SCOTS SIDES FAIL TO GET THE MESSAGE Final Edition

• Published in: Sunday herald (Glasgow, Scotland)
• Main Author: ALASDAIR REID ON LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Glasgow (UK) Gannett Media Corp 01.01.2006

Indeed, as many IRB delegates have conceded, their vote was not intended to revolutionise the sport, but simply to ratify processes of change already under way. Even before Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation slapped down dollars-550 million for broadcast rights to the new Tri Nations competition, many of the IRB's member unions - Scotland included - had pushed the letter and spirit of amateurism to breaking point. In a sense, the IRB vote simply brought them back onside. At the end of the 1994-95 season, the last under the amateur regime, England's top four clubs were Leicester, Bath, Wasps and Sale. Last week, the league table was headed by Sale, Wasps, London Irish and Leicester. For those who were falling over themselves to proclaim rugby's apocalypse in 1995, it must be a wretched inconvenience it clearly failed to happen. Of course, a few clubs - Newcastle and Worcester for examples - have risen up the rankings, while others - most obviously West Hartlepool and Orrell - have lost ground, but such movements were typical of the amateur era.