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A TOP official has defended Scottish rugby's central control policies while admitting the pace is being set globally by England and France where teams are privately owned.

And Allan Munro, a former chief at a leading investment firm before becoming chairman of Scottish Rugby, further maintained that running rugby teams here along the same free market lines where he previously made a mark is not an option this time.

Munro, a former director of Hibernian FC, believes that rugby is on the right lines by putting the Scottish team at the centre of matters so that it is possible the national coach can issue instructions as to who should play at club level on any given day - and for how long.

Critics will say this approach creates a situation hampering growth across the game. It is a state of affairs unthinkable in Scottish football which continues to command a vastly greater share of the Scottish sports market.

Speaking after the launch of a five-year strategic plan for Scottish rugby, Munro said: "Football is structured in a different way to rugby. We are where we are. Football in Scotland is like rugby in England and France where it is run by entrepreneurs."

However, critics argue that football isn't doing too badly in comparison to domestic rugby and that England and France ended the World Cup hopes of Australia and New Zealand - the role models for the Scottish approach - on their way to second and fourth-place, respectively.

But Munro sees a way forward based on compromise and

rejected suggestions that Edinburgh had been put firmly in their place when venturing outside the governing-body run Celtic League, where there is no promotion and relegation, in losing 39-0 at Leicester in the European Cup last month, insisting that result was "one off".

Referring to Edinburgh and their new coach, Munro said: "Andy Robinson has done a fantastic job on limited resources. I am optimistic but it will take time. I didn't see the Leicester game but from what I read it was a situation where Edinburgh gave away stupid tries when they could have done better. That was a one-off."

Munro listed main "challenges" - competing against entrepreneur-driven sides from England and France among them. "That is a challenge not just for Scotland but world rugby," he said.

While some will find it absurd that Scotland do not emulate French and English models, Munro, hinting that success comes in cycles, said: "France and England have everything at the moment. They have more players and it helps that they have more money coming in.

"I can only concern myself with what we have inherited here and the big problem was getting to grips with finances which we have done. Secondly, we are growing the game. At my club, Stewart's Melville, when I got involved six years ago we struggled to get out two teams. Now we get 60 players available for the third team. It is important that these players are accommodated because they are tomorrow's administrators, referees, etc. Also, they drink at the bar which helps club funding."

Although Munro ranks entrepreneur-driven clubs behind centralist models Edinburgh and Glasgow, whose average attendances currently stand around 1600, the door is not completely closed on Bob Carruthers-type owners according to SRU chief executive Gordon McKie.

Carruthers is the businessman whose control of Edinburgh ended acrimoniously this year and while he claimed interference made ownership impossible McKie said terms would have to be right but a successor could come in. "Entrepreneurs are not queuing. In England the entrepreneurs run pro-teams and unions give them a subsidy. That is what we tried to achieve with Edinburgh, it makes sense. We would do that again with the right investor.

"We allowed Bob Carruthers to drive Edinburgh but ultimately he was unable to do so without coming back for more funding."

And McKie, who revealed that there would be no third Scottish team in Europe next season, outlined a raft of schemes making up the five-year plan. These include Scotland winning the RBS Six Nations title by 2012, increasing player numbers by 11,000, the recruiting of 8000 volunteers to help run and develop clubs, and increasing crowds at pro-team matches to 5000.

This article was posted on 4-Dec-2007, 13:17 by Hugh Barrow.