Move to restore missing link pleases Eric Peters

FORMER Scotland No 8 Eric Peters has welcomed the motion at tomorrow's SRU AGM to restore a representative for Exiles rugby, having walked away from his own involvement in nurturing Scots-qualified players in England when the union dropped the position six years ago.

Peters was one of countless internationalists with Scottish connections to have been sourced by individuals working for the old Scottish Exiles network. He was born in Glasgow to Scottish parents, but the family headed south when he was young and he was spotted captaining Cambridge University by former Scotland centre and captain Iain Laughland, who noticed his birthplace in the programme. Having played for English Universities, Peters joined the Exiles network and the powerful ball-carrier went on to become a key figure in Scotland's back row in the late 1990s, winning 29 caps from 1995-99 before his Test career was ended by a serious knee injury.

The former Bath player has remained in the south and, along with other former exiles caps such as Alastair McHarg, Jim Pollock and Damien Cronin went on to coach and inspire young Exiles teams. That stopped, however, in 2005 when the Scottish clubs voted to get rid of an Exiles representative.

Peters said: "We were very disappointed when the rep was removed. There was a lot of politics going on which I would rather we left behind because it was not good for the game and certainly not good for the development of Exiles players. I stopped coaching then because we had nothing to be part of any more. The whole Exiles network went with no-one leading it and the SRU have had to work to try and get it going forward again.

"Before Iain approached me I didn't know how to get involved with Scottish rugby and it must have been that way for a number of youngsters in the years since the Exiles system was disbanded. I know there is work being done again to get it moving with union employees, but having the influence again within the SRU council is important." There has been a slowdown in the number of exiles players capped for Scotland over the past decade, but it has lifted again with Alex Grove and Joe Ansbro two players to have emerged from the Exiles and won full caps.

The Scotsman campaigned to stop the vote against the Exiles rep in 2005, but many clubs were swayed by London Scottish, who backed the motion believing that they would take a stronger role with the SRU, only to find that the union instead withdrew offers of support. They became embroiled in what was a political wrangle led by some former committee members opposed to the influence of former Waterloo and Scotland hooker Colin Fisher, a long-time Exiles representative and champion of the system. They succeeded in removing him but also succeeded in demoralising all involved with the Exiles network.

Now, having spent time helping SRU employees in England Rob Brierley and Dave Butcher re-establish the network, it is the Richmond club that is proposing the restoration of the representative. Stressing that his club had no interest now in receiving funding help from the SRU London Scottish President Rod Lynch said: "Scottish rugby needs a healthy exiles network and I hope that the Scottish clubs recognise that and restore the link this weekend.

"There was a lot of change in the SRU in 2005, but the fact that London Scottish is playing at England's level two now, and our profile and ability to attract Scots-qualified players is heightened, it's right and appropriate now to give our backing to getting that valuable Exiles link back in. It was not us that ran the Exiles network. It was run by volunteers, but London Scottish was a good base for people in England, while we also now have Hong Kong Scottish, Toronto Scottish and are working with other unions to extend Scottish rugby's reach, so it's not only about rugby in England."

Though the vote has wide support and is expected to be passed tomorrow, under the regulations no representative would be voted on to the Scottish Rugby Council until next year's AGM.