EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
BILL LOTHIAN
SCOTTISH rugby's five-year strategy document is being challenged this weekend by a leading club administrator.

Glasgow Hawks chairman Kenny Hamilton is arguing in his clubs' latest programme that the targets being set out could be too ambitious.

"A growth in adult participation of 35 per cent and youth participation of 38 per cent in five years. Nice idea. But Sportscotland estimate growth in sporting club participation of 2-4 per cent per annum," he wrote.

"Find an additional 8000 volunteers to run teams, clubs etc. If we assume that there are, say 10,000 volunteers in rugby (ie more volunteers than adult players!) then based on the five per cent figure we could, optimistically see an increase of 2500 in five years, A bit short of the 8000," says Hamilton, former secretary of the Premiership Division One clubs.

This article was posted on 14-Dec-2007, 14:34 by Hugh Barrow.