The Scotsman reports


Hogg retires as SRU secretary after 27 years at Murrayfield

STUART BATHGATE

BILL Hogg, the long-serving SRU secretary who celebrates his 65th birthday on Monday, will retire at the end of the month, it was announced yesterday.

Hogg has been with rugby's national governing body for 27 years - the last 22 as secretary - and could easily have worked on far longer but for the SRU's mandatory retirement policy. He has served at virtually every level of the game, from the refereeing of schools matches to representing Scotland on the International Rugby Board.

Hogg first joined the SRU as treasurer in December 1978, and succeeded John Law as secretary five years later. He was at his most influential from season 1992-93 until 1997-98, a period in which he doubled up as chief executive and oversaw the fraught transition to professionalism.

It is in fact for an attack on professionalism that Hogg's time in office will be best remembered. Writing in the programme for the Scotland-Wales game in March 1995 - just a few months before the amateur era came crashing to a close - he claimed that only a small minority was in favour of professionalising the game.

"Many sponsors have said that if it was a professional game they would not wish to be associated," he wrote. "Many other people from all levels of the game would also stop if anyone involved was to be paid...

"To sum up, it would seem that other than a very few, most people, including the players, want the game to remain amateur... "

Those of us who believed professionalism was inevitable, and in fact to be welcomed, mocked Hogg for what we saw as the reactionary ramblings of a backwoodsman. But, while there is little doubt that he misread the mood of much of the rugby world, it has become clear with the passing of time that some of his sentiments were correct. "Many people from [many] levels of the game" have indeed left it over the past decade, even if in many cases they did not do so primarily because of a distaste for professionalism. Hogg oversaw the transition from amateurism, and later also survived the period of bitter in-fighting which ended with the ousting of Duncan Paterson.

It was decided, however, that he should not continue in his dual role, and in 1998 he was replaced as chief executive by Bill Watson. "Bill Hogg has given tremendous service to Scottish Rugby," said Fred McLeod, the SRU's acting chairman and chief executive. "His integrity and huge commitment to the sport - whether on the back pitches at Myreside, a clubhouse in the Highlands or in the corridors of power in Dublin - is an example to us all."

Hogg will assist the SRU as a consultant over the coming year to help ensure a smooth transition. His long service will be given "appropriate recognition", according to McLeod, at the SRU's annual general meeting on Friday 24 June.

Graham Ireland, the SRU's Finance Director, will take on the role of company secretary in addition to his existing duties from 1 July.

This article was originally posted on 10-Jun-2005, 07:11 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 10-Jun-2005, 07:13.