Published: Tuesday, 16th June, 2009 11:13am

SRU must have rethink, says former president

A FORMER president of the SRU has attacked the Union for letting club rugby down.

Bert Duffy, of Selkirk, told the Walkerburn RFC 125th dinner: 'We have been let down by the administrators due to the lack of feeling for the game at our level.'

Mr Duffy, president in 2004-05, added: 'The year that I was president, I travelled the length and breadth of Scotland and was confronted with the same problems - and that was five years ago.

'The governing body has to have a serious rethink on how it handles the same at this level. They should allow flexibility among clubs who all agree to solve the problem by playing uncontested scrums and play men short.

'It must be frustrating for coaches and players to have games called off on a Friday. You just need to look at the results on a Sunday and see how many games that are off.

'All the guys want on a Saturday is to play - plus it keeps the club spirits up and the treasurers happy as they need the cash to run the club.'

Among those in the audience at the dinner was former Scotland and British Lions captain, Finlay Calder, who has put his hat in the ring for the presidency at the Union"s agm in June, as well as Ally Forsyth, the Borders representative on the SRU.

Calder made no mention of his intention to stand for the hot seat, but Forsyth said that there was mechanism in the rules to allow clubs to play short-handed and with uncontested scrums if they agreed ahead of the game.

But Duffy urged the new Walkerburn president, Peter Irvine, to meet with Forsyth and take the case to Colin Thomson, of Peebles, the head of Community Rugby at Murrayfield.

Walkerburn had 16 points deducted by the Union"s Championship Committee for failing to fulfil fixtures - and the club could have finished sixth in East League Division 2 if they had completed its programme.

Duffy was not the only man to have a 'pop" at the Union. Peter Brownlee, former "Burn player and former coach of the Scottish Ladies, said: 'Mr Mckie (chief executive) and Mr Munro (chairman) seem to have a thing about the Borders. Maybe it is something to do with the Gala pitch.'