Jim Stevenson was re-elected President of the Scottish Rugby Union in a closely-fought contest at Murrayfield this afternoon during the annual general meeting of Scottish Rugby clubs.
Stevenson, 53, who has served Cambuslang Rugby Club in almost every conceivable capacity on and off the pitch, saw off two other candidates – Finlay Calder (Stewart’s-Melville FP), the former Scotland and British & Irish Lions captain; and Jim Gracie (Alloa), a long-standing servant of the game in the Midlands, to win his second term as President.


In the first ballot, Calder attracted 82 votes, Gracie 16 and Stevenson 81. The second ballot – whereby Gracie with the lowest number of votes from the first round dropped out – saw Calder receive 87 votes and Stevenson 92.
Stevenson immediately pledged to continue to seek to champion the views of clubs in his role as President, Council chairman and member of the Scottish Rugby Board.
Earlier at the annual meeting, a healthy picture of the game in Scotland was presented by Scottish Rugby’s Chief Executive Gordon McKie and Finance Director Eamon Hegarty. The highlights were of the Union breaking even for the third successive year, amid a £3.5million reduction in average bank borrowings for the year and a heartening increase in playing numbers in both the adult and youth sections of the game.
During the meeting clubs voted to:
• Accept the recommendations of the Season Structure Sub-Committee, meaning existing league competitions remain in place for the forthcoming season but that a new structure would be introduced for Cup competitions with three competitions in which Premier, National and Regional league sides would play within their own tiers
• Instruct the Scottish Rugby Board to create a single national integrated league of schools and clubs at under-18 and under-16 levels before selection for representative teams
• Introduce a system of dual registration within competition rules
• Give their unanimous backing to formal integration with the Scottish Women’s Rugby Union
• Amend a number of Union bye-laws – most significantly that if the President wishes to hold the office of Chairman of the Scottish Rugby Council he may do so and a (subsequent) election for this office will not be required.
Clubs also approved an application from Huntly to be admitted as a full member club.

This article was posted on 27-Jun-2009, 17:46 by Hugh Barrow.