David Ferguson: Siblings’ homecoming shows SRU finally getting a grip of pro game

Published on Tuesday 20 December 2011 01:51

THERE is more to the decisions of Sean and Rory Lamont to return to Scottish rugby than merely the delight of the Glasgow coach Sean Lineen to have experienced internationalists strengthening his back division.

Both players view Scottish rugby as a place where they can improve and taste success, which lies at the heart of sport’s appeal to all performers.

But why did they move away in the first place? There were various reasons, one of which players feel uncomfortable talking about publicly.

It is that the SRU refused to respond to news that they were being offered substantial increases on their salaries to leave the country and join clubs in England. Over the past decade, the SRU was about as secure dealing with professional sportsmen, agents and the whole circus of pro sport as Europe is with the Euro.

Of course, some players were always destined to leave, but one has lost count of the number who revealed privately that they had wanted to stay and only looked elsewhere when repeated requests to the SRU to discuss a contract extension were rebuffed.

Agents and coaches back that up. Most were surprised to discover the lucrative deals that were out there, and left furious when the SRU came in with late deals to persuade them, in vain, to stay. The SRU will bemoan a lack of money, and players rightly talk about the appeal of better facilities, bigger clubs and crowds, and more chance of success.

Some undoubtedly benefit from playing elsewhere and there is the argument of freeing up space for youngsters when our pro game is so ridiculously small, one used often by the last regime while they were spending £500,000 refurbishing Murrayfield’s President’s Suite. But one of the key reasons professional rugby has not taken off in 15 years in Scotland is because far too many good players left the country through a simple but poor grasp by the SRU of the pro environment and contract negotiations.

The sign that that has come to an end is perhaps the most encouraging aspect of a recent period in which a welter of Scottish youngsters have been re-signed and top players begun to see Scottish rugby as attractive again.

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Dissillusioned Supporter!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 06:49 PM

Said it for years - we need 4 pro sides, give our youngsters the exposure and opportunity they must get. Lunacy having average non scots. Should always play scots, even if they are supposedly lesser players. Only a couple of v.high quality overseas players (ex abs) should b in the teams for 1. Help to youngsters coming through and 2. To help the team on field and the marketingsupport off field. look at Wales' benefits recently, due to giving guys like Priestland a chance. Scots are getting there, next step to play Laidlaw, Hogg etc in 6n and get another pro team on the go...

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Insightful

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 04:25 PM

Whilst it is good to see quality players such as the Lamonts wanting to come back to Scotland I am afraid that with only two professional clubs there never will be full professaional competition. The SRU must pay to get players of the right quality to stay in Scotland but we need a minimum of four fully professional sides to build the game here. Short of this rugby will not grow in Scotland. The only alternative as I see it is to let the top 8- 12 clubs go fully professional and allow them to be funded through by private investors thus underpinning the development of Scottish rugby, which right now should be the top priority of the SRU..

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ATG73

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 01:15 PM

Makes no sense. Lamont is well past it and we we only have two pro teams. How are prospective Internationalists going to get a chance to develop their game? Glasgow has to jetison its foreign back three players Lemi, DTH, Nathan and Ambruso as soon as possible. Why in gods name the SRU or whoever controls Glasgow rugby allow L:ineen to waste money and precious starting positions on non Scotland qualified players is completely beyond my comprehension. What is more unbeleivable is that these are positions Scotland is in desparate need of developing. I really have had enough; sack Lineen now and replace him with anyone as long as they select players only capable of representing Scotland.

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marry

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 07:14 AM

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