SRU president Stevenson must be given full support

Published on Sunday 5 July 2009 23:31

AT THE Scottish Rugby Union agm, Jim Stevenson beat Finlay Calder in the election to be president, a couple of years after another high-profile candidate, Peter Brown, was out-voted. This shows that the clubs want a hands-on president as opposed to an ambassadorial one, with a view to the balance of power being with the president and council as opposed to paid officials and unelected members.

Surely now those in the council who did not support Jim Stevenson last season will now stand up and support him if there is any conflict, and will remember that the clubs put both them and Jim Stevenson where they are and can remove them if they think they are not being properly represented.

The motion for the president to become council chairman was passed convincingly and it is disappointing, but not surprising, that the person who spoke against it was not elected by the clubs and this speaks volumes about what is going on within the corridors of power at Murrayfield and how desperate some people within these corridors are that the real power is not in the hands of the member clubs.

So council members, remember that the clubs voted for you to support Jim Stevenson and if you do not do so the clubs may then have to rethink who to vote for when there is an election in future.

GEORGE STOREY

Glebe View

Hawick

Thanks Andy, we're so proud of you in Scotland

ANDY Murray did Scotland proud despite not reaching the final of Wimbledon. I would like to congratulate him on his achievement in reaching the semi-finals of the tournament. On another day, I am sure he would have beaten Andy Roddick, and then who knows what would have happened in the final. He was just unfortunate to meet Roddick on a day when everything went right for the American. That's sport for you.

I believe that despite this year's disappointment, we can look forward to years of thrills and excitement thanks to this impressive young man. His time will come.

B BAXTER

Perth

Denness did play for Scotland in early days

CULT Hero in the sports section on 8 June featured Mike Denness.

It stated that his career spanned a period when there was no representative international team to allow him to play for the country of his birth.

However, between 1959 and 1967, he played for Scotland on eight or nine occasions against Ireland, MCC and India.

These games were first class matches (of three or more days) unlike all the 20/20 and one day matches now so popular.

IAIN MILLAR

Blackford Avenue

Edinburgh