Scotland on Sunday reports on AGM

This was a bit like Hamlet without the prince or, depending upon your allegiance, Dracula without the Count but, even in the absence of the deposed chief executive Gordon McKie, and all the controversy that came with him, this AGM was still a towsy affair.
McKie's interim successor, Jock Millican, paid tribute to the former boss and painted a rosy picture of the game in Scotland. Playing numbers have grown to 43,400 (of which 14,000 are adult) which is a big jump from the 24,000 low of six years ago. It doesn't feel like playing numbers have almost doubled but, since much of the growth comes at age-grade level and the numbers are audited, presumably they are correct. How to keep the youngsters playing the game as adults is the next big test.

Millican announced that Scotland would have a full-time sevens squad from next season, while admitting that the pro teams' performance was "frustrating" which is the very least of it. He also promised the long-awaited performance review in the coming months. 

On the finances, Eamon Hegarty announced a surplus of £1.3 million for the year and stated that the average bank debt was £14.4m, a drop that was largely down to what the finance director called "positive working capital management". The pro teams ate up £10m gross last season but only £3.7m net after costs were offset by income from the turnstiles and, more importantly, money from Heineken Cup participation. A request from Cumbernauld for greater details of individual executive remuneration was knocked back.

Scottish Rugby now has a vice-president in the shape of Alan Lawson, who beat Archie Ferguson by 120 votes to 96. He will help share the burden currently shouldered by Ian McLauchlan. This may very well lead to the vice-president automatically making the step up into the president's shoes in a return to the "Buggins turn" that existed in the bad old days. 

Elsewhere the Exiles won a seat on the council, which was due reward for London Scottish winning promotion to England's Championship.

Inevitably, the vast majority of jaw-jaw on the day was reserved for the thorny subject of league regionalisation or, more accurately, the extent and pace of regionalisation because pretty much everyone recognises the need to save time and money in an era where belt tightening is part of the national curriculum. 

The full explanation of the ins and outs ran to seven pages of the working party report but, distilled to its essence, the SRU proposed a restructuring which would reduce national leagues from six (three premier and three national) to four next season and just two the year after that, with the top two leagues consisting of just ten teams each.

Perthshire (twice) and Biggar, among others, spoke in favour of an amendment that would have halted the changes at the halfway stage, leaving four national leagues, the top one hosting ten teams and the remainder sticking with 12.

The fact that Perthshire was somehow included in the Western division of the regionalised leagues may have had something to do with their opposition. 

In the end, the motion passed and the amendment failed, probably thanks to Shona Brash. The PrADVERTISEMENT

eston Lodge delegate made an eloquent defence of the union's position which went a long way to persuading any wavering voters and even elicited a round of applause. Perhaps Scottish Rugby needs more female administrators - blouses rather than blazers.

Such was the mood in favour of regionalisation that even the cup competition didn't escape as the early rounds of it, too, will take place on a regional basis but not until the 2012-13 season. 

Finally George Russell of Moray House Rugby Club has campaigned tirelessly in favour of a museum of Scottish Rugby at Murrayfield and requested £250,000 to help do it. In a dig at Hegarty, who spoke against the motion before it had even been presented, one supporter forcefully argued: "Not even an accountant can argue that our heritage never happened." He pointed out that the display of artefacts in the President's Suite had only been installed last week, specifically for the benefit of the delegates.

Bill Nolan argued that it set a dangerous precedent, the clubs forcing the executives' hand on matters of significant financial importance but, if the SRU is the clubs, that is surely the sort of thing they should be doing and the motion passed with an overwhelming majority.

League structure (proposed by the Scottish Rugby Council and Board)

To change from six nationwide divisions of 12 teams (three Premier and three National) to four (three Premier and one National) in season 2011-12 and then a further cut to two national divisions of ten teams (Premier and National) in 2012-13, with East and West divisions, also of ten teams each, below and then a fully regionalised set-up of ten-team leagues.

Passed

The Cup (proposed by the Scottish Rugby Council and Board)

To move all Cup, Shield and Bowl competitions to a regional format for season 2011-12. Local competitions will be run in each of the four regions (West, Edinburgh, Caledonia and Borders). Clubs, led initially by the elected council representatives, would run these competitions to best suit their needs and to produce a winner at each level by a set date to progress to the national knock-out stage to win a place at finals day at Murrayfield.

Passed

Exiles representative on council (proposed by London Scottish)

To include an exile club rep on council, from 2012, to "represent the interests of the exiled clubs including London Scottish and any other clubs that are based outside Scotland and to promote the interests of Scottish rugby outside Scotland".

Passed

Scottish rugby museum (proposed by Moray House)

To provide space in the West Stand at Murrayfeld for a museum to be open by January 2012 with initial funding of no less than £250,000.

Passed

This article was originally posted on 26-Jun-2011, 06:37 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 26-Jun-2011, 06:38.