Scottish Rugby chief seeks green light for sale of pro teams

The Scottish Rugby Union has called a special general meeting of clubs for 28 October where they will hope to gain the two-thirds majority required which would allow chief executive Mark Dodson his wish to sell one of both of the pro teams, or parts thereof.

Mark Dodson, chief executive of the Scottish Rugby Union. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Dodson floated the idea at the AGM in August but it was overshadowed by the election of Dee Bradbury, the first female vice president in SRU history.

The Murrayfield hierarchy is currently exploring ways of raising revenue, including placing a Pro12 franchise in the USA, in order to compete with the wages on offer at the biggest French and English clubs. The twin pro teams currently cost the SRU in the region of £14-15 million per annum when everything is included and the governing body is keen to keep those costs down in the facing of spiralling wage inflation with the sports generated by multi-millionaire club owners like Mourad Boujellal who has ploughed significant sums into his beloved Toulon, although he recently threatened to walk away.

How many Scottish millionaires are willing to invest in the pro teams is anyone’s guess but any move that gives the twin teams further autonomy from Murrayfield would appear to be a step in the right direction.