THE SCOTSMAN REVEALS
BILL LOTHIAN
SCOTLAND rugby bosses have until January to declare where their entry to the second tier European Trophy will come from, the Evening News has learned.

Entering a team in the European Trophy guarantees two teams (Edinburgh and Glasgow) remaining in the money-spinning Heineken Cup.

Today, the Scottish Rugby Union would only say the matter is "under discussion" and it is known the issue has provoked some debate within the Premiership clubs organisation where a possibility exists that a place could be offered to the 2007-08 national champions.

If positions remained unchanged that would be Boroughmuir, although that is only one topic exercising the minds of delegates, who are believed to be concerned at what is seen in some quarters as SRU attempts to take control of the highly-successful clubs' international team with a view to creating an extra developmental team for Europe.

On the question of an extra Scottish entrant, a spokesman for European Rugby said: "It is up to governing bodies to provide nominations and these will be considered at the January board meeting. The SRU would have to confirm then if they are entering a team in the Trophy. There are some indications this could have a bearing on whether both Edinburgh and Glasgow could continue to play in the Heineken Cup."

Scottish representation in Europe was thrown into turmoil by the decision to axe the Borders, since the implications of this are to create unwanted debate, so far as the SRU is concerned, on where the third team will come from. Also, without two teams in the top event, revenue would suffer.

Speculation has been encouraged on the Glasgow Hawks website where president Kenny Hamilton says that, as well as considering a club entry, thought would have to be given to a side representing the Scottish rugby academy.

"Another option would be fielding a development side from the Scottish Rugby Academy, but I am not sure that it would be strong enough," said Hamilton.

According to reports emerging from Ireland, where ERC are based, the Scots are looking ever more keenly at establishing a Celtic League side in London which, some critics argue, would do little, if anything, for the domestic game north of the border.

In recent weeks former Scotland captain David Sole and Currie benefactor John Connor have both come out fighting for domestic clubs to be entered into Europe and the question is again being posed after a lengthy absence on the Forum of Scottish Rugby Supporters' website.

At Boroughmuir the club president Stan Watt today gave the prospect of seeing any Scottish club in Europe a cautious welcome while being sure not to taken anything for granted about his own side's prospects.

"Clubs are broke and it hasn't helped that there is no prize money for winning the league or cup as there used to be," said Watt. "There would definitely need to be a subsidy from the SRU and questions arise about players being able to take time off work to travel. On the other hand I would be confident of the Boroughmuir players holding their own against teams in the European second tier and we have the ground and floodlights to cope."

If Watt appeared to be warming to the idea, others believe a European incentive could be not only a shot in the arm for Scottish club rugby but a potential life-saver.

That view is hardly likely to have been softened by the result from Paris at the weekend, where an Argentinian team containing 13 Europe-based players defeated Scotland.

Indeed, with the benefit of hindsight, remarks made beforehand to the BBC website by Les Cusworth, English internationalist turned Argentinian director of rugby will seem to many even more profound.

Cusworth said: "I have changed my opinion significantly over the last two years, especially if you look at the problems Welsh and Scottish rugby have gone through.

"The strength and passion of the game in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales is based in club rugby and we have dismantled all that with the professional game.

"As soon as you bring in payments, a lot of people stop working. I would go back to the club structure tomorrow and let the top players go abroad."

Argentina have 60,000 players and 82 clubs in the Buenos Aires province alone. There are 400 Argentine players playing rugby in Europe.

Cusworth added: "If you take 400 top players out of the Home Nations, what would be left?

"The real reason we are all here is for kids to be playing the game. If we encourage them just to play for the provincial sides, you have three per cent in the elite. What about the other 97 per cent?"

For how many rugby followers in Scotland today do those remarks strike a particular chord, and might the chance to adopt the Argentinian model through traditional clubs being allowed to find their level be arriving in the nick of time?

This article was posted on 10-Oct-2007, 14:06 by Hugh Barrow.