I’m sure these changes are good for the game of rugby

RUGBY’S governors have been busy of late.

A week or two ago, they revised the rules regarding the qualification of so-called “project players”and a few days ago they changed the qualification rules for teams in the Pro12. I’ve never been a fan of project players. I find something quite mercenary about players who aren’t good enough to play for their country of birth, or where they have been raised, travelling across the world to live in a foreign country for three years, just so they can play international rugby.

Perhaps I’m being naive, but there is a lack of integrity about it – both on the side of the player and on the side of the country they decide to pick to play for.

Worse still, are the countries who actively seek out these players and entice them to come. I’m afraid the SRU appear to be guilty in this regard.

They voted against the changes that extend the residency rules from three to five years, so clearly want to retain this regulation. I’m pleased that they have been denied.

The Scottish jersey is one to be cherished, not to be given away lightly.

Those who have been fortunate enough to wear one over the years have been the privileged few. Those Scots who have not worn the thistle would give almost anything to be in the place of players lucky enough to represent their country.

That is the way it was for many years and I, for one, am delighted that it is likely to return to these ways.

On the domestic front, European Rugby have decided it is no longer the right of every country to have a team in the Champions Cup. From the end of next season, qualification will be decided by final placings in the Pro12 League, with the top seven teams in the earning a place in the competition.

This makes total sense. You want the best teams in Europe fighting it out to earn the right to compete in the knockout stages.

Italian teams, and at times Scottish teams, have been whipping boys in the group stages, making groups with these teams much easier to qualify from.

Clearly, this is not the case now for Scottish sides, but Italian teams have struggled in European rugby.

Ironically, Glasgow would only just qualify this year as they finished sixth in the table, but normally you would expect at least one Scottish team in the top-seven.

With both Edinburgh and Glasgow recruiting new coaches, the target for both will be a place in the top-half of the league and a place in the most-prestigious Cup competition – it’s definitely another change for good.