MIGHTY MOUSE PLEDGES TO ‘ADVANCE OUR STANDING IN WORLD GAME’
Saturday, 26 June 2010


New SRU President, Ian McLauchlan
New Scottish Rugby Union president Ian “Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan has today pledged to continue to “strengthen the bond” between member clubs and the governing body.
Addressing delegates from 250 member and associate member clubs at today’s upbeat Scottish Rugby agm at Murrayfield, McLauchlan, the former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lions prop, declared: “I will do my very best to serve you as well as I can.
McLauchlan (Hillhead/Jordanhill), who was elected unopposed to succeed Jim Stevenson (Cambuslang), went on: “I intend to represent all aspects of the game but particularly want to strengthen the bond between you the clubs and the SRU (Scottish Rugby).
“Success on the field and the right men in the corridors of power will advance our standing in the world game.  The team’s successes in Argentina are an example of the advances made under Andy Robinson and I wish him and his squad continued success.”
Earlier, outgoing president Stevenson had set the backdrop to the day’s debates when he told delegates: “There is a growing realisation that things that worked 20-30 years ago do not necessarily work so well today and need to be revisited.  There is a widespread feeling that we need to get ourselves organised and shape up to meet today’s challenges.”
The most passionate debate concerned a motion from Crieff and Strathearn, Preston Lodge and Kinross which called for a change to a pyramid league structure, which the proposers advocated would reduce fixture congestion and season length and cut travel times and costs.
Shona Brash, president of Preston Lodge, supported by her club captain Euan Thayne, spoke eloquently about clubs sharing the same aspirations to build, develop and sustain their club while playing at the highest level possible.  A key factor in this was to reduce outgoings and increase income, she said.
She detailed some of the distances clubs in the division Preston Lodge had occupied last season – National League Division 2 – had had to travel; 2,500 in PL’s case and some 6,100 in the case of Caithness.
Speaking on behalf of the Scottish Rugby Council, Jim Fleming, said that while there was much merit in aspects of the proposals, the governance and financial implications meant neither the Scottish Rugby Board nor Council could support the motion.
Fleming advised clubs that the season structure working party would revert to them by December, after discussion, to present proposals for league re-organisation to come into effect (after debate at next year’s agm) from season 2010-2011.
Clubs supported the Board and Council in voting against the motion.
League reconstruction In Premier Divisions 1 and 2, however, was carried by the meeting, meaning that each team will now play each other team in their respective division once (home or away) then there will be three pools formed.
The pools will comprise the top eight clubs in Premier Division 1; the bottom four clubs in Premier Division 1 and the top four in Premier Division 2; and the bottom eight clubs in Premier Division2, with each team playing the others in their pool once to determine promotion and relegation.
A motion to ensure that the most appropriate people represent Scotland on international bodies and that these people be able to serve long enough to achieve positions of influence was carried, alongside approval to create the post of vice-president.
Three clubs were elected as full members – Isle of Arran; Isle of Mull and Lanark, while new members of the council were confirmed as follows: Peter Wright (Glasgow Hawks) – Premier 1; Ian Smith (Hamilton) – Premier 3; Jim Stevenson (Cambuslang) – National Leagues; Fergus Neil (Whitecraigs) – Scottish Rugby Referees’ Association; Bruce Thompson (Strathallan) – Schools; and Kath Vass (Watsonians) – Scottish Women’s Rugby Forum.
Following the meeting, John Davidson (Premier 2) was elected vice-chair of the Scottish Rugby Council and also on to the Scottish Rugby Board alongside his Council colleague Jim Greenwood (National Leagues).
 
 
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This article was posted on 26-Jun-2010, 16:43 by Hugh Barrow.