families wondering whether they still had jobs in light of the SRU's statement. He insisted that the disciplinary panel did not appear to be independent, and he believed, having released Edinburgh's internationalists throughout May and June, that he had complied fully with the agreement Edinburgh holds with the SRU.

However, he attempted to step out of the farcical mess of arguments and offer to attend mediation, insisting he was determined to find a way to move Edinburgh's relations with the SRU back on to a surer footing.

He said: "People are expecting to play against Edinburgh and see Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup, and are looking forward to it. The only people in the world who seem to think Edinburgh won't be in the Heineken Cup, or Magners League, is SRU plc.

"[Monday's] press release was ill-considered and very unfair to Edinburgh Rugby. It has caused a great deal of anxiety to our staff, players, sponsors; it has undermined relations and the reputation of Scottish rugby around the world.

"But, at the end of the day, we are interested in Scottish rugby and are prepared to move forward. Clearly, this is a dispute that needs to be resolved quickly. Any rational man knows there are arbitration firms all around the place and this could be resolved in ten minutes.

"We have formally offered mediation on a number of occasions to SRU plc and don't understand why they won't take up that offer. We are concerned that the Scottish Rugby Council should get involved here and ask: 'Are you really going to spend the limited resources of SRU plc in the Court of Session when, literally tomorrow, two blokes could sit down and resolve this matter?'

"There is a very easy concrete solution: tomorrow I am prepared to go to mediation with Gordon McKie, or anyone from the council or who has authority to agree a deal and bind the SRU. We had a good framework for a deal earlier in the year, which was prepared by the SRU's lawyers, and that could make a good starting point."

The very fact that McKie and the board have so far refused efforts at mediation suggest this may be another futile shot in the dark by Carruthers, but the board is obliged to reconsider that stance now. Welsh clubs and Irish provinces are furious at the latest developments, having accepted the SRU's pleas to have two teams in the Heineken Cup after closing the Borders, and the prospect of dropping to a nine-team Magners League.

Stephen Larkham, meanwhile, Edinburgh's big new signing from Australia, has said that he fully intends to honour his contract by travelling to Edinburgh after the Rugby World Cup in October and assessing then his plans to make a long-term commitment to the club. That eases Carruthers' concerns, but a solution is still crucial. Carruthers agreeing to re-apply for membership would be a simple first step, but how easy it will be to find a more lasting peace, considering the mistrust which has built up, is anybody's guess.

Central to the whole conflict are claims by Carruthers that the SRU, in the shape of McKie, led his directors into believing they were receiving a one-third share of monies received from participating in the Heineken Cup and Magners League competitions, when, in fact, the figure they agreed in the contract represented a quarter - something they only discovered a month into the season.

The conflicting SRU opinion is that instead of taking a third share, Carruthers opted for a fixed figure irrespective of whether Edinburgh played in the Heineken Cup or European Challenge Cup. Furthermore, efforts by Carruthers to have the money - £525,000 - increased to the £740,000 which equates to a third, was verbally agreed in March, but that Carruthers ruined the plan by insisting Edinburgh then receive 50 per cent, as, by then, the Borders were being scrapped, leaving the SRU with just two teams.

Sources at Murrayfield say that the SRU were also prepared to hand over bar takings from Edinburgh home matches, which had been kept from Carruthers as this was another aspect not clear in the contract.

But, if true, one could see no reason why the SRU would not now agree to mediation and restore that offer in light of the incredible strife currently being waged across the game.

One matter which was clarified by the SRU yesterday is that Edinburgh players will be insured to play at the World Cup.

This article was posted on 11-Jul-2007, 07:04 by Hugh Barrow.