Pro Rugby isn't Working

I find it amazing that we live in a country already dominated by public funding, yet we have people demanding that public funds be invested in what is essentially an amateur sport.

I don't mind public money being invested at school and community level, but to ask for public money to subsidies (or even provide the majority of the funds) for a professional team is ridiculous.

If Borders council are so desperate that someone save their Pro team, then set up a company, provide it with a source of funding (it's only £30 a year per head of population) on a commercial basis, and go to the SRU with a plan that will see the team financed for a five year period.

And this goes the same for any other Council (Glasgow and Edinbrugh pay particular attention) - look two years into the future and I can see similar decisions having to be considered for both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Pro rugby is not working in Scotland - we take part in a minority sport, that has little public appeal. And from where I sit, the majority of Clubs on the community side of the game are struggling to stay in existence.

There isn't the necessary finance or enthusiasm for pro rugby. If there was, we would have had some offers on the table last week and a few heads rasied above the parapet. But as it is we have had lots of hot air.