Scottish Women’S Rugby Sets Target Date For Integration

Member clubs of the Scottish Women??™s Rugby Union have agreed a new strategic plan which has the specific aim of integration with Scottish Rugby, the governing body of the men??™s game, by 2009. Scottish Rugby and the SWRU have worked closely together for a number of years. Scottish Rugby was the first governing body in the northern hemisphere to stage a women??™s international match on its home ground, when Scotland Women played their Swedish counterparts at Murrayfield in 2002.Member clubs of the Scottish Women??™s Rugby Union have agreed a new strategic plan which has the specific aim of integration with Scottish Rugby, the governing body of the men??™s game, by 2009. Scottish Rugby and the SWRU have worked closely together for a number of years. Scottish Rugby was the first governing body in the northern hemisphere to stage a women??™s international match on its home ground, when Scotland Women played their Swedish counterparts at Murrayfield in 2002. The SWRU??™s three staff work under the umbrella of the SRU??™s Community Rugby department and are actively involved in encouraging more girls and women to take up rugby and in raising standards among existing players. The target date for integration comes at a time when the SWRU has been praised in a Fit for Purpose audit carried out under the auspices of sportscotland. The audit, a follow-up to a previous exercise carried out in March 2006, revealed that of 21 recommendations made then covering corporate structure, corporate objectives, risk management, financial control, information systems, policies and procedures and human resources, 15 had been implemented and six were ongoing. SWRU chairperson Sandra Kinnear said: ???This is good news. It has been a complete team effort from volunteers, the SWRU??™s full-time employees and Scottish Rugby??™s staff to gain the second top level in the Fit for Purpose review. ???The Scottish Women??™s Rugby Union and Scottish Rugby are fully committed to integration and opening up rugby to more young people across the country with the consequent benefits for health that that brings.??? Colin Thomson, SRU Head of Community Rugby, said: ???Scottish rugby is a game open to everybody. Our approach is all-inclusive and we look forward to continuing to work with the SWRU to increase opportunities for girls and women to be actively involved in rugby and to the integration of our two governing bodies.??? Meanwhile Sandra Kinnear has been re-elected as Scottish Women??™s representative on the Scottish Rugby Council. For the coming season the SWRU Executive Board will comprise Chairperson ??” Sandra Kinnear (Lismore) Vice chair ??” Rosy Hume (Murrayfield Wanderers) Secretary ??” Kate Ho (Edinburgh University) Domestic competitions co-ordinator ??” Beth Dickens (Murrayfield Wanderers) Events co-ordinator ??” Sheena Buchanan (Watsonians) Youth managers ??” Louise Dalgliesh (RHC) and Claire Cruikshank (Murrayfield Wanderers) Historian and veteran co-ordinator ??” Kath Vass (Watsonians) Student representatives ??” Ruth Clements (RDVC) and Claire Fergusson (RHC) The SWRU has also made the following awards Club of the year ??” Oban Lorne Volunteer of the year ??” Tony Weir (RDVC) Coach of the year ??” Claire Cruikshank (Murrayfield Wanderers) Premier League: Top try and points scorer ??” Lucy Millard, Murrayfield Wanderers, 21 tries National League: Top try and points scorer ??” Annabelle Sergeant, St Andrews University, 18 tries Player of the year: Premier League ??” Lynn Reid, RHC National League ??” Katie Barker, Dundee University National Development League ??” Nicola Moore, RDVC