The Herald writes

YOUR LETTERS February 27 2008
Angry rugby fans hit back at Mr Shaw
Unbelievable letter from the Giffnock dinosaur, Joe Shaw (Fans With Laptops, Tuesday 26), about the coverage of the Scottish rugby team. Football is my first love, but in recent years I have grown to appreciate rugby for the ability of our team to compete with the best.

Unlike the overpaid, pretentious footballers, masquerading as "top-class pros" when they can't even master the basic skills, our rugby players train properly and do not bore us with cliches, childish over-reaction to referees and never-ending dull performances.

Alan Hopper, Glasgow

Mr Shaw's contribution was guff. No-one can argue that coverage of rugby is stealing attention from the goings-on in the SPL and elsewhere.

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As for rugby being a bastion of a privileged minority, this is a weary and lazy claim totally at odds with reality. The club I belong to here in Orkney boasts a membership of approaching 500. I suspect that no more than 1% or so of members attended a public school, employ a butler or are listed in Debrett's.

David Fairnie, Orkney

IS Joe Shaw so blinkered he would deny fans in Scotland three opportunities a year to read about rugby on the first few pages of Herald Sport?

Rugby is certainly not for the privileged and perhaps if he had taken time to enquire he would find rugby is played throughout our country.

Not so long ago my club was privileged to have a group of six youngsters from Castlemilk to train: they enjoyed playing the game and we certainly enjoyed having them and coaching them.

Gordon McCready, Eaglesham

Joe Shaw is so blinkered he probably does not see the acres of newsprint devoted to football throughout the year, yet selfishly grudges rugby fans their little bit of extra coverage. There can be few more privileged people than top footballers.

This article was posted on 27-Feb-2008, 12:47 by Hugh Barrow.