Rugby: Values key for new SRU president

New Scottish Rugby president Alan Lawson wants to dedicate his year in office to strengthening traditional values within the game.

The one-time Edinburgh Wanderers, Heriot’s and Scotland scrum half took over from Ian McLauchlan at the weekend and wasted no time setting out his stall.

Son-in-law of the late Bill McLaren, the former rugby commentator, Lawson maintained that some of his values were honed in conversation with the “voice of rugby”.

Lawson said: “It was probably towards the end of my career when I first started going out with Linda (Bill’s daughter) but Bill and I talked regularly about the values we hold dear in rugby and what we are trying to do with his (charity) Foundation epitomises so much of what he stood for and his integrity.

“We don’t want to lose that; there is a danger in the professional era it may just slip a little.

“In my presidential year, I’d like to remind everyone of the standards and the ethos of our game and what people of our generation held so dear.

“Fun, friendship and a bit of fitness, respect – that is what rugby should be about.”

Lawson added: “The way we are bringing our youngsters through and helping them develop lifeskills through playing as part of a rugby team is very much at the heart of what I want. I’m also desperately keen to have a club game that stays strong. It is such a physical game nowadays compared to my day when we played every Saturday and midweek as well if we could.

“Players are not able to play so many games and that is having an impact on clubs because they are not able to play so many home fixtures. They’re not getting as many people in. Finance is a big issue for clubs.”