Celtic League earns lucrative Rabobank sponsorship

At Murrayfield to make the announcement, Irvine pointed to a relative lack of finance as being the main reason why Ireland kicked on from the late 1990s to develop four provincial teams and Scotland slid backwards. The countries started with very similar set-ups built around four provincial/districts, but while Ireland have claimed a handful of Magners League and Heineken Cup trophies, and this season set new records for crowds above 50,000, the Scottish game has suffered cutbacks, gone from four to two teams and watched crowds fall to averages of little more than 2,000 this year.

RaboDirect is the online banking arm of Rabobank, operating in the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. Rabobank is a Dutch cooperative bank which employs more than 60,000 people in 45 countries, and sponsors a pro cycling team as well as new Australian Super Rugby side the Melbourne Rebels. Irvine stated that the sponsorship was a "substantial increase" on the Magners deal, which will mean increased revenue for the SRU, but he could not escape the pull of Irish rugby, RaboDirect making it clear that it was the Irish market that had attracted them.

Irvine said: "Ireland have the perfect model. The IRFU have the final say, but because they have so much money they don't have to interfere. At the start of the pro era, we spent too much and we didn't spend it wisely. We were probably overambitious to start with four pro teams. Looking back, it probably was a mistake because we didn't have the money there and we didn't have the players. It's easy in hindsight. We have to accept that we were not in the same fortunate position as some of our competitors. Ireland in particular is generating a huge amount of money and the country as a whole is much more interested in sport, not just at senior level but at schools level as well.

"You also have to look at the amount of historical support they've had from their government. The real dilemma (for the SRU] is how you take it forward and seriously compete with the Leinsters, the Munsters and the Cardiffs. I certainly wouldn't like to see Scotland being irresponsible by spending money that they don't have, ending up with a massive debt and a bigger problem than five years ago. I believe our (finance] numbers are looking stronger than they have for a number of years and that may mean they (the SRU] can spend more money."

However, on what Edinburgh and Glasgow supporters should expect next season, Irvine acknowledged: "It will be tough, there's no doubt. We've got to be realistic and honest; last season wasn't particularly clever for the pro teams.It's a problem for the powers that be that manage the professional game. Do they bust a gut to retain two or three of their top-earning players or do they spend that money on the development of some of our younger players?"