NEWCASTLE
The SRU have announced that Colin Grassie – the outgoing chairman of Scottish Rugby, who was due to step down in August – will be replaced as Interim Chairman by former British Lion, John Jeffrey.
Jeffrey is also appointed to the Board of Scottish Rugby as an independent non-executive director. The search for a permanent chairman is still ongoing.
The promotion of Jeffrey – known as JJ in rugby circles – comes at one of the most-interesting times for Scottish Rugby, which is reeling in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.
JJ has developed a career in rugby’s administrative circles – he is the Six Nations Council chaierman and one of three Council members of World Rugby, the governing body of the global game.
So his credentials as a politician in the world of rugby cannot be called into question.
But, at a time when the game is going through its most-serious financial crisis for some time, perhaps JJ’S business credentials are not as strong as other potential candidates for the role who are on the Board.
This may be addressed when a permanent chairman is appointed.
JJ’S reputation in the game, however, cannot be called into question, and while there may be one or two others in Scotland who are better-known in rugby circles than the Borders farmer, there are few who have been immersed in the mechanics of councils and governance more than him.
That experience is bound to stand him in good stead, as I’m sure that the rest of the Board, who come from a background within the game, will see him as “one of our own”.
The real question will be whether
JJ will be able to, or want to, stand up to the CEO and other executive members of the Board.
The reputation of the CEO, Mark Dodson, is somewhat challenged at the moment after his pay award – an initial reluctance to take a pay cut at the start of the crisis, and with his fine from World Rugby at the recent rugby World Cup.
Hopefully, JJ’S only weakness will be his jaw!
My old team-mate suffered from concussion as a player and rarely could remember where he was when he took a blow to the head – like when Scotland played Romania in the 1987 World Cup.
Having used two subs already, JJ was concussed. Rather than see him leave the field, the captain, Colin Deans, told him to play No. 8, instead of Iain Paxton, who could defend the flanks.
Running over to the next scrum which was forming, JJ asked me: “What is No. 8?”.
I’m sure all of rugby wishes him well.