EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
By BILL LOTHIAN

INTERNATIONAL Rugby bosses look set to try to broker a peace deal in a dispute that has flared up between Scotland and the leading English clubs.


After ten players from south of the border were refused permission by clubs to attend the first Scottish training session of the season yesterday the matter was swiftly moved into overdrive with a referral to the overall governing body. However, issues are clouded by the fact that regulations adopted in the pre-professional era are in the process of being re-written after promptings by English and French clubs.

The process was due to have been completed last April but has been put back until next month.

A spokesman for the IRB said: "We need a short-term fix to see us through to November when we expect the redrafted regulations, designed to replace the existing ones which were drawn up before there was professional rugby, to be approved by the IRB Council."

The ten players told not to travel included four from Gloucester, Rory and Scott Lawson, Alasdair Dickinson and Alasdair Strokosch; two from Northampton, Sean Lamont and Euan Murray; one other from Sale, Rory Lamont; and one each from Newcastle (Stephen Jones) and Saracens (Gordon Ross).

At the heart of Scots' coach Frank Hadden's concerns is the fact that world ranking points will be at stake when Scotland entertain New Zealand, South Africa and Canada in November.

These ranking points will determine the top eight countries who are seeded for the 2011 World Cup and presently Scotland lie ninth needing further success to ensure a preferential draw.

This article was posted on 23-Sep-2008, 18:31 by Hugh Barrow.