David Smart from Kilmartin is not the only one to worry about where the warrior spirit has gone in the Scotland rugby team.
After what seemed like progressively development in performance, the national squad’s play in the Six Nations contest has been dispiriting.
But Mr Smart’s concern is not with the national team itself but with the major club sides whose standards, achievements and development is being prejudiced by the way Scottish rugby is being managed.
A Glasgow Warriors fan, David Smart’s frustration at the state of the game in Scotland finally got to him last Friday night (25th February 2011) – and this was before the national side lost to Ireland.
He sat down and created an event on Facebook and invited six friends to join him to tell the SRU that they were fed up with how things were being run.
Five days later 1,269 like minded souls have joined up with 5,728 invites issued. Ex pat Scots have joined in the responses from the Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and England. Even some Irishmen have become involved.
The Scotsman newspaper picked up on his initiative and interviewed Mr Smart, interested in why he had started this and what he hoped to achieve.
He says: ‘A couple of years ago Edinburgh finished second in the Magners League and last season Glasgow qualified for the newly-introduced play-offs.
‘But we have reached the stage where these teams are obliged, when internationals are on, to play teams that are far better resourced.
“What makes the situation unacceptable is that the under-resourced Scottish teams are then castigated for their results.
‘This season Edinburgh have slipped to fourth bottom and could soon be overtaken by Connacht, an Irish developmental province who have a game in hand; Glasgow currently sit second bottom of the table of 12..
Fuelled by desperatin at this state of affairs, David Smart says: ‘The only way I could think of highlighting issues was through social networking. I am not trying to start a rugby revolution.
‘And I am not calling for the head of Scottish Rugby’s chief executive. I simply want to know what the SRU’s plans for Edinburgh and Glasgow are.
‘Also, while rugby is growing globally why is it that Scottish rugby finds itself in the position it is in?
‘I’m not saying I have the answers, but myself and a lot of fellow fans are worried that rugby in Scotland is being strangled.
‘I really believe that obtaining the services of a coach as accomplished as Andy Robinson has been a major break, but somebody at Murrayfield needs to explain what it is they are trying to do overall.
‘If it is down to debt, then let’s see what can be done.
‘If it is a question of limiting ambitions then the SRU need to be honest about the fact we are no longer at the top table which means a future playing the likes of USA, Fiji and Canada.
‘What I’m certain of is that Scottish Rugby can’t keep lurching from moments of absolute joy to moments of misery’.
If you feel the same, go to Facebook and search for Challenge to SRU.
Well done to David Smart! As a Glasgow Warriors fan I am in agreement with most of his criticisms and as a Scotland fan and a (nearly old )woman I would like to add a somewhat mundane but real criticism of my own: – Murrafield Stadium has about 8 Gents toilets to every one for Ladies resulting in overuse and breaking down of the Ladies facilities This caused me shame at SRU’s lack of consideration when many many hundreds of Welsh women visited the stadium recently. Apparently women in Welsh Rugby facilities are not treated like cattle or encumbrances! However the SRU is still happy to take our £50 per seat!
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Iin my opinion the SRU’s main problem lies with the regional teams. When professional rugby started in Scotland the SRU should have allowed the top club teams to pay the top players in their teams. This would have made the club leagues much more competitive and smaller teams would strive to defeat the top teams.
Instead the “powers that be” in Murrayfield decided to have regional teams with any good players playing for the club teams automatically being transferred to the regional teams. Attendances at club games have dropped dramatically as spectators are no longer seeing top class rugby.
The other reason that the Scottish Rugby team has gone backwards lies with the teachers’ strikes in the mid 1980′s. After the strike was settled teachers refused to take out of hours sports unless they were paid overtime. At a stroke Local Authority school football, rugby and hockey teams disappeared.
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