SRU agrees to £70,000 ‘donation’ to end dispute

Pressure from senior figures at the top of rugby, including Sir Bill Beaumont, has led to a compromise agreement which has ended the fallout between World Rugby and the Scottish Rugby Union. It was yesterday revealed that the latter would make a £70,000 donation to charity, rather than being fined the same amount.

The dispute, stemming from the Scots’ threat of legal action to ensure their World Cup pool match against Japan proceeded despite the damage wrought by Typhoon Hagibis, had seemed destined to end in a bruising encounter in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, that would have been a public washing of dirty laundry.

Last week, World Rugby’s threeman disciplinary committee issued a swingeing verdict that excoriated the SRU and issued a formal reprimand. The Scots were found guilty of breaching the World Cup participation agreement and bringing the game into disrepute, given the £70,000 fine, and told to issue what the Scots said was a “grovelling” public apology to World Rugby.

However, a compromise led by Beaumont, World Rugby chairman, has been brokered that can be claimed as a victory, of sorts, for both sides.

The Scots have agreed to pay £70,000 to World Rugby, which will be passed on to typhoon mitigation charities in Japan, but which has been explicitly characterised as a donation rather than a fine.

No apology was issued by the SRU, it instead “expressed its regret” for the episode.

Both World Rugby and the SRU also declined to make further comment on the announcement.

World Rugby remains under fire for what was seen as a lack of “rigorous contingencies” in place for the onset of severe weather, although the governing body insists it took every precaution.

Equally the Scots, and combative chief executive Mark Dodson, whose press conference and threat of legal action led to the row, are also in the spotlight. They will contend that without Dodson’s intervention, Scotland’s match against Japan would have been called off.

The SRU council meets today and is likely to support Dodson’s course of action, while Beaumont is up for re-election in May, where World Rugby’s contingency plans are expected to be debated at some length.