Dodson sets out SRU vision for rugby ‘revolution’

SCOTTISH Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson has called for “supercharged efforts” from all involved in the sport in this country so that ambitious plans to revolutionise the game at all levels can come to fruition.

Sir Moir Lockhead, Ian Rankin, Mark Dodson and Ed Crozier hold their AGM at the Herriot-Watt University. Picture: SNS

Dodson was speaking on Saturday at the organisation’s AGM, addressing delegates from nearly 150 member clubs who were present at Heriot-Watt’s Riccarton campus.

At the meeting, among a number of announcements, he confirmed extra funding for the club game as well as plans to advance youth and schools rugby, coaching pathways, women’s rugby and the implementation of new SRU academies to bring through the best young talent across the country.

Dodson used his address to those present to say that those involved in the sport can no longer “keep looking backwards at yesterday’s answers to cure today’s problems”.

He said: “We have set in motion a blueprint for change that will revolutionise rugby in this country and we will not be diverted from that path. There is a clear mandate from the [Scottish Rugby] council to deliver change and we need from everyone in this room [and other member clubs] to work together to travel along this path.

“The rifts between the SRU and its stakeholders when the game went professional in the mid-1990s need to finally be healed. All our energies must be centred on growing the game and making it successful and sustainable.

“We now have the opportunity to create a new era for Scottish Rugby, one that is properly financed, with things put in place to ensure there is a pipeline of talent coming through to the national side.”

At the meeting Ian Rankin was elected as the new Scottish Rugby president with Ed Crozier just pipping Euan Kennedy (77 votes to 70) to become the vice-president for 2014-15.