Peeblesshire News | Sport | Hogarth thinks 'long and hard'

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 1st June, 2007 10:40

Hogarth thinks 'long and hard'

By Atholl Innes

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BOB Hogarth has joined his Borders colleague Norman Douglas at the Murrayfield top table.

Hogarth, the Peebles team manager, has been elected unopposed as the Premiership 3 representative.

There, he has linked up again with Douglas, who has been elected as the rep for Premiership 3 on the new governance body, the Scottish Rugby Council.

Hogarth, who has been a Murrayfield absentee for two years, said that he was delighted to be back at headquarters.

“I thought long and hard before making up my mind,” he added. “Did I want to do it? But if not, how can you moan about anything when you had the chance and turned it down?

“So I put my name down, and I was the only candidate. I think that tells its own story (about the state of rugby).”

However, if Peebles achieves its goal and gains promotion to Division 2, Hogarth will be on the Council for just one year.

“This shows there is no continuity. As a District representative, you could have a few years before there was a change.”

Douglas, a former Borders pro chairman and Selkirk president, has pledged to make club rugby stronger.

“The perception is that the game is about money,” he said. “It is about values, career paths, spirit and friendships.

“Let’s get back to rugby values instead of cutting each other’s throats.

“We have to re-invent the club scene. The game has been through a lot and needs stability.

“Supporters have been sickened by what has happened to their game and we must try and get their confidence back into the sport.

· Gala full back Fraser Thomson flies out to Australia tomorrow for three months on a scholarship set up by Gregor Townsend.

Thomson (18) will play and train with the Australian Schools’ champions, Southport, where former Borders pro player Matt Taylor is a teacher.

Townsend, who had spells in Australia with Warringah in 1993 and 1995, told me: “I learned so much out there. It improved my game no end and was an experience that helped me the most.

“I have been lucky to play a sport I love at the highest level, and I wanted to put something back into the game.”

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