Todays Herald reports

What they're saying

NEIL DRYSDALE December 05 2007
CommentGARY PARKER
Former Scotland A player, now coaching Gala This is a big, bold statement from the SRU, and we are always hearing the word accountability being used in professional rugby, so now the union has established targets which are in the public domain and they will be judged on how they perform in the marketplace. Personally, I have cut out the figures they have provided and I am going to put them on a laminated card, so that I can check back on them in 2012.

My first impression is that the SRU deserve to be applauded for their transparency and ambition, but my second thought is that we need more information on how the clubs will be helped in pursuing these targets.

We have the route map.

But who pays for the journey?

JOHN ROXBURGH
Former director of rugby, Glasgow Hawks This sounds more like a wish list than a realistic set of targets, and I simply don't believe that there are 27,000 people playing rugby regularly in Scotland at the moment. Certainly, at club level, crowds are dwindling, many of the volunteers are elderly and it will be difficult to replace them when they pack it in, and the majority of the committee guys are past their best as well, so where is the fresh blood to come from?

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see these targets being met, but talking about quadrupling the number of coaches in five years or finding 8000 new volunteers is just wishful thinking and the fact is that almost every male who becomes a father in Scotland puts a round ball in front of their offspring as soon as they can walk.

IAIN PAXTON
Former Scotland and British Lion, general manager of Premiership leaders, Boroughmuir Everybody recognises that growing the game makes a lot of sense. We had big numbers involved in rugby in the 1970s and 80s, but for various reasons, a lot of people have drifted away. Clubs will have to spread the gospel and build up support organically in their own areas, but we have to be realistic. There are a lot of other distractions for young people and unless we strengthen the link between schools and clubs, it will be hard to improve on the current situation.

At Boroughmuir, we know where we stand, we have rallied our volunteer helpers, and people are enjoying themselves at Meggetland again, both on and off the pitch, which is also very important. Because, if something is fun, it is also likely to be popular.

DUNCAN HODGE
Former Scotland player This seems a logical approach from the SRU, because it has been clear for some time that we are falling behind the likes of England and France and we badly need to increase the number of youngsters playing at the base.

In that respect, the union is only showing common sense and we need to be a bit more positive about the game in Scotland, because I actually believe that we have a national side which could do well in the next Six Nations Championship. We have a settled team and if they perform to their potential, they are capable of creating the buzz which will excite the public and give the SRU plan a real boost.

BRIAN GERVAISE

President, Cartha Queen's Park It's clear that drastic action needs to be taken to re-energise Scottish rugby, so I welcome these plans, but I have to be honest and say that we need a lot of hard answers as to how the SRU intend to help us achieve these challenging targets, because they are only deliverable if the whole spectrum of Scottish clubs come together en masse and, as a rule, we tend to have enough problems balancing our own books from year to year.

The jury is out on whether it is even desirable for us to be trying to recruit new players and coaches unless we have the administrative staff and volunteers behind the scenes, so while this is an admirable mission statement, it needs a lot of fleshing out in the weeks and months ahead."

JOHN BEATTIE
Former Scotland and British Lion, now BBC presenter At a time when the number of children playing sport is going down, it seems strange that the SRU are aiming for such a massive percentage rise in numbers.

The clubs are in a position where they don't have any money, but they are the bedrock of the game. Yet the big problem is the lack of school sport, which is a national disgrace, and that is why the Scottish Consumer Council has written to the Scottish Government demanding five hours of PE a week for our kids - at the moment, a lot of S5 and S6 pupils don't get any PE at all, and it is a scandal when you look at issues such as rising obesity in our society. Basically, unless that gets tackled, the SRU have an almighty battle ahead of them."

This article was originally posted on 5-Dec-2007, 08:48 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 5-Dec-2007, 08:57.