Will Scotland’s rugby defeat to England fuel David Smart’s Facebook campaign?

We recently published this article on how a KIlmartin fan of Glasgow Warriors rugby team, David Smart, disturbed by the lack of clarity from the Scottish Rugby Union on its policy for managing the development of Scottish rugby took to Facebook to issue a challenge.

Mr Smart’s concern, as we said,  is not with the national team itself but with the major club sides whose standards, achievements and development he sees being prejudiced by the way Scottish rugby is being managed.

He has made it clear that: ‘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.

‘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’.

He is clearly frustrated while remaining constructive and engaged, saying: ‘‘If it is down to debt, then let’s see what can be done’.

Anyway, after the caning the national side got from France and before they lost to Ireland, Mr Smart sat down one night and created an event on Facebook, inviting six friends to join him to tell the SRU that they were fed up with how things were being run.

Five days later he had 1,269 like-minded souls joined up, with 5,728 invites issued. Ex pat Scots joined in the responses from the Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and England. Even some Irishmen got involved.

By Friday 11th March 2011 he had 4,000 recruits. His target is 10,000 by Friday week.

Scotland lost today to a ragged England team – although the Scottish performance was much more encouraging – great tackle from Peterson stopping a near certain English try, superb try from Evans and an all round great show from forward Ritchie Gray.

Will this loss to England act as a Recruiting Sergeant for David Smart’s Facebook campaign? It should do.

Smart’s position remains constant: ‘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.