THE HERALD REPORTS

Resignation of Flockhart hits working party
KEVIN FERRIE May 04 2009
The Scottish Rugby Union has claimed that the departure of the long-standing leader of a key group which monitors the sport's governance is down to "a misunderstanding."

The Standard Working Party, chaired by Rob Flockhart, has come under pressure from the current president to offer the holder of that post executive powers. That would be in defiance of the acclaimed Dunlop Report which overhauled the governance of rugby four years ago.

Flockhart is understood to have resigned last week, just before motions for the forthcoming SRU annual meeting were to be lodged.

"Mr Flockhart's resignation follows a misunderstanding between the Scottish Rugby Board and the SWP following a recommendation from the SWP which may have led to a change in Scottish Rugby's system of governance," said the SRU spokesman.

"The Scottish Rugby Board is fully supportive of and in agreement with the current system of governance and after reconsidering its position, decided it should not lead on discussions to propose any changes thereof. The Board supported however the SWP's recommendation that the subject matter should be discussed at the AGM but that any such proposal should come from the membership.

"The SWP also believes very strongly in the current system of governance and also upholds the view that Dunlop intended the president of the Scottish Rugby Union should be an ambassadorial role and should not have the automatic right to become chairman of the Scottish Rugby Council.

"Mr Flockhart believes his position had become untenable due to the board reconsidering its decision to accept certain recommendations from the SWP, which included the proposal that the board should propose a motion for discussion on changes to the current system of governance at the union's 2009 AGM."

This follows the revelation that Allan Munro, the SRU chairman, had belatedly offered an "unreserved apology" to Cumbernauld for their ejection from this season's Scottish Cup without being allowed to play their third-round tie. It was offered on deadline day for motions to the AGM.

Cumbernauld are understood to have lodged a motion which effectively constitutes an appeal against their ejection.

The impression given is that the SRU board is desperately engaged in a damage limitation exercise, seeking to minimise the number of contentious issues to be discussed at its AGM at a time when there has been wide criticism of the way the organisation is dealing with clubs and supporters.

Flockhart, a former Scotland A team manager, is a highly respected and well-liked figure whose dual expertise both in rugby and as a practising lawyer made him ideally suited to the role of chairing the SWP.

Munro said he wished ". . . to record his appreciation of the commitment and contribution made by Rob Flockhart as chairman of the SWP over the last three years."

This article was originally posted on 4-May-2009, 07:23 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 4-May-2009, 07:23.