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The £40million closed doors headache Scotland are fearing

By PA
(Photo by Bill Murray/ SNS Group via Getty Images)

SRU chief executive Mark Dodson is hopeful crowds will gather at BT Murrayfield to watch Scotland in the autumn internationals after a date was set for a return to club training. Scotland’s professional players can train individually on June 22, provided the country moves into the second phase of the easing of lockdown restrictions before then.

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Further discussions with the Scottish Government have given the SRU some encouragement that some level of crowds will be allowed for Scotland games, whoever they might be against. The SRU estimates little more than 10,000 would be allowed into Murrayfield under two-metre physical distancing rules but a relaxation could allow about 30,000 in.

Dodson, who agreed a CEO salary deferral in late March, admitted Scotland matches against the other home nations could be the likeliest scenario amid ongoing doubt over whether New Zealand, Argentina and Japan will visit Edinburgh in November. He said: “The issue around the autumn Tests is crucial to us.

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Scotland out-half Finn Russell guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

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Scotland out-half Finn Russell guests on The Lockdown, the RugbyPass pandemic interview series

“The reason everyone is talking so much about social distancing from two metres to 1.5m to 1m to zero is that it has a significant impact on how many tickets we can sell, how many people can come through the door and enjoy whatever Test schedule we can put forward.

“From where we stand at the moment, our presumption is that those Tests will go ahead behind closed doors until we are told different from Government.

“We’re working really closely with the Scottish Government – I’m talking to them all the time about what the parameters are for live sport. We are hopeful that we’ll be able to play with crowds for the autumn schedule but we’re not convinced and we’ve budgeted for the worst-case scenario.”

Dodson added: “You’ve got a situation where everyone is at different points in the proposals. Inter-hemisphere rugby in the autumn is by no means a certainty. What we’ve got to find out is how the pandemic moves and as soon as we get clarity around that, it will give us certainty around what we can and can’t do, but we’re working on a number of scenarios.

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“The more we can stick to the original schedule, the better. We’re modelling all kinds of scenarios with our Six Nations colleagues to make sure can put some kind of Autumn Tests on. The problem with the lack of certainty is that you have to plan several iterations and take those to broadcasters to see if they are attractive.

“We’re looking at what’s easiest to develop and that may mean playing against the home nations given their proximity and the fact you would hopefully get more certainty around playing those games. It’s under consideration – it wouldn’t be a Six Nations but it would be a competition with the home nations and potentially Six Nations countries.”

Scotland’s final Guinness Six Nations clash in Wales was postponed with 24 hours’ notice and there could be another game against Wales on top of the rearranged contest later this year. “I’m very hopeful that we will be able to finish this year’s Six Nations in the autumn,” Dodson said. “It’s important to everyone, and to the tournament itself.”

Dodson admits the prospect of continuing restrictions next year would be a serious concern for Scotland. “We’re very hopeful we can have crowds at the Six Nations and have a more normal Six Nations because the idea of having it behind closed doors, or not at all, then we’re in a different world and a different level of fragility in terms of the finances. We told you that takes us into the sphere of £40million losses and that’s a different scenario.”

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With the new training schedule confirmed, the SRU is hopeful that rugby can return in late August or soon afterwards. Glasgow and Edinburgh players will train at Murrayfield and could face each other there in the first game back.

“We’ve got to try and look at the way the PRO14 restarts,” Dodson said. “The most obvious one is having two teams in the same country playing in a safe environment.”

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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