Rugby: Ex-SRU chief heads new sports hub

Former SRU chief executive and Test flanker Bill Watson is back in rugby at his old Boroughmuir club.

Watson, who gained ten caps from 1974-79, has been appointed chairman of a new Colinton Sports Hub which will foster links with other sporting organisations at Meggetland including St Andrews rowing club, Cala hockey club and Boroughmuir Thistle footballers.

The scheme follows a root and branch investigation of the rugby club structure by consultants.

Watson says the hub is even more advanced than one which recently opened in south Edinburgh at Inch Park.

“We already had clubhouse facilities and we want to open them up to the other sports,” he said.

“Maybe at Boroughmuir we have been a bit inward thinking, yet our ground is highly utilised. There are bound to be mutual benefits which you are never going to get if you sit in splendid isolation.

“At Boroughmuir we had one or two financial difficulties and the board asked me to act as a chairman. They approved an outside organisation looking in with a mandate as at how we could broaden appeal.

“In my experience, there has never previously been a meeting at Boroughmuir that has attracted 120 people like we had last Thursday and I am greatly encouraged.

“Having retired from full-time employment, which meant I watched a lot of my rugby at my local Biggar rugby club, I am keen to put something back into Boroughmuir.”

Watson, an ex-coach, was SRU supremo from 1997 to 2004.