Rumours of a power struggle for control of the direction of Scottish Rugby, with under-fire chief executive Gordon McKie at the centre, have heightened despite attempts from Murrayfield to play down a hastily-called meeting of the board that runs the game in Scotland.
The board, which usually meets fortnightly, was convened again in emergency session on Thursday less than a week after it had last met.
The 11-strong board were scheduled to have met again as early as June 16.
Following the meeting, the Scottish Rugby board chairman Allan Munro, who has three weeks left before he steps down after the maximum two three-year terms in the role, issued a statement confirming the board’s support in “Scottish Rugby’s established and successful system of governance” despite there being no prior indication from the board that the system was even being questioned.
The fact that the extra meeting was held at all has provoked intense speculation within the game in Scotland that there is a serious split in the board with elected officials battling senior executive board members led by McKie.
He was credited with piloting Scottish Rugby out of financial difficulties since his appointment five years ago following the last of a series of power struggles over the direction of the game since professionalism was established in 1995.
Munro’s statement stressed the unanimous support of the board for the governance system established in 2006 and for the executive management team headed by McKie and his chief ally, finance director Eamon Hegarty, and hit out at “unhelpful media speculation.”
Munro’s statement read, “The board unanimously reaffirmed its support for and confidence in Scottish rugby’s established and successful system of governance.
“The board is committed to ensuring this well established system is maintained going forward.”‘Full support’It added, “This system clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of the executives, non-executives (including chairman) and council members of the board, as well as the relationship between the board and the Scottish Rugby council.
“Each of these groups has an important but different set of responsibilities and this was unanimously supported by the meeting.
“The board also reaffirmed its full support for the Scottish Rugby executive management team.”
Quoting Munro, the statement said, “Scottish Rugby remains in excellent health and today’s meeting simply demonstrates that the governance model of our game in Scotland is absolutely sound and is rightly held in high regard by other governing bodies.
“Further to unhelpful media speculation, the board also expressed confidence in the executive management team who have the full support of the board to drive forward the organisation.
“I am personally delighted with how our great sport is developing at all levels, and reiterate our thanks to all our staff, players and volunteers who work tirelessly to grow the game.
“I very much look forward with confidence to the Rugby World Cup later this year.”Concern over investmentThe statement did not address why the extra meeting was held at all, but it is understood that it centred on the growing disquiet in the game with McKie’s performance and the direction of the Scottish game, specifically in terms of investment in marketing the game and the money available to the professional sector.
While the chief executive has brought down the crippling overdraft hanging over Scottish rugby to manageable levels, it is thought a sizeable faction on the board believe that he has failed to grow the game and there are concerns at lack of investment, poor marketing of the game and falling crowds at international matches.
McKie’s allies, however, say the opposition to him is an attempt to diminish the power of senior executives in Scottish Rugby and return it to elected amateur officials, as it was prior to Munro and McKie’s arrival in 2006.
Matters may come to a head when Sir Moir Lockhead succeeds Munro as chairman of Scottish Rugby at the end of this month.
Sir Moir has refused all requests for interviews in the build-up to his chairmanship but is known to have made considerable efforts to sound out opinion across a wide spectrum of the game in Scotland prior to assuming his new role.