THE HERALD REPORTS

Why the SRU could learn communications lessons from golfKEVIN FERRIE August 02 2007
It was hardly revelatory stuff but a letter sent by George Jack to Scottish rugby clubs yesterday, ending weeks of silence from Murrayfield's senior officials, was long overdue. He said little new, once again claimed to be bound by confidentiality and while being evidently prepared to allow the media to use the details of his missive, did not subject himself to any sort of cross-examination.

At least, though, he was offering some sort of public defence of his organisation's situation.

The vow of silence previously maintained by the Scottish Rugby Union over the three weeks since their dispute with Edinburgh reached crisis point was a gross misjudgment. Whatever advice they have been getting - and let's remember, the longer any dispute lasts the more fees the lawyers can charge - their communications people should surely have realised by now that the majority of commentators take the easy option in such matters, so slanting their reports towards whatever apparent hard information is offered them.

advertisementIn that regard Bob Carruthers, Edinburgh's owner, has been able to set the agenda and dominate the coverage. Since much of that has focused upon attacking the SRU, the potential damage to an organisation that is otherwise in much better shape than for several years has been colossal.

Thankfully the bunker mentality I've been dealing with for most of this week, on returning from holiday, has been of the proper sporting kind as Scotland's best amateur golfers attempt to negotiate Prestwick's eccentricities.

In more ways than one it has been refreshing. It is a long time since I dealt with the Scottish Golf Union, which was, back in the late 80s and early 90s, staffed by amiable but rather old-fashioned fellows who were very proud of their blazers.

Under Hamish Grey, a typically positive thinking antipodean, it has become a very forward-looking outfit focused on player development and promotion of the sport among youngsters through the Clubgolf programme.

Since golf is surely second in importance only to football in this sporting nation, the SGU, as an organisation, could afford to be complacent. Yet its profile is not necessarily that high alongside the professional game, and its staff seem fully to understand the importance of promoting the organisation properly if it is to encourage its members and sponsors to remain supportive.

Leading players such as Lloyd Saltman, Kevin McAlpine and Wallace Booth automatically head for the media room on finishing their matches. Others seem pleased to be invited in. The odd individual is a bit wary, but they are strongly encouraged by officials to remember their responsibilities towards the sport.

The contrast with the sort of over-protectiveness that the SRU communications team has been adopting is striking. Silly little protocols have meant that journalists looking to interview players had to get hold of the appropriate media officer, all of whom were based at Murrayfield, including those who were the spokesmen for Glasgow Warriors and the Border Reivers. They also had the audacity to ask in advance what the interview might be about. As an English-based colleague countered in response to press officers at some of their Premiership clubs attempting to apply similar policies: "How do we know until we start talking to them?" Most of us completely ignored them, contacting directly players who are mostly smart enough to realise it is good for them individually and the game in general to be co-operative. Yet rather than protecting them the system caused rather more angst than if they felt free to speak, because they were torn about whether to do so without official clearance.

For some journalists the easier option was to find something else to write about, resulting in rugby missing out while another sport was promoted.

Furthermore in association with the sort of media training which seems to strive to turn players into bland robots, these attempts to pre-package all information do nothing for either the sport or the individual.

It is that same mentality that has seen the organisation turned into an Aunt Sally lately.

Most of those who are following this story closely have considerable sympathy with the SRU's position.

However, almost everyone I have met these past few weeks, not least here at Prestwick, has asked the same question: "What on earth is going on with Scottish rugby this time?" It is doubtful whether any of them will feel any the wiser as a result of the new president's letter, which can be read in full on the SRU website, but hopefully his officials will take his lead and start explaining just what they are doing to end this embarrassment.

This article was posted on 2-Aug-2007, 07:04 by Hugh Barrow.