Time to make Scots rugby supporters feel wanted again

THE EXCITED speculation that has circled Scottish rugby in recent weeks was proved to be well-founded on Saturday when Sir Moir Lockhead stepped into his role as the new SRU chairman and instantly spoke of a desire to fill stadia and improve relationships with supporters.

The 66-year-old, who retired as chief executive of FirstGroup in April, has been researching the game in a fashion unlike most before him. Simply turning up at Melrose Sevens this year - which he said opened his eyes to how rugby can attract full houses - was a major step forward from the departed chief executive Gordon McKie, who declined Melrose's invitation every year he worked at Murrayfield.

But he has spent time with schools, speaking to teachers and pupils, at charity events, with leading coaches and players and watched his grandson play with 1,200 others in the rugby festival alongside the Emirates Sevens.

He has also met key individuals within rugby, including critics, trying to get a feel for the game from club level up to the SRU board meetings and the recent IRB conference in London, all of which has left him bubbling with enthusiasm.

"I think there are changes (required]," he said. "There are relationships we would all agree (need improving], with the supporters; making them feel that they want to come here, they want to participate, are welcome, to feel that this is a great entertainment and experience. And the players have to feel they really want to drive and win for their club, pro team or ultimately the Scottish team.

"So, if we can get all of those ingredients then that will be the real shift. I describe it as more an entrepreneurial change, because what they (the SRU] have been through had to be. I'm not saying that was not right. It was absolutely right.

"It has created the foundation that fortunately I'm now pleased to be able to come in and develop. Along with Jock (Millican] and the new chief executive we'll drive that forward.

"I've already seen too many empty seats in all the stadiums that I've been to, except the sevens tournament at Melrose, where the place was mobbed; it was just fantastic. So I do believe that the product is sell-able and the entertainment value can be sold more effectively, and we can get more people in here."

This is the source of the excited buzz going around the game recently and a new hope that Scottish rugby may, finally, be able to grasp an entrepreneurial spirit.Lockhead played no part in Saturday's AGM, leaving it to the outgoing chairman Allan Munro to sign off after six years at the helm with clear praise of McKie and the executive team that had righted the distressed ship of 2005.

But Sir Moir's presence in the room was felt and it was once the meeting had concluded that he happily spoke publicly for the first time about his decision to step up to the role.

The first question put to him was why had the County Durham-born son of a painter/decorator, who had made a good retirement for himself in the transport world, want to become involved in Scottish rugby.

He said: "That's a good question. I did think for a while 'why is that?'. I discovered that my involvement with the University of Aberdeen (he is senior governor], and becoming involved with how young people work, think, study and how they really do need a sporting part of their education. What could be a better way of doing it? I just thought if there's a chance here of getting involved and really make a difference with the executive team in Scottish rugby, why wouldn't I want to do it?

"It's just fantastic. And what the last few weeks have proven to me, which I didn't expect, is that it's further on, that part of rugby I'm keen to see develop, there are more skills involved in both private and state sectors, the involvement bringing the kids here with the sevens a few weeks ago, proved to me that we are on the right track and we've got to keep the momentum going; it can't be allowed to ease off.

"And it won't. Everyone in here has done it and delivered it, people like Colin Thomson (Head of Community Rugby] and Graham Lowe (Director of Performance Rugby], are committed to that."

An experienced businessman, who has worked with various boards across Scotland, Lockhead was understandably reluctant on his first day to speak in specifics. He and Millican have collated many views in recent times, and have some of their own, but they appreciate that formulating them into achievable targets may not occur overnight.

He is targeting some 'quick-wins', however, and pushed on one he is known to be looking at, that of restoring ticket sales on match days for the EMC World Cup warm-up Tests in August, he smiled wryly, before adding: "There are a number of things that we need to evaluate and work out the best way to do it, including that.

"There is a change coming off, with someone new coming in, and I'd like the team here to go away and establish the things that we can do that will improve the supporters' view of their day out, their evening out, to watch Edinburgh, the Six Nations, and how do we make that easier and better.

"Alongside that, how do we continue to make sure the schools participate and that the schoolchildren come here? I mean, you look at those empty seats on the weekend of the sevens - loads of schoolkids would love to have been in there. So, how do we get them in there?

"Yield management. When I looked out there (across Murrayfield's back pitches], I thought this is real yield management. You try to fill an Easyjet aeroplane or one of our trains, it's got to be a different model, but it's the same technique. Make it easy to buy early, with a discount, and then as you get closer to the day continue to buy but you have to pay a wee bit more maybe."

"Don't write that that is what we're going to do, because this team has got to do the evaluation and decide how we do it, and make a job of it. But as long as we are seen to be starting to move, then supporters will see that we're on this trajectory, so I say let's go for it."

Within that there is a clear difference to the outlook of the SRU leadership over the past six years, and while Lockhead insisted that he was not a fan of 'micro-management', in that he will strive to allow the executive team and SRU staff do their jobs - another change from recent times - it was evident at the weekend that interim CEO Jock Millican is working closely with the chairman and the new chief executive will do so too.

Sir Moir is undecided as to whether he will travel to the World Cup to watch Scotland, believing that he would only do so if it was to be of benefit, but he has quickly grasped the challenges facing rugby, in Scotland and globally.

He added: "I had a really good experience (at the IRB conference] a few weeks ago.

"I met everyone, rugby worldwide, and it was just brilliant. The Aussies, Kiwis, everyone, had a real passion to make this game more attractive at every level, sevens and 15s.

"What are we going to do to make it more and more attractive because there's a real competition out there with people gong to see all sorts of different entertainment where you're got to offer real value? That's the challenge for us and the IRB."

And having someone at the top in Scotland who not only recognises that but is keen to roll up his sleeves and do something about it has brought a new hope to Scottish rugby.