The same IRB who let Henry Paul turn out for England. Surely this should never have been allowed to happen as the lad should have nailed his colours to the mast previously.
"Steven has informed us that he made it clear that he wished to leave open his international eligibility as he was also eligible to represent Scotland and England as well as Wales."
Hardly screams 'loyalty', does it?

The day the cash came out of the brown paper bag and was instead paid as wages, Loyalty went out the window. I find it hard to believe that playing for Scotland at any level would enhance his chances of a massive pay-day unless he were to lead them out of the doldrums and to 6 Nations/RWC glory......London irish are a good club with a decent financial base (compared to others) and he has a better chance of honours (currently) with Wales....IMO that is.

Not to mention that playing for Wales right now looks infinitely more enjoyable than the dour 'rugby' Andy Robinson has the Jocks 'playing'.

Scotland are buggered unless they can find some quality players and attract bigger crowds to games IMO. Of the 6 nations, I would say they are the 6th placed team both on and off the pitch.

They'll sell out their home games. Internationals are where rugby union are the envy of almost every other team sport in the world.

I was refering to their domestic comp...Edinburgh and Glasgow both struggle to get crowds.....and 60k at MField 5 times every 2 years and not at silly Twickenham prices either, is not enough cash to fund the domestic game.

Domestically you're right. I actually think Scotland RU made a mistake by entering the Celtic League. They had a strong, loyally (if not numerically) supported club competition but they decided to ditch it and go down the regions path. The result has been a decline in crowds at traditional club level and a failed regional side that absolutely nobody wanted in the first place. I watched Edinburgh v Glasgow over Christmas on BBC Alba and words like surreal, ridiculous and joke spring to mind when a few thousand die-hards are overwhelmingly outnumbered by empty dark-blue seats.

One from the archives... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/oct/21/ru ... pe=article

One from the archives... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/oct/21/ru ... pe=article

Where's he more likely to get a start though, Scotland or Wales?

IMO the Welsh already have the successor to Stephen Jones lined up in Rhys Priestland, whereas the Scots have a void at 10 that he could easily step straight into.

Quote ="Catalancs"One from the archives... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/oc ... pe=article'" now that's how you write an article intended to provoke another sport, Paul Pottinger!

Quote ="Catalancs"One from the archives... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2003/oc ... pe=article'" now that's how you write an article intended to provoke another sport, Paul Pottinger!

I notice that Shaun Edwards (who increasingly is turning into a pie-eating Vidkun Quisling) has been in the Graun today claiming that England need more Sale players, and in turn this will somehow turn the North West union mad.

Here's hoping that Salford and Warrington can have a great season and pull in the rugby-intrigued punters of South Manchester and North Cheshire.

Just read it, what a strange article

One thing I do agree with is that it is overstating the case to suggest that a “great northern storm is blowing through the portals of English rugby (Union)”. With Newcastle looking dead certs for relegation and Leeds halfway up the Championship, it looks very likely that there will be just one Premiership team north of Leicester next year. Although it seems Edwards is basing great hopes on the fact that the England Six Nations squad are going to be training in Leeds!

Whilst I think Bristol will indeed finish top dog in division 2, which other clubs have the right ground for division 1 requirements?

No idea... but not really that relevant for me, Bristol will be in the Premiership next year

only Leeds and Nottingham I reckon, and neither of them are going anywhere fast. the rest of the grounds are absolutely tinpot, especially Rotherham.

crowd of 3,445 to see Newcastle lose today. looks like they've had it.

2015 rugby union world cup CEO Paul Vaughan says he wants some tickets for some group games to be less than £10 to encourage full stadia.

Watch some Celtic league at the weekend was shocked by the amount of empty seats and in fact one full stand at Parc y scarlets. The crowd given out was 9,000 odd but looked way less same for cardiff.

Celtic League crowds have always been pretty poor. The derbies are well attended but otherwise they generally struggle. Munster had a packed house over 20,000 for their derbies and Heineken Cup games then they got 8,000 at the weekend.

[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9003656/Sale-Sharks-director-of-sport-Steve-Diamond-may-pay-dearly-following-outburst-over-referee-Wayne-Barnes.html?Classy as ever.[/url

Never did like Brad Davis.

The bad news is that the Brad Davis incident was an ‘unseemly episode’. The good news is that it occurred during a Saracens home game at Vicarage Road so there weren’t many people there to see it

Quote ="dids858"Feel free to send your comments to here https://secure.registration.olympic.org ... k-question I have said that they remind me of the vichy government.'" I have had a reply We point out that the IOC focuses on the history of rugby as sport at the Olympic Games only. The governing body of Rugby League is the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF). The IOC only recognises the International Rugby Board (IRB) which is the governing body for rugby sevens and rugby fifteens. That is the reason why you only find information dedicated to these two types of rugby in the IOC website.

Quote ="dids858"Feel free to send your comments to here https://secure.registration.olympic.org ... k-question I have said that they remind me of the vichy government.'" I have had a reply We point out that the IOC focuses on the history of rugby as sport at the Olympic Games only. The governing body of Rugby League is the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF). The IOC only recognises the International Rugby Board (IRB) which is the governing body for rugby sevens and rugby fifteens. That is the reason why you only find information dedicated to these two types of rugby in the IOC website.

Just had to check the calender, but it really is 2012. Staggering.

Baffling isn't it? And the irony is that their game will be strengthened by the demise of a tinpot club like Newcastle and the return of a proper heartland club in Bristol.

The RFL needs to make an all-out effort- it's a shame that this year couldn't have been Geordie Magic.

[url=http://www.watoday.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/ripia-quits-force-over-theft-scandal-20120111-1pu5m.html?Western Force five-eighth Willie Ripia has quit the Super Rugby franchise after being caught on camera allegedly stealing money from team-mates.[/url