Townsend fears for Scottish game.

Townsend fears for Scottish game

Saturday June 23 2007
Source: BBC Website

Scotland need at least three professional club sides if they are to make any impact on the international stage, according to Gregor Townsend.
Having finished bottom in this year's Six Nations, Scotland face a further blow with the disbandment of Borders.

And retiring fly-half Townsend finds the situation deeply unsatisfying.

"Three teams is the minimum if we're going to have success, fingers crossed it will happen," the 34-year-old told BBC Radio Scotland.

Townsend, who won 82 Scotland caps during his career, retired on Saturday after captaining Borders in their last match, a 24-16 defeat at Ospreys.

Their closure leaves just Glasgow Warriors, who are run by the Scottish Rugby Union, and franchise Edinburgh Rugby running on a professional basis.

"Obviously it was their decision to cut a third team and to disband us, but who's to blame? Who knows?" he asked.

"The product has not worked across the board in Scotland. Professional rugby and the crowds aren't great.

"I think it's a cultural thing that we haven't got into professional rugby as a nation, as a union, like the Irish have and the Welsh are now doing.

"But I do think that three teams is the minimum necessity if we're going to have a successful international side."

Scotland's current woes are in stark contrast to Wales, who have four full-time sides in the Magners League and, in Ospreys, boast this season's champions.

It is a situation Townsend can only gaze upon with envy.

"Wales now have got four teams, and a year ago people at the SRU were saying, 'We're looking for four teams'," he said.

"So there are financial issues at the Union, but for me if there are financial problems it's a priority that we try to save professional rugby, because that's the only way you'll make international rugby work."