Peter Wright elected new club rep on Scottish Rugby Council

PETER Wright has succeeded Ian Barnes as the leading clubs' representative on the Scottish Rugby Council as clubs again show their desire for a 'player/coach voice' within the halls of Murrayfield.

That is the view of Wright, the director of rugby at Glasgow Hawks and Scotland U20s coach, who this week polled seven of the 12 Premier One club votes, to beat his two challengers for the post, Donald Macleod, the Selkirk RFC President, and West of Scotland's Gordon Cairns.

The Premier One rep position fell vacant because Barnes' Edinburgh Accies were relegated to Scottish Hydro Premier Two. Wright officially takes over at next month's AGM, and the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop insists he hopes to carry on from where Barnes left off. He explained: "I was inspired to throw my hat in the ring by 'Barney' really, because of the way he went in there and represented the views of the clubs more from the player/coach perspective.

"Going by the way the votes have gone this week, you'd have to say that that is what the clubs in the top division want right now, which I don't mean as any slight on the efforts of the two club officials who stood against me or others who have done the job. But clubs are looking to create change now and improve the game, and a lot of that is being driven by coaches and what the players want, which is the way it should be. I also feel that there are more people involved who are less interested in their own personal feelings or what's right for their club, and seeing the bigger picture.

"But I am not going to go in there and sit on my hands. I'm going to have my say and I'm sure there will be a lot of heated discussion at times around the table, but it won't be on behalf of the Hawks, it will be on behalf of the Premier One clubs. The important thing is that when that's done we come out of the room singing from the same hymn-sheet, because that is what will take the game forward." The 42-year-old added: "There has been a lot of good work going on with Graham Lowe, the SRU's director of rugby, who has brought a fresh voice to things, but the improvement we're all after won't happen overnight.

"There is a mood for change among clubs, and I believe it's important that players and coaches have a voice in there. That's why I put myself forward and I hope I can build on the work that Barney has done so far."

Ian McLauchlan has already been elected unopposed as the new SRU president, to replace Jim Stevenson. However, Stevenson will remain on the Scottish Rugby Council after he was elected as the National League clubs' representative, the Cambuslang member replacing Archie Ferguson, whose club Dalziel have been promoted.

Schools representative Norman Anderson (Berwickshire HS) is standing down at the end of his term and will be replaced by Bruce Thompson (Strathallan), who was elected unopposed, Kath Vass (Watsonians) has also been elected unopposed as women's representative and Jim Fleming (Boroughmuir) is at the end of his term as referees' representative and Fergus Neil of Whitecraigs has also been elected unopposed by the Scottish Rugby Referees' Association to take his place.

The other election that did go to a vote was in Scottish Hydro Premier Three where Ian Smith of Hamilton won on a cut of the cards after votes were tied with Dumfries candidate John Steele.