Scottish Rugby AGM 2020 (Part 1)

 

Saturday sees Part 1 of Scottish Rugby’s 2020 AGM.

Coronavirus restrictions has led to this years AGM being held in two stages, the first being hosted on a virtual platform, kicking off at 10.30am on Saturday 15th August 2020.

There are 10 items on the Agenda for Part 1, item 10 being the adjournment of the Meeting until a later date which will see the remaining business being concluded.  

 

Part 2 of the Meeting (which includes the business update, financials, Championship reports and Motions) will then be held in person when Coronavirus restrictions allow.

The two main items of business for Saturday are the election of a new Vice-President and ratification of Ian Barr as the new President for 2020/21 and 2021/22.

The election of a Vice President is for the periods 2020/21 and 2021/22. There are two nominations for Vice President: Colin Rigby (Stewart's Melville RFC) and Keith Wallace (Haddington RFC).

Full CVs for both candidates are available here -
Colin Rigby
Keith Wallace

There's  plenty in these documents about their history with rugby, so we've extracted the bits relevant to their ambitions for VP.

Colin Rigby:

My thoughts on the game and how it is structured both on and off the park is that we must remember that each and every club faces different challenges and obstacles.

The potential influx of money coming into the game requires trust and realistic objectives on how this is to be best utilised. If we want our game to be at the forefront of world rugby, we need to change our mind-set focusing on the development of our domestic game, adopting a more collaborative joined up approach, promoting effective youth, schools and performance academies. As all three go together our focus must be in developing players for both the domestic game and also identify those suitable for the performance game.

I also believe that every Club in Scotland should continue to strive towards the common goal of success, both on and off the pitch, at all levels.

Keith Wallace

Scottish Rugby stands at a crossroads: mistrust between clubs who introduce players to the game and SRU officials who generate income, compounded by Covid-19. More than ever, clubs and officials need to work together. The very essence of “the Union”.

With this understanding of grassroots and governance, I would:

1. Help develop a clear strategy, based on rugby’s values, which all parts of the game can buy into. Here I have led and implemented many successful strategic reviews and plans.
2. Scrutinise proposals. My due diligence and risk management experience, together with a very logical and inquiring mind, often sees me spotting gaps, ideal for a “critical friend”.
3. Be an advocate. We all need to talk the game up. I am extremely comfortable with a wide range of audiences, including TV, radio, public consultation, and giving evidence at public inquiries/parliament.

 

Update: 15/08/2020

In the vice president vote, Colin Rigby won with 112 vote to Keith Wallacs 97.