Published: Friday, 17th February, 2006 12:16
Pro concern
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THE future of the Border Reivers remain uncertain despite assurances being given a year ago that all pro teams would remain in place for at least three years.
The warning came from the head of Scottish Rugby, Gordon McKie, at a seminar last Friday in Tweed Horizons.
“The pro teams are ultimately about affordability and the bottom line is, can we afford to keep three pro teams? I cannot answer that honestly today,” he told me at the end of the event run by GB Telecom, the main sponsors of the Reivers.
“At the moment I cannot give assurances of any of the pro teams as the cost base of the Union is still unknown. Looking ahead we will prioritise cost against the business and obviously the pro teams are a key need.
“We go into a budget period in the next six to eight weeks and then the future will be a lot clearer…not just in terms of the pro teams, but of the budgets that we give.
“We are already starting out to re-negotiate key players in terms of their contracts and we would not be doing obviously if we were not optimistic to stay with them.
“If we find they are a strain our finances next season, then we have to cut our cloth elsewhere, and that also will be down to prioritisation, and if we have to then cut other things away, then we need to do that to afford all three teams.
“I did not give assurances that there would be three pro teams for three years, I think others did, but others then had no knowledge of the cost base and those others are not really around now.
“We can’t keep losing money. I think this year we will make a small loss, but again I do not know that at present, but once we get a handle on that, we will prioritise where we will spend the money and the pro teams are a key priority for us.
“We have a lot of other feeder teams, through to the ‘A’ team now, which was a decision taken, and do we need all these teams?
“If we cannot afford them all, then we need to reduce them, that’s the bottom line.”
But Mr McKie did throw in a line of optimism. “If we can reduce our cost base from other areas, and generate more revenue, then that will make them much more affordable.
“What I will say, the process this year will be done on a blank sheet of paper with reliable numbers and decisions will be taken not in a vacuum, but will be taken with a full knowledge of the facts.”
Earlier Reivers coach Steve Bates said that on the playing field, the future of the Reivers was bright, while John Thorburn, Business Manager, called for Borders companies to get behind pro team.
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