Siobhan Cattigan's parents hit out at SRU chief Mark Dodson over cancellation of meetings

The parents of Siobhan Cattigan have accused Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson of dishonouring their daughter’s memory by failing to properly investigate the circumstances around the former Scotland forward’s death in November 2021.

Scotland's Siobhan Cattigan in action during a Women's Six Nations match between England and Scotland at Castle Park, on April 03, 2021.

In a statement issued on social media this [Monday] morning, the Cattigan’s revealed that Conservative MSP, Sue Webber, acting on their behalf, has twice had meetings with Dodson cancelled at short notice, leaving them “devastated”. “Could he not find an hour in his schedule in over two months to discuss what we firmly believe to be a totally avoidable tragedy?” they asked in the statement.

An SRU spokesman said that Dodson had been working on dates to meet Webber and that they are now looking for suitable dates in the next two week.

The Cattigans have previously argued that a lack of proper treatment for brain injuries she received whilst playing or training as part of the Scotland led to her death, and a newspaper article last summer revealed that the family have joined a lawsuit alleging that rugby authorities could have done more to prevent the brain damage suffered by many players.

“It is our emphatic belief that if Siobhan was a male member of the Scottish Rugby team, she would have received the proper medical care and attention which she should have been guaranteed," said Monday’s statement.

Scottish Rugby have so far resisted calls for an independent enquiry into the circumstances surrounding this catastrophic event, with Dodson claiming last August that: “There are a number of people looking at a number of things at the moment. It is not a review. It will try and establish the facts. That is what we are trying to do. Facts and timeline. This may end up in court proceedings and this may be the most appropriate place for this to end up.”

That was five months ago and there has been no updates on this issue from Murrayfield since then. However, Lorne Crerar – who is Chair of the ‘Custodian Board’ which now sits at the summit of Scottish Rugby’s new governance structure, responsible for oversight of all aspects of the organisation – said shortly before taking office that he expected this matter to be high up in his list of priorities.

“Clearly anything that has a significant effect on the brand of Scottish Rugby will have an influence on the Custodians views, and clearly this is a matter of considerable public interest,” he said. "It will certainly be part of one of the initial agendas of the Custodian Board.”

One thing is for sure, the Cattigans are not going to let this issue be swept quietly under the carpet. “Siobhan always has and always will make us the proudest parents, our champion and hero and that we have to plead for her to be acknowledged is an insult to her memory and heartbreakingly painful for us,” the statement concluded.