THE HERALD REVEALS

SRU head for conflict with their president
KEVIN FERRIE, Chief Rugby Writer March 20 2009
The Scottish Rugby Union Council is to hold an emergency meeting in London tomorrow to discuss proposals by the governing body's president to change the post from an ambassadorial one to one with executive authority.

Jim Stevenson, of Cambuslang RFC, was elected to the presidency last summer, but has been at odds with other members of the organisation's hierarchy throughout his time in the job. He was unhappy about not automatically being appointed chairman of the council which, in turn, brings with it a board position.

Under the terms of the new governance structure brought in following the turmoil of four years ago when executives battled with the old committee, the position of president was clearly designated as ambassadorial with successful candidates to be voted in for one-year terms.



While a working party has been looking into how that job can best be done, Stevenson recently shocked council and board members by presenting his own detailed blueprint for the post to Premier 2 and 3 clubs without board or council consultation.

In what amounts to a minutely detailed job description, it proposes that the president should, during his year in office, be involved in every aspect of the running of the SRU's business, including holding "the chairmen of the board and council and the chief executive to account for actions and performance."

It is a proposal which drives a coach and horses through the governance structures that received widespread acclaim when put in place five years ago, reverting to a situation where unqualified amateurs could hold an instant veto over those appointed to run the business side of the sport.

A spokesman for the SRU said: "There is an excellent governance system in place which is the envy of other unions. A consultative process is on-going and a working party will update clubs on that at the annual meeting in line with existing procedures."

He said that the document the president had presented to clubs was purely for him to explain. Stevenson was not available for comment last night.

He is, however, understood to have told Premier 2 and 3 clubs that he intends to stand for a second term of office, the maximum permitted under the governance structure that was put in place to prevent the sort of abuses of power that were commonplace in the past. That in spite of the fact that one of the factors that helped him win last year's election against then incumbent George Jack was that there was a widely held view that the presidency should only be a one-year office other than in emergency circumstances, as applied during Andy Irvine's two-year term.

Ironically, as this in-fighting breaks out, the only other candidate known to be standing for the post is Jim Gracie, the former SRU vice-president.

He was a member of the old committee but missed out on his turn to become president as a result of the governance overhaul in 2005.

This article was posted on 20-Mar-2009, 08:14 by Hugh Barrow.