scottish rugby annual report - amazon s3 · 2019-01-24 · 6 scottish rugby annual report 2014/15...

Scottish Rugby

Annual Report2014/15

1Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect

Front cover Al Kellock lifts the Guinness PRO12 2014-15 Trophy

Back cover Scotland Women

Photography SNS Pix

Produced by Scottish Rugby

Editor Bronwyn Torrie

Designer Laura Chessar

All information correct at time of going to print on 23 July 2015

To download a copy please visit scottishrugby.org/annualreport

Scottish RugbyBT Murrayfield, Edinburgh EH12 5PJTel: 0131 346 5000scottishrugby.org | @scotlandteam

Contents2 President’s Welcome

4 Chairman’s Review

6 Chief Executive’s Report

8 BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy

12 Scotland

14 Scotland 7s

15 Scotland Age Grades

16 Glasgow Warriors

18 Edinburgh Rugby

20 Women & Girls

22 Referees

24 Coaching Pathways

26 Clubs

28 Schools & Youth

30 Commercial Report

32 Corporate Social Responsibility

33 Working with Government

34 Social Media

36 Health & Safety

37 Club & School Results

38 Strategic Report

40 Governance

46 Board Report

Financial Statements48 Independent Auditors’ Report

51 Income & Expenditure Account

52 Balance Sheet

53 Cash Flow

54 Notes

61 Five Year Summary

62 Commentary on the Accounts

Scottish Rugby Annual Report 2014/152 3Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect

Ian Rankin

President’s Welcome

While players have put in hundreds of hours of training and, in some cases, thousands of miles of travel, supporters have stood on the sidelines in rain, hail and shine to watch exciting showdowns as teams battled for coveted silverware in their respective leagues.

A fantastic example of this are the Spirit of Rugby award winners, Jim ‘Basher’ Inglis – a former Scotland internationalist - and his wife Mary, who have served

Selkirk Rugby Club for more than 70 years. The Club Awards Dinner was also a special affair for Livingston Rugby Club’s Lee Anne Steel, who was named BT Volunteer of the Season for her tireless work to ensure the growth of rugby, particularly at youth level in her region.

BT Cup Finals Day was a highlight of the season when over 10,000 people converged on BT Murrayfield for a sun-drenched day of first-class club rugby.

Boroughmuir lifted the BT Cup with a powerful performance to overcome Hawick, St Boswells completed a league and cup double by winning the BT Shield and Alloa were crowned BT Bowl champions with an eleven try victory over Cumnock.

In the women’s finals, Watsonians won the BT Women’s Bowl, Stewartry claimed the BT Women’s Plate with Hannah Sloan, who made her Scotland Women debut this season, crossing the whitewash three times. Murrayfield Wanderers won the Sarah Beaney Cup to add to their BT Women’s Premier League title, before winning the BT Women’s Club of the Season award.

Well done to Heriot’s on winning the BT Premiership and to their coach Phil Smith for being named Caledonia Best Coach of the Season. The club also celebrated their 125th anniversary in style with a game against the Barbarians who also celebrated 125 years.

It has been a huge privilege to serve as President during a time of expansion, particularly in grassroots rugby where more money than ever is being invested. Making the game sustainable and growing it from the ground up wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors, and in particular BT.

I would like to thank everyone who plays their part in the success of Scottish Rugby and for your support throughout this memorable club season.

This season has been particularly exciting as the quality of domestic rugby has continued to rise.

Heriot’s celebrate winning the BT Premiership

These matches simply wouldn’t go ahead if it wasn’t for volunteers who give up their time to coach, referee, serve on committees and roll up their sleeves to ensure clubs survive and thrive.

Over 20 Scotland players were involved in the Royal Bank of Scotland RugbyForce weekend which helped 150 clubs to kick off the season

Four years after being formed, Stewartry Sirens lifted the 2015 BT Women’s Plate

Scottish Rugby Chairman Sir Moir Lockhead switched on Deeside’s new floodlights at Woodend Playing Fields, Banchory. The lights were funded through the club’s capital and with the support of sportscotland and the CashBack for Communities facilities fund.

2

RWC Trophy TourThe Webb Ellis Cup was taken on a whistle-stop tour around Scotland in June, as part of its global journey to Twickenham for the opening RWC 2015 match. Rugby clubs across the country hosted the trophy and events to inspire people of all ages to get involved and support Scotland.

Day 1 Jedburgh

Day 2 North Berwick, Raeburn Place, BT Murrayfield

Day 3 Howe of Fife, Aberdeen Wanderers, Banff, Deeside, Huntly & Mackie AcademyOrkney RFC

Day 4 Highland RFC

Day 5 Scotstoun Stadium, Ayr RFC

2

1

3

3

3

4

5

5

5 days, 13 clubs 14 Scotland players 1000 miles travelled

Club HighlightsMcLaren Rugby Club returned to their home in Callander after three years away, following £45,000 of CashBack for Communities funding to develop their facilities

Currie were the Scottish Rugby Under-18 League and Under-16 League champions


Sir Moir Lockhead OBE

Chairman’s Review

Our average debt fell to below £10 million for the first time in over a decade and our investment into the domestic game continued to rise.

Turnover was over £500,000 higher compared to the previous season. Additional sponsorship income from BT and higher RBS 6 Nations ticket revenues contributed to the increase.

While our professional teams have made great strides on the field, the impact of last year’s BT sponsorship agreement has started to benefit clubs, schools and communities directly.

At the heart of our investment from the ground up is the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy, and much work has gone into getting all four centres up and running for the first intake of 87 young players.

The Academy gives us a real opportunity to drive players and coaches through a system that will consistently benefit schools, clubs and, ultimately, Scotland’s professional and national teams. We are grateful to BT and our other local partners for their help in bringing these plans to fruition.

This holistic structure will not only expand our depth of homegrown talent, it will also provide another pathway for Scottish coaches to rise up the ranks.

We are also entering a new era for Women and Girls’ Rugby. We are in the final stages of realising our ambitious

national strategy and Shade Munro has joined Scotland Women as Head Coach from his post at Glasgow Warriors.

This sends a clear message that Scottish Rugby is committed to growing player numbers and closing the gap with other nations on the international stage.

The Schools and Youth structure has been revised this year with extensive consultation on the proposed format. The aim is to ensure more players get onto the field and graduate through the age grades and adult game with improved skills.

This year has seen a dramatic rise in the number of qualified coaches, with over 950 coaches achieving a qualification and over 4,500 attending workshops and conferences thanks to Scottish Rugby.

Player safety remains the highest priority and I would like to commend Dr James Robson for his contribution to the ‘If in doubt, sit them out’ guidelines on managing concussion in Scottish sport. We also introduced the World Rugby First Aid in Rugby Level 1 Course this season and continued to deliver our RugbyReady course to thousands of teachers, coaches, referees and volunteers.

The organisation suffered a serious blow when World Rugby removed the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s from the Sevens World Series. After nine years of hard work and investment by Glasgow

City Council, the Scottish Government and Scottish Rugby, the decision lacked any logic and was extremely frustrating to all involved.

Despite this, we had a very successful year as we continue to inspire Scotland through rugby and ensure our young people enjoy the game.

Finally, I would like to thank the players, coaches, volunteers and Scottish Rugby staff for their hard work this season.

Scottish Rugby continues to expand all areas of the game to ensure it is sustainable at every level. At the same time, we have reduced our debt burden.

below £10M for first time

in over a decade

Averagedebt

£500kcompared to 2013/14

Turnover

International & Pro Game

Commercial & Operational

Domestic & Performance

Depreciation

Club SupportNet interest

£44,

219k

Other operatingincome

Ticketing

Broadcast

£44,

243k

Inco

me

Exp

end

itu

re

over


£50kDuns*

Renovation of school gym into new

clubhouse building

It has been a positive year for Scottish Rugby with our two professional teams making history at the business end of the season.

After 20 home-game wins on the trot, Glasgow Warriors lifted the Guinness PRO12 trophy. It was a breakthrough moment for the club and I am absolutely delighted for Head Coach Gregor Townsend and the team - they truly deserved the win.

Edinburgh Rugby also entered the record books when they became the first Scottish side to reach a European cup final. They played a consistently high standard of rugby under pressure during the Challenge Cup and the foundations are now in place for them to go one better next season, under Head Coach Alan Solomons.

This success is just the start of our journey; we have to build on the gains. But most of all we now have proof that players and coaches can stay in Scotland and win silverware. We know we still have much to do and achieve, but are looking forward positively to more competitive and entertaining rugby.

There is no doubt the Scotland team has improved, particularly during the Autumn tests, but sadly this wasn’t reflected in the final scores during the RBS 6 Nations. We have work to do ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

BT Murrayfield has welcomed capacity crowds this season following sell-out matches against Ireland and Wales, which contributed to the highest ever ticket sales in the tournament’s history in Scotland.

Scotstoun welcomed an historic sell-out crowd at the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s and there wasn’t a spare seat in the house for Glasgow Warriors’ last two Guinness PRO12 games, with crowds of 10,000 recorded at each.

It’s important we maintain and strengthen our relationships with fans as every pound from ticket sales goes back into the game.

Thank you for your loyal support and we look forward to sharing further successes with you next season.

196, 476supporters watched Scotland’s three

RBS 6 Nations matches at BT Murrayfield

Club support &development

23%

Five consecutive years of incre

ases

Alloa v Cumnock in the BT Bowl Final

Club Sustainability FundWhile there have been some great moments on the pitch, there has also been a lot of hard work in the background to make the game sustainable from the grassroots up.

The health of rugby at all levels is paramount to the growth and success of the sport, which is why we are investing heavily in the domestic game.

Nothing has given me more pleasure this year than rolling out our £1.6 million Club Sustainability Fund, made possible through our partnership with BT.

Fourteen clubs benefitted from the first round of funding and I am delighted this investment, across a range of major projects, will improve facilities for club members, local communities and independently generate more business to reinvest in the game.

£37.7kLismore

Training lights & showers

Stewart’s Melville, Hawick Community Rugby Trust, Falkirk, Kelso & Linlithgow (£9862)

New Business Development Officers

*additional funding received from sportscotland

A further 41 clubs received up to £2000 from the Fast-Track strand of the Club Sustainability

Fund for maintenance and improvement projects.

£40kClydebank

3G Pitch

Selkirk RFCThe changing rooms at Selkirk Rugby Club will get a complete overhaul for the first time in 80 years thanks to Scottish Rugby’s Club Sustainability Fund.

The club, which won promotion into the BT Premiership this season, secured £37,500 towards upgrading their facilities to accommodate the growing number of teams at the club.

sportscotland awarded a further £37,500 taking the total amount to £75,000.

“This will make a huge difference. For us to raise that kind of money would take four to five years.

“We are a community club, we rely on bringing our young players through. Now we can give the players good changing rooms and it just finishes off the ground.”John Rutherford, President, Selkirk RFC

£37.5kSelkirk*

Changing room extension

£25kHaddington*

Clubhouse renovation

£60kHowe of Fife*

New pavilion & changing room with fitness, rehab,

conditioning suites, community café and

social facilities

£38.6kStewartry* Changing rooms,

floodlights, gym

£38kPerthshire

Strength & conditioning

suite

£38kBiggar*

Pitch & training area extension

£10k £10k£10k£10k£10k

Selkirk’s oldest living Scottish international Jim Inglis and Selkirk Captain Andrew Cavanagh

Club support and development now exceeds £2.7 million, a 23% increase

on the previous year and follows a 16% rise

in 2013/14.

Mark Dodson

Chief Executive’s Report


in p

artn

ersh

ip with sportscotland and Institute of Sport

Highly skilled staff have been recruited to work with players and stakeholders within each region to identify future talent and to help instil performance behaviours and methods. Individual player plans and region wide programmes under the agreed national framework are being developed.

Development off the field will have a greater focus, with education embedded within the Academy programmes. A flexible training approach will allow for personal development alongside rugby, to help players become better, well-rounded individuals.

The Academy will also provide a pathway for the next tranche of coaches to bridge the gap between the club and professional games.

Working to improve the next generation of players and coaches within the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy will undoubtedly prove significant at all levels in the game and will help provide greater consistency and competitiveness in the future.

While work was on-going to secure facilities, staff and players for the new Academy structure, the existing performance development programme continued. On top of playing for their club and school teams, 52 players were also exposed to the professional stage, including the Under-20 Six Nations, Scotland 7s and the Guinness PRO12.

By the end of the season, seven players had signed full-time contracts with our two professional clubs. Zander Fagerson, Fergus Scott, Glenn Bryce and D’Arcy Rae have joined Glasgow Warriors, while Edinburgh Rugby have secured Magnus Bradbury, Blair Kinghorn and Rory Sutherland.

Regional matches at under-16, under-18 and under-20 levels were held throughout the season to give identified players a platform to be selected for the new Academy structure and international age-grade teams. The games also brought back meaningful competition between the four rugby regions in Scotland.

Making gains Great strides have been made since the Academy structure was outlined in The Way Forward policy initiative 18 months ago. The landmark BT sponsorship deal has enabled Scottish Rugby to provide significant investment into the Academy.

This exciting national initiative will, for the first time, see both male and female players supported within their respective regions, while still ensuring our future professional male players have strong links and opportunities to be involved with our pro-clubs.

To allow this regional support, we have secured four new centres with top-class

facilities including, indoor and outdoor training, performance gyms, medical and rehab space, offices and classrooms. The facilities have been developed in partnership with other agencies and will provide a focal point and regional identity for players, while also providing performance-training environments that are vital to accelerated development.

BT Sport Scottish Rugby

AcademyThe national launch of the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy in June marked a new beginning to raise the standard and flow of young talent into the top echelons of the game.

“Where our Academies are unique, in my experience, is that our national coaches will work with them on a weekly basis. Any player in our Academy structure is only two steps away from working with the likes of Vern Cotter, Matt Taylor and Jonathan Humphreys” Scott Johnson, Director of Performance Rugby

“The Academy is not about taking players out of their normal environments, it’s about adding value to individuals and having a positive impact on rugby in the region by instilling performance behaviours at clubs and schools” Stephen Gemmell, Head of Academy

Adam Ashe was capped

in the summer tour while

still an Elite Development

Player

players featured in the Guinness

PRO12 & European Rugby Challenge &

Champions Cups

11

Graeme Beveridge | EdinburghEdinburgh Napier University, SighthillIn partnership with Edinburgh Napier University & Edinburgh City Council

Chris Dewsnap | Borders & East LothianHeriot Watt University, NetherdaleIn partnership with Borders College, Heriot Watt University, Borders Sport and Leisure Trust, Borders Council and Gala Junior Rugby Council

Bruce Frame | CaledoniaAberdeen University, Hillhead CentreIn partnership with University of Aberdeen & Aberdeen Sports Village

Jamie Dempsey | Glasgow & The WestBroadwood Stadium, CumbernauldIn partnership with North Lanarkshire Leisure Trust

as Elite Development Players25

players contracted to pro teams

+

Homegrown talent realising potential in

Season 2014/15

=+ 1

player capped for Scotland

44 Stage 2 male players

Stage 3 contracted players27

16 Stage 2 female players

Cornerstone of a new era

2015/16

87 players selected for the first intake

Academy Managers

27players

supported regionally


Grant McConellAge: 20 Position: Winger Club: Boroughmuir Honours: Scotland under-18

Boroughmuir winger Grant McConnell ended the season on a high after scoring a try in the BT Cup final win over Hawick at BT Murrayfield. Becoming a Stage 3 BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy player was the cherry on top for the 20-year-old, who is studying civil engineering at Edinburgh University.

“Training 25 hours a week is going to be a shock to the system, compared to my two club and four gym sessions, but it will be really beneficial.

“Being in a performance environment and training together, with the specialist coaches and hi-tech equipment, is definitely going to help me work towards my dream of playing for Scotland.”

Sarah LawAge: 20 Position: Scrum-half Club: Murrayfield Wanderers Honours: Scotland Women

Scotland Women scrum-half Sarah Law was selected as a Stage 2 BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy player. When the 20-year-old isn’t studying applied maths at Edinburgh University, she will be down the road at Napier University training with fellow Academy players.

“They’re giving us everything we need so we can concentrate on improving all aspects of our game. The flexible programme will fit around my other study and will also complement my training with Murrayfield Wanderers.

“I think the Academy will give Scotland Women an opportunity to be better prepared for the games and will enable us to compete at a much higher level. “

BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy inductees 2015 with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Grant Gilchrist, Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg


From Richie Gray’s fifth minute try against Argentina to Tommy Seymour’s finish of Finn Russell’s cross-field kick against Tonga at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, crowds were entertained from start to finish.

Five of the tries were scored in the opening match against Argentina that saw the hosts post their first victory against the Pumas at home since 1990. The promising and potent display in front of a record crowd for the fixture was also Head Coach Vern Cotter’s first bow at BT Murrayfield.

What followed was another tale of so near and yet so far, and there have been a few in the 109-year history of matches between Scotland and New Zealand from a home perspective.

We put in an admirable performance, but were left lamenting one that got away in front of an energised crowd of 66,004.

Then came the chance to get back to winning ways against Tonga at a sold-out Rugby Park, where Scotland put in a strong second-half performance to end the series with a five-try win.

2015 RBS 6 NationsSupport for Scotland reached fever pitch following the viagogo Autumn Tests, with tickets to the Ireland match selling out in record-time, a capacity crowd for the Wales game and a record attendance for the Italy fixture.

Despite showcasing the attacking vigour which fans had become accustomed to under Cotter, the national team had a winless campaign.

Dougie Fife produced the only try in the loss to France in Paris, before we suffered a narrow and controversial loss to Wales and an agonising late defeat to Italy.

Captain Greig Laidlaw kicked his men into a half-time lead in the Calcutta Cup clash at Twickenham, however

ten points in ten minutes from England halted Scotland’s progress.

Flashes of promise and thumping hits in front of a full house at BT Murrayfield were eclipsed by a clinical Irish side, who were not going to let anything get in the way of securing the title.

ScotlandFans enjoyed watching Scotland score 11 tries during their three viagogo Autumn Tests at home – the most tries in an autumn series for seven years.

Rugby World Cup The extended squad kicked off their preparations at Font Romeu, a high altitude training camp in the French Pyrenees, before the four-game summer series against France, Italy and Ireland.

Scotland will face Japan, USA, South Africa and Samoa in the pool stages of the RWC.

Within the extended squad there are:

uncapped players

competing for a place at their third Rugby World Cup

cup / league champions this season; Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester & Saracens

Richie Gray scores against Argentina at BT Murrayfield

11 tries

“The players were rewarded in the autumn for their collective effort to create and finish opportunities, scoring 11 tries across the three Test matches. We played some good attacking rugby in the RBS 6 Nations, but needed to do it for much longer and get our mindset into building games, as well as minimising errors” Vern Cotter, Scotland Head Coach

1850mFont Romeu

Scotland Results

Scotland 41-31 Argentina

Scotland 16-24 New Zealand

Scotland 37-12 Tonga

France 15-8 Scotland

Scotland 23-26 Wales

Scotland 19-22 Italy

England 25-13 Scotland

Scotland 10-40 Ireland

Greig Laid

law’s kicking accuracy durin

g th

e RB

S 6

Nat

ion

s

11 penalties4 out of 5 conversions

43 points

94%

Euan Murray

65

62,188 record crowd for RBS 6 Nations Sco

tland

v It

alycapacity at Scotland’s

six home gamesin 2014/15

315,270

89%

9

6

26

Became Scotland’s most capped prop before announcing retirement

from international rugby.

scored by Scotland during the viagogo Autumn Tests


This season...

In his first term as Head Coach, Calum MacRae and his charges competed in the top eight for the majority of the Series, having qualified for six Cup competitions across the nine tournaments.

They celebrated their highest ever finish of fourth in Wellington, before winning the Bowl in Hong Kong. There were also personal highlights among the squad, including captain Scott Riddell making the London 7s Dream Team for his eye-catching work at the breakdown.

Colin Gregor became the third highest all-time points scorer in the HSBC Sevens World Series, bringing his total to 1345 points. He also became Scotland’s most capped sevens player with 58 Sevens World Series caps, before announcing his retirement at the end of the season.

James Johnstone had an impressive year and scored at least one try at every tournament, taking his season tally to 22. He was also the Series’ top ball carrier.

Damien Hoyland made his mark during his first season on the Series by scoring 19 tries, seven of which were in Wellington.

Scotland 7sScotland 7s finished the HSBC Sevens World Series in seventh place, overtaking their previous highest ranking of ninth.

Scotland Sevens team on the eve of the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s

“The team have achieved many of the aims we set out at the start of the year” Calum MacRae, Scotland 7s Head Coach

Scotland Under-20Scotland under-20 enjoyed their most successful year by recording their highest ever finish in the Six Nations and the World Rugby Under-20 Championship.

Under-20 Six Nations Championship After notching up three victories from five, Sean Lineen’s charges finished third.

The squad recorded their first win over Wales since 2009 and their greatest winning margin in the 45-0 victory over Italy.

World Rugby Under-20 Championship The team had a tough start at the championship in June, losing against eventual champions New Zealand and running close to Ireland, who they beat during the Six Nations.

In their final pool match, Scotland gave a scintillating three-try display on their way to achieving their first victory against Argentina.

Scotland progressed to the top eight play-offs, yet were unable to record any further victories going down to Australia and Ireland.

21playersdonned

the jersey

51games played

79,629miles travelled

First Scotland team to beat England

at Twickenham since 1983

including 7 new capsin 9 tournaments

Six Nations Championship Results

France 45 v 6 Scotland

Scotland 36 v 34 Wales

Scotland 45 v 0 Italy

England 26 v 11 Scotland

Scotland 17 v 10 Ireland Scotland Under-18 Results

England 36 v 27 Scotland

Scotland 21 v 13 Ireland Schools

Rugby Europe Elite Division

France 22 v 10 Scotland

Scotland 0 v 0 Portugal (Portugal win 3-2 on penalties)

Scotland 12 v 21 Ireland

Scotland U20 Patrick Kelly on the break against Wales

Scotland Club XV claimed the Dalriada Cup after defeating their Irish counterparts 23-18 at Netherdale, Galashiels. The side, coached by Phil Smith of Heriot’s, lost their second match against England Counties 37-3.

Scotland Under-18Scotland under-18 started their season in a confident manner scoring three superb tries against England, before crossing the whitewash twice in a victory against Ireland Schools.

The side endured a tough campaign at the Rugby Europe under-18 Elite Division Championships, failing to record a victory in their three games going down to hosts France, Portugal, then Ireland in the seventh place play-off match.

World Rugby Championship Results

Scotland 10 v 68 New Zealand


Scotland 29 v 6 Argentina

Scotland 21 v 31 Australia



Signing OffAfter nine years captaining the Warriors, inspirational leader Alastair Kellock hung up his boots at the end of the season bringing an end to a remarkable career.

The 33-year-old has skippered the club to two PRO12 finals, playing more than 150 times for the Warriors and winning 56 Scotland caps.

He received this season’s Guinness PRO12 Chairman’s Award in recognition of his outstanding service to the competition.

Kellock will now take up an ambassadorial role with Scottish Rugby, as well as assisting the development of Glasgow Warriors

The main focus of his role will be engaging with the rugby and business communities and learning more about the commercial aspect of sport, enabling him to stay connected with the Warriors.

The victory capped an incredible season for Gregor Townsend’s charges, who finished top of the league for the first time in the club’s history, securing a home play-off in the process.

The home semi-final against Ulster was won in dramatic circumstances, after the Warriors were down 10-6 at half-time but battled back to score four tries in the second half.

A week later, the sides met again and the Warriors’ home was rocking when DTH van der Merwe set the place alight on his final appearance in Glasgow colours at Scotstoun by scoring a try to tie the scores. Finn Russell banged the ball over the sticks from out wide to secure the Warriors’ place in the final.

At the final in Belfast, the Warriors dominated proceedings with Rob Harley, DTH van der Merwe and Henry Pyrgos scoring before the break. Finn Russell scored the fourth try of the afternoon to seal the win against Munster.

Season 2014/15 will undoubtedly go down in history as the club retained their Melrose 7s title and also went close to qualifying from the European Rugby Champions Cup group stages for the first time.

The Warriors were unbeaten at home in the Guinness PRO12 and Townsend was named PRO12 Coach of the Season.

On the international front, the Warriors excelled with Finn Russell, Mark Bennett, Tyrone Holmes, Gordon Reid, Adam Ashe, Kevin Bryce and Alex Allan all winning their first caps, with Peter Horne making his first start at BT Murrayfield.

Ahead of the Rugby World Cup, 22 players were named in the training squad including Rory Hughes, Mike Cusack and Josh Strauss.

Next season, new signings Mike Blair, Greg Peterson, Grayson Hart, Sam Johnson, Kieran Low, Simone Favaro and Taqele Naiyaravoro will join the squad.

GlasgowWarriors

Richie Vernon is congratulated by his team mates after scoring to help secure Glasgow Warriors a place in the 2014/15 Guinness PRO12 Final

Glasgow Warriors became the first Scottish team to win a major title last season, defeating Munster 31-13 to lift the Guinness PRO12 trophy.

“What an incredible feeling it was to lift the trophy in my final game before retiring. I’ve been at the club for nine years and we’ve been building and building and building for so long. For it to get to the point of winning the Guinness PRO12 is just beyond belief.” Tommy Seymour on the run

108 club teams involved in matchday activity 50% increase in

Business Club Members

10,000 capacity crowds at Scotstoun two weeks in a row v Ulster 11 most tries DTH

van der Merwe

129 attendees 35 sessions and workshops

Game On Programme Nov 14 - June 15

370 kids from P1 - U18 52 coaching

hoursWarriors Kids Camps Oct 2014 & April 2015

3 Warriors in Guinness PRO12 Dream Team Peter Horne, Josh Strauss Tommy Seymour 99 most points

Peter Horne

89% increase in Season Ticket Members since 2012/13 54-10 biggest win v Zebre

PRO12 Nov 2014


After notching up seven wins on their journey to Twickenham Stoop, their dream of silverware ended with Gloucester clinching the Challenge Cup.

The club kicked off their European campaign with wins over Bordeaux-Bègles and Lyon before back-to-back successes over London Welsh. Their defeat against Lyon was quickly forgotten with victories over Bordeaux and London Irish, followed by a thrilling semi-final win over Dragons to book their place in the final.

Earlier in the season, Alan Solomons’ side proudly lifted the 1872 Cup for the first time in six years after a fantastic team performance, in front of a record crowd at BT Murrayfield, against Glasgow Warriors.

This was a highlight in what was a mixed Guinness PRO12 season that started with an away win over Munster and ended with two losses that put them out of contention of a top six finish.

Despite finishing the PRO12 with ten more points than the previous season, Edinburgh concluded the season in eighth – the same ranking as 2013/14.

This placing means they will return to the Challenge Cup hoping to go one better under the continued leadership of Solomons, who committed to another year at the helm to build on the momentum.

The capital club will welcome former Edinburgh and Scotland internationalist, Duncan Hodge, to the coaching team from the Scotland set-up following Rugby World Cup 2015.

Scotland under-20 internationalists Blair Kinghorn and Jack Cosgrove will also be added to the player ranks alongside Nasi Manu and Will Helu.

EdinburghRugbyEdinburgh Rugby made history when they became the first Scottish team to reach a European cup final with a squad featuring a balance of youth and experience.

Rising TalentSam Hidalgo-Clyne emerged as a potent threat this season and was voted the Guinness PRO12 Young Player of the Year.

The 21-year-old, who graduated through the Academy system, was also honoured closer to home by his former Cub pack in Edinburgh, who voted him their local hero of the year.

Taking on kicking duties midway through the season, the scrum-half’s accuracy with the boot, in dreadful conditions, ensured Edinburgh’s away win over Connacht in January.

He backed this up with a man-of-the-match performance that saw him take the club’s European points record with two tries, three conversions and four penalties in the win over Bordeaux-Bègles at BT Murrayfield.

A further man-of-the-match performance in the quarter-final win away against London Irish led to an outstanding performance in the semi-final home win over Dragons, where he scored 25 points.

Having been brought in to the extended squad for the 2014 viagogo Autumn Tests, he made his Scotland debut against France in the RBS 6 Nations and was included in the extended Rugby World Cup squad.

“This past season has seen us make good progress. We became the first Scottish team to make a European final. We won the 1872 Cup for the first time in six years. Next season is a case of onwards and upwards” Alan Solomons, Edinburgh Head Coach

Ben Toolis and Ross Ford congratulate Stuart McInally after he scored a try in the European Challenge Cup semi-final win against Dragons at BT Murrayfield

Edinburgh Rugby guard of honour from Duns RFC and Peebles RFC

15,810 SPECTATORS at BT Murrayfield saw Edinburgh win

the 1872 Cup - a record crowd for an Edinburgh Rugby league game

2,379 children were involved in pre-match activities

54 Ben Toolis won most lineouts in the European Challenge Cup1,100 player community

visits during 2014/15

416 youngsters attended Young Gunners Camps 9,511 people met players at

organised events

WP Nel named at tighthead in the Guinness PRO12 Dream Team


Howe of Fife, Greenock and Annan have capitalised on the surge of interest and have entered teams to play in national women’s leagues for the first time.

This means there will be 22 clubs competing across BT Women’s Premier League, BT National League 1 and BT National League 2 next season.

Across the country, the number of female club and school teams rose to 158 this season, compared to 130 in 2013/14, and 42 female referees completed their UKCC Level 1 qualification.

On the national front, Glasgow Warriors Assistant Coach, Shade Munro, was appointed Head Coach of Scotland Women.

Taking up the role this summer, Munro is charged with progressing the women’s side in line with the forthcoming national strategy for women and girls’ rugby, which is being developed by Head of Women & Girls’ Rugby, Sheila Begbie MBE.

Rugby for women is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world and more needs to be done to close the gap between Scotland and other nations.

The inclusion of 16 young women in the first intake of the new BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy is a step towards improving performance. This will have a positive impact on all levels of the game as players will benefit from bespoke strength, conditioning, medical and playing facilities and expertise.

Scottish Rugby is also planning to bid for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 and ensuring Scotland Women qualify for the tournament is a priority.

Women & GirlsMore women and girls are playing rugby in Scotland with new teams springing up this season.

Oban HS take on Ayr in the Brewin Dolphin Girls’ U15 Bowl final

New coach for Scotland WomenFormer Scotland lock, Shade Munro will bring 18 years’ coaching experience to his role as Scotland Women Head Coach.

Munro moved from Glasgow Hawks to Glasgow Warriors as Assistant Coach in 2002 and was part of the Scotland coaching set-up in 2006.

He was also Head Coach of Scotland A in 2013 when they beat England for the first time south of the border.

“I’ve got a lot of experience in professional rugby and I’m keen to bring that to the women’s game, to link the two and move the team on. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.

I’ll look at all aspects of the women’s game – from the club coaches to the strength and conditioners to the team itself – and work in conjunction with Sheila, to bring a different edge to the national team programme.” Shade Munro

Greenock Wanderers Ladies Team LaunchedWhat began as a small group of young women keen to learn how to play rugby has turned into a fully-fledged competitive side.

Caitlyn Haldane rallied the players and launched the weekly training sessions with the support of local Rugby Development Officer, Brendan McGroarty. She also used social media to spread the word.

The team now has 30 registered players and will compete in BT Women’s National League 2 next season after remaining undefeated in the National Development League this year.

“My dad has been coaching at the club for years and I’ve always had an interest in playing and I just wondered if there were any local girls who wanted to give it a go.

A number of the girls from the team have been involved in coaching and helping Brendan encourage under-15 girls to start. The aim is to have an under-18s girls team as well.” Caitlyn Haldane

Scotland Women A number of young players made their debut for Scotland Women this season, which began with a four-day training camp in August.

A further four camps, including a win against an Irish Exiles side at BT Murrayfield, were held alongside weekly skills sessions.

Determined to build on their strong performance against Italy in the autumn, Scotland Women kicked off their 2015 Six Nations campaign against last year’s winners France.

Despite losing all Six Nations matches, the side showed improvements with number 8 Jade Konkel scoring against Italy and Eilidh Sinclair against England.

Scotland Women Results

Six NationsFrance 42 v Scotland 0

Scotland 3 v Wales 39

Scotland 8 v Italy 31

England 42 v Scotland 13

Scotland 3 v Ireland 73

Scotland Women Under-20 The under-20 programme aims to identify, develop and prepare young players for the Scotland Women senior squad.

An open trials day at BT Murrayfield attracted nearly 50 girls from which a squad was selected for the season.

The Scots won their first match 32-7 against the RAF at Meggetland in February, with five of the six tries scored by winger Rhona Lloyd. In the second fixture, away against Northumbria University, they kept their 100% record with a 34-0 win.

Scotland Women 7sAfter two warm-up events in Amsterdam and London, the team competed in two Rugby Europe Grand Prix tournaments in Russia and France.

New players, including Scotland Women caps Jade Konkel and Karen Dunbar and under-20 cap Caitlin Harvey – got off to an encouraging start in Russia, where a first-ever win over Ukraine at this level and two wins over Portugal saw them lift the Bowl trophy and take ninth position on the table.

A tough draw in France, with only one victory over Italy, saw the Scots finish the season 11th, resulting in relegation to Rugby Europe Division A next season.

Chloe Rollie, Scotland Women

Women & Girls Teams

18%


Scottish Rugby appreciates the time, knowledge and contribution all referees make to the game - without you matches simply wouldn’t go ahead.

This season there were 2,400 qualified match officials across the four regions.

We also held courses across the country, which were attended by over 400 referees.

While we continue to focus on educating referees to a high standard, we have also implemented a revised structure to our department under Refereering Commissioner Tappe Henning.

The regional development positions were changed to three national roles and a technical and logistical support role for districts and societies was added.

Scottish Rugby’s four contracted referees for season 2014/15 - Lloyd Linton, Mike Adamson, Sam Grove-White and Andrew McMenemy were under the guidance of former international referee Dave Pearson.

All have been appointed to various high profile matches and tournaments this season alongside our other elite referees.

Neil Patterson, Lloyd Linton and Andrew McMenemy were involved in the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions.

Sam Grove-White was appointed to the Rugby Europe U18 tournament in France, while Mike Adamson, Kevin White and Alex Pratt officiated at the Rugby Europe Sevens tournament that

also served as an Olympic Regional Qualifying tournament for Rio 2016. Young and energetic teams of Scottish match officials were also appointed to the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s, including 18-year-old Ross Mabon, showcasing to World Rugby the face and future of Scottish referees.

Alex Pratt also represented Scotland as an assistant referee at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in France and officiated in the final. She topped off a successful season by collecting Scottish Rugby’s Referee of the Season award.

RefereesWhile our elite referees performed on the global stage, hundreds of volunteers picked up the whistle week in, week out.

Lloyd LintonThe up-and-coming referee swapped his stethoscope for a whistle when he graduated from Aberdeen University last summer.

Since then, the qualified doctor has been appointed to international duty, including two Rugby Europe internationals – Poland v Ukraine and Spain v Russia – and the Americas Rugby Championship in Canada.

He also took charge of four matches at the World Rugby U20 Championship 2015 in Italy and was assistant referee for three. He was appointed assistant referee for the final, which showed the high regard for his performances in the tournament.

Lloyd began refereeing in 2008 and has travelled to all corners of Scotland while gradually moving up the leagues and gaining experience on the international stage.

“I’m hoping next season will bring more chances to officiate Guinness PRO12 matches, European and international competitions.” Lloyd Linton Mhairi Hay, Assistant Referee in the Scotland Women v Ireland Women Six Nations

match at Broadwood Stadium

Mike Adamson at the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s

Mike Adamson keeps improving as a referee in the HSBC Sevens World Series and officiated in all nine tournaments, including the Cup finals in Dubai and London.

There are high expectations to see him selected for next year’s Olympic Games.

RefereeCourse

Attendees

Caledonia159

Borders31

Wes

t13

6

Edin

bu

rgh111

13%28

2 n

ewly qualified level 1 referees acro

ss th

e re

gio

ns

increase in qualifiedreferees this season

2459

437


Sharing the Knowledge Over 130 coaches converged on BT Murrayfield in May to learn from Scotland’s rugby leaders.

The day was a mix of presentations on coaching philosophies and styles, supported by practical workshops from coaches in the professional ranks of the sport.

Scotland Head Coach Vern Cotter focused on the breakdown area, and Glasgow Warriors Assistant Coach Kenny Murray spoke about his journey from the grassroots game to the professional stage.

The Long Term Player Development Stage Four and Five Coaching Resource, which focuses on developing and optimising performance in players aged 17 and above, was also launched at the conference.

“We’ve got a lot of expertise in our game and we want to filter their knowledge down. The feedback is very, very positive and people just want more of it which is something we’re always trying to do.” Neil Graham, Scottish Rugby Coach Development Manager

The aim of the course is to accelerate the development of Scotland’s top coaches, providing them with the skills and knowledge required to coach at the top of the game, and become leaders in their field.

We are grateful for the financial support of sportscotland to enable us to deliver UKCC courses at a subsidised cost and to deliver our workshop programme free of charge to coaches working in our clubs and schools.

Coaching Pathways

Edinburgh Rugby kids camp at BT Murrayfield

This season has seen the launch of a new UKCC Level 4 coaching qualification approved by sportscoachUK, and developed in conjunction with Edinburgh Napier University.

Scotland and Glasgow Warriors defence coach Matt Taylor, at the National Coaches’ Conference at BT Murrayfield

We also launched the new World Rugby Strength & Conditioning Level 1 course, which is managed by our new Strength and Conditioning Coach Development Officer, Peter Jericevich. To date, 11 courses have been delivered, with 177 coaches attending.

The World Rugby First Aid In Rugby Level 1 qualification was also delivered for the

first time with more courses due to be rolled out next season.

Our Positive Coaching Scotland Programme, in conjunction with the Bill McLaren Foundation – which aims to develop young rugby players through promoting a player-centred philosophy – has enjoyed a successful year with 30 clubs achieving accreditation and a

further 24 clubs currently undertaking the accreditation process.

We achieved our target of increasing the number of continuous professional development (CPD) workshops and conferences offered to club and school coaches this season. Approximately 4200 coaches attended at least one session - a 40% increase on the previous season.

UKCCLevel1

30%

UKCCLevel2

5%

UKCCLevel3

113%

CoachingConferences

53%increase in coachesqualifying this season

964

172 of th

ose on new courses

National Coaches’ Conference

National U18 Coaches’ Conference

Teacher Conference

Edinburgh Rugby Coaching Day

Glasgow Warriors Coaching Day

We welcomed 374 coaches and teachers to our coaching conferences in Edinburgh and Glasgow.


The first round of funding from the £1.6 million Club Sustainability Fund was shared by 14 clubs, who received just over £400,000, to improve club facilities or employ Business Development Officers to generate more income.

This season’s successful clubs also secured an additional £600,000 of sportscotland National Lottery funding towards their capital projects, through the one-stop application process.

A further 41 rugby clubs received up to £2000 each from the Fast-Track strand of the Club Sustainability Fund for maintenance and improvement projects.

The Club Sustainability Fund has also provided a possible solution to many of

the facility related issues highlighted by about 60 clubs, who have used the Club Diagnostic Tool since it was launched in January. The tool, facilitated by the new Club Services Managers, helps clubs identify their strengths and weaknesses, compare themselves with other clubs and generate action and business plans to help them meet their future aspirations.

Scottish Rugby also provided support for clubs to capitalise on Rugby World Cup 2015, including sponsorship and events/hospitality workshops.

The RWC Trophy Tour gave clubs another opportunity to host events during the five-day tour of the Webb Ellis Cup across the length and breadth of Scotland.

Clubs

Boroughmuir’s Magnus Bradbury scores a try in the BT Cup Final

Supporting clubs to develop and plan for the future is a key focus for Scottish Rugby as it invests more money than ever into the domestic game.

Orkney RFCOrkney topped an impressive year by securing promotion into the national leagues by winning the BT Caledonia Regional League Division 1 title.

This result, and their on-going work to grow the game on the island, saw them scoop the BT Club of the Season Award. Hooker, Scott Rendall, also won the BT Caledonia Regional Leagues Player of the Season.

“We pull in players from some of the 17 islands, so this is very much the club’s award. It’s for everybody, the coaches, players, volunteers and parents” Neil McCartney, Orkney Chairman

All this has been achieved against the backdrop of the normal travel arrangements for away trips taking over 24 hours.

This dedication was also evident in the club’s drive to see more girls and boys playing rugby.

Development Officer Tom Hughes, Modern Apprentice Mark Sinclair and volunteers deliver rugby to every school on Orkney, which requires air and sea travel to the out-lying islands.

Many of the senior players have come through the youth section and girls’ rugby continues to grow, with the amalgamated Orkney/Caithness girls under-15 and under-16 teams reaching this season’s Brewin Dolphin semi-finals.

Result highlightsThe season kicked off with the inaugural BT Scottish Rugby Charity Shield match between the 2013/14 BT Premiership and BT Cup winners.

Heriot’s defeated Melrose 36 - 28 to lift the silverware, while money was raised for Breast Cancer Care.

Selkirk were the dominant team in BT National League Division 1 with an outstanding season that saw the club win all 22 league matches.

Musselburgh won an exciting BT National Division 2 title race and will be joined in National 1 by Howe of Fife, finally rewarded for regularly challenging for promotion over the last five seasons.

Carnoustie HSFP were promoted to Caledonia 1 as winners of BT Caledonia 2 Midlands, while runners up RAF Lossiemouth were promoted from BT Caledonia 2 North.

Berwick secured their second successive promotion as champions of BT East League Division 1, as did St. Boswells in winning BT East Division 2.

Murrayfield Wanderers proved the dominant team in the women’s game with a league and Cup double. They lost one match in securing the BT Women’s Premier League title and they clinched the Sarah Beaney Cup with a late try over Hillhead Jordanhill to win 25 - 22.

Top four play-offs were introduced this season to determine the BT Premiership champions.

Heriot’s won the grand final with a dramatic try in the last period of play to narrowly beat Melrose 22 - 20.

Student & Adult RugbyThere has been an increasing trend of unfulfilled matches in the lower reserve leagues over recent seasons. To address this, a Reserve Team Rugby Working Group has been set up by the Scottish Rugby Council to investigate the reasons for this and provide recommendations on how to reduce this trend.

To assist with this issue and understand more about the motivations of adult male players an extensive player survey was undertaken in conjunction with Napier University.

An action plan to improve the transition of players from school and youth teams into adult rugby is also being implemented.

The student game, which offers an important stepping-

stone between youth and adult club rugby, has experienced 20% growth. This includes five new teams and others being reactivated through the introduction of an integrated Student Rugby Series of events and fixtures.

Murrayfield Wanderers’ Rhona Lloyd celebrates winning the Sarah Beaney Cup

20%growth in

student game

AdultRugby

You

th R

ugb

y

STUDENT

RUGB

Y

University of Glasgow v University of Edinburgh


Schools & Youth

Expanding the school and youth game is integral to increasing player numbers at all levels. The programmes we run focus on encouraging more children, from all walks of life, to take up rugby and continue to play through their teenage years and beyond.

This year, Scottish Rugby has continued to support schools and clubs in their partnerships with Club Development Officers and Community Coaches. We have expanded our CashBack Schools of Rugby to 30, where pupils

at S1-S3 age groups take part in up to five sessions per week with a focus on developing core skills, physical competence and establishing new rugby teams.

A large part of the year has also been spent on revising our youth and school playing structures to ensure there are a meaningful amount of games at every age group and suitable training sessions.

We have engaged with schools, clubs and local authorities across the country to develop a new playing structure for schools and clubs next season. Taking this time to discuss and debate the issues will hopefully create an increased focus on the long-term development of players in the clubs and school structure.

Our aim is to translate more playing time and raising the standard of play into higher retention rates when players graduate into the adult game.

Players will also have better skill sets and a competitive maturity that allows them to continue to participate and excel as they progress through the game.

street rugby sessions taking rugby beyond its traditional heart lands

Rugby has the potential to make a significant impact on young people’s lives. It teaches physical, mental and emotional life-skills that endure and contribute to the development of self-reliance and resilience.

George Watson’s College and Merchiston Castle School play off for the Brewin Dolphin Under-18 Cup at BT Murrayfield

through the Youth Coaching Course to deliver in Primary School and early years of secondary school

Jed Thistle Jed Thistle were rewarded for their hard work with a haul of national and regional trophies, including the under-18 National Youth League Cup and under-18 Kings of the Sevens Series.

Head Coach Garry Goodfellow reflects on their season and the successful culture of the club:

“We teach our players discipline and to respect officials and the opposition. Players that train regularly are rewarded with game time and we encourage players and their families to support the club’s fundraising events.” “We didn’t have a very physical side this year so we worked hard on fitness, skills, set piece and offloading in the tackle, which worked very well for us. We are a close-knit team with all the boys staying in the town or living in the surrounding countryside. We have a very small number of boys to pick from so this makes the success that bit more special.

“Jedburgh Grammar is now a School of Rugby so that has increased interest. We also work closely with Jed Forest to ensure our older players continue to play when they outgrow us. I was delighted to win Daily Record Youth Coach of the Season, but this award is for all the players and the coaches - Calum Brown, Douglas Moffat and Gary Hill - and also for the endless work our president Colin Yourston does behind the scenes.”

1,137games played

by school and youthclub teams this season

Club Development Officer partnerships

inve

sted

in

to78

££833ksupported by

16,327in Secondary Schools

13,563in Primary Schools

4,788in Clubs

34, 6

78 ru

gby

sess

ion

s d

eliv

ered

acr

oss

Sco

tlan

d b

y Cl

ub

Dev

elo

pm

ent

Off

icer

s.

with clubs and local authorities

Ru

gby

Sess

ion

s

450street rugby sessions taking rugby beyond its traditional heart lands

548teenagers qualified


We are one year into our partnership with BT and our rugby community has already started to benefit with the roll-out of the £1.6 million Club Sustainability Fund and the launch of our BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy.

We completed the final stage of our partnership by announcing BT as shirt sponsor for our national and age-grade teams next season, following the BT Sport sponsorship of Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors’ match jerseys this season.

Royal Bank of Scotland continues to be an important sponsor and it was great to see a record 150 clubs taking part in the Royal Bank of Scotland RugbyForce weekend to gear up for the season.

We were delighted to add AG Barr as our soft drink partner, Vitality as our official healthcare partner and Gullivers Sports Travel as our supporter travel partner to our existing sponsors, including blue-chip partners Dove Men+Care, Caledonia Best and Macron.

The appointment of Pitch International LLP as our international media rights partner will see Scotland’s summer and autumn home Test matches broadcast in more countries, including substantial coverage in the Middle East and North America. Income generated from this agreement shows very strong growth over previous deals.

Expanding our commercial family means we can continue to increase our investment into the grassroots game.

Glasgow

Warriors Season Ticket M

embe

rs

89% increase over 3 seasons

3,4352014/15

Scotland Season Pass Purchasers


10,2122014/15

Edinburgh Rugby home match attenda

nce


74,5912014/15

“With every pound from ticket sales going back into the game, it was encouraging to see supporters filling BT Murrayfield and Scotstoun this season.”

There has been rapid growth at Scotstoun with 3,435 season passes sold this season and two matches

selling out largely due to the on-field success of Glasgow Warriors.

Edinburgh Rugby have a loyal supporter base who enjoyed

seeing them reach the final of the European Challenge Cup.

The RBS 6 Nations series was the most successful yet in

terms of ticket sales.

Sold out in record time

Capacity Crowd

Largest crowd

Macron have done an excellent job designing Scotland’s Rugby World Cup kit and the positive response from fans has been fantastic. Initial reports from retailers are that sales have been well above expectations.

Our family day at BT Murrayfield to launch the strip was also a success with approximately 1,500 fans coming to watch Scotland train and meet the players.

“We are focused on delivering great events for our supporters and we have some exciting events lined up for the Rugby World Cup, including creating a home-from-home advantage through our #tartantakeover campaign.” Dominic McKay, Director of Commercial Operations, Communications & Public Affairs

Sup

po

rter

s th

rou

gh t

he

gate

s at

BT

Mu

rray

field

, Sc

ots

tou

n S

tad

ium

an

d R

ugb

y P

ark,

Kilm

arn

ock

.

512,

758

Sco

tlan

dG

lasg

ow

War

rio

rsEd

inb

urg

h

Ru

gby

Gla

sgo

w7s

315,

270

103,

657

74,9

5118

,880

Announcement of BT as Scotland and age-grades shirt sponsor with Brendan Dick, Managing Director, BT Scotland

Jonny Gray, Ross Ford, Richie Gray and Stuart Hogg launch Scotland’s RWC kit.

Dominic McKay

Commercial ReportFrom sell-out crowds at BT Murrayfield to Glasgow Warriors lifting the Guinness PRO12 trophy, Scottish Rugby has enjoyed a record-breaking season both on and off the pitch.


Support also continued for our core charities, which have strong links to the rugby family;

Corporate Social ResponsibilityScottish Rugby has supported many causes this season both at home and abroad. Some were borne from tragic circumstances, while others enhanced physical activity among young people through local rugby clubs.

We formed an official partnership with Trust Rugby International, Scotland’s only unified rugby club, enabling it to expand from its Ayrshire roots to a branch in Edinburgh. They will represent Scotland in the first unified rugby world championship in Bradford this summer. Unified rugby enables players with a disability to train and play in the same team as non-disabled players.

Closer to home, we have had the privilege of welcoming terminally ill children and adults plus their families behind the scenes on international match days. We also provided 1,000 Tickets for Troops to the Scotland v Italy match at BT Murrayfield.

We have provided extraneous kit to the Jungle Crows junior rugby club in Calcutta – delivered during a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation visit to India.

Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland trio, Tim Visser, David Denton and Matt Scott, took part in the Big Dinner, an initiative inspired by Edinburgh lawyer and amputee Olivia Giles. Her charity 500 Miles supports those in need of artificial limbs in Malawi and Zambia.

Hearts & BallsHELPING RUGBY HELP ITS OWN

G4S has forged close links to Game On, which is funded by Wooden Spoon and supported by Scottish Rugby. The programme helps young people develop life skills through rugby. Since 2013, the scheme has worked with over 40 young people and seen many secure employment, modern apprenticeships, college courses and recruitment to the armed services.

Working with GovernmentScottish Rugby continues to move physical activity, and in particular rugby, higher up the political agenda. We work with parties across the political spectrum to demonstrate the value our sport can bring to communities, the nation and Scots around the globe.Our annual Parliamentary Reception took place at Holyrood in January when our main themes were equality of opportunity and closing the gender gap. Vern Cotter and Head of Women and Girls’ Rugby Sheila Begbie answered MSPs’ questions, while Scotland Women’s vice-captain Lisa Martin gave an address on what it means to play for Scotland.

During Scottish Apprentice Week, we hosted the Cabinet Secretary for Fair Works, Skills and Training, Roseanna Cunningham MSP at Currie RFC, where she met our modern apprentice Callum Ramm, 18, who led a rugby festival for around 200 children from Primary 6 and 7 classes in the Currie and Balerno area.

The Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities has committed over £6 million between 2008 and 2017. The funds from the seized proceeds of crime support a range of Scottish Rugby programmes including school and club sessions, youth coaching courses, Street Rugby and Schools of Rugby. Additional funding has also been invested into improving rugby club facilities across Scotland.

Scotland’s new Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, Jamie Hepburn MSP, was Scottish Rugby’s guest at the Daily Record Festival of Rugby during the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s. He also attended the official opening of the new artificial pitch at Currie RFC, funded by Cashback for Communities.

Scottish Rugby has engaged with East Ayrshire Council, which has been an enthusiastic supporter of our Schools of Rugby initiative, and won additional funding to double the Schools of Rugby in the area to four over the next three years.

Six Parliamentary motions were passed this year. Brothers Richie and Jonny Gray were congratulated for playing their first Scotland game together against Argentina and a motion welcomed the unveiling of the first BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy in Caledonia.

££6Mcommitted by

#ASONE

#BACKINGBLUE


Social Media FacebookAfter launching 18 months ago, our Scottish Rugby Facebook page has solidified its place as our largest social media touch point with over 120,000 fans wanting to interact with news and photos from within the Scotland camp.

New features have included a Q&A session with Scotland and Glasgow Warriors’ flanker Rob Harley and more competition formats.

Facebook Likes**

Scottish Rugby 124,321

Edinburgh Rugby 18,712

Glasgow Warriors 32,424

YouTubeScottish Rugby TV covers everything from interviews, insights, highlights and match coverage across all levels of rugby in Scotland. Games, including the BT Cup final and BT Premiership final, were shown live on the channel.

We also streamed Heriot’s historic 125th anniversary match vs Barbarians, which resulted in over 13,000 views.

Our Rugby World Cup kit reveal video is our most popular yet and has had over 39K views and counting.

2,101,634 minutes of viewing time have been clocked up on the main Scottish Rugby YouTube channel since July 1 2014. This is the equivalent of four years and these supporters are accessing our content everywhere from Dingwall to Dominica.

InstagramOur Instagram accounts offer fans a highly visual look behind the scenes of Scottish Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors

The Scottish Rugby account has surpassed 10K followers and over 11,800 photos have been uploaded by supporters using #backingblue.

twitterThe @scotlandteam remains one of our most popular social media avenues with fans who want to find out the latest news as it happens. Scotland fixtures are often live-tweeted giving fans another way of following the action.

Our #AsOne and #BackingBlue hashtags have been a success as fans utilise them to categorize tweets about the Scotland team. We also launched the #tartantakeover campaign to foster a home-from-home advantage in England this autumn for the RWC.

Scottish Rugby fans can access all the latest news and activity from our international and pro sides all the way down to the grassroots game through more channels than ever before. Engagement via our social media channels continues to increase with Facebook remaining our most popular platform.

Over on Twitter, we have continued to gain followers and @Scotlandteam now has over 100K followers.

We have utilised Periscope to live stream games, post-match interviews and the first round of the BT Cup draw.

We have also embraced Vine to create six-second looping videos to give fans a behind the scenes look at the Scotland team’s training and match-preparation.

Youtube** Mins Views Members

SR TV 4,789,821 1,650,569 5,606

ER TV 219,198 188,828 864

GW TV 311,895 789,918 2,031

Instagram Followers**

Scotland 10,300

Edinburgh Rugby 3,336

Glasgow Warriors 8,500

twitter Followers**

@Scotlandteam 101.3K

@EdinburghRugby 26.8K

@GlasgowWarriors 34.2K

**Figures as of 17 July 2015.

scottishrugby.orgscottishrugby.org is our central online source of news and information about everything that is happening within rugby in Scotland. The website encompasses fixtures and results from the domestic game through to full match reports and videos from the Scotland international team.

to 3.5m

Site Visits*

11%to 1.4m

UniqueUsers*

11%*In the year ending June 30 2015.

thescotlandteam.com was launched as a central hub for Scotland’s Rugby World Cup campaign.

It kicked off with the Trophy Tour in June and will follow the squad’s preparations, including the summer series, right through to the tournament itself. It was designed to seamlessly work across all devices from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers and will allow fans to remain close to the action whether attending the game, at home or at their local clubs.

to 11.1m

PageViews*

4%

37Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . RespectScottish Rugby Annual Report 2014/1536

Focus on H&S Over 130 staff attended briefing sessions to raise awareness of the roles and responsibilities for health and safety throughout the business.

The session also gave staff an opportunity to talk openly about their perception of health and safety within Scottish Rugby. This information will be used to help shape the priorities for the forthcoming year.

Better Disabled Facilities The 100th Changing Places Toilet in Scotland was opened at BT Murrayfield in December 2014. It includes a height adjustable changing bench and hoist, and will ensure that we can welcome all visitors and spectators, regardless of their disability and personal needs, to events held at the stadium.

Improved communications The Corporate H&S Committee has been restructured to improve communication, consultation and planning for health and safety throughout the business. New local groups have been established to promote discussion at a grassroots level whilst identifying and reviewing key risks within each department.

First Aid in Rugby The new World Rugby First Aid in Rugby Level 1 course was launched this season and delivered to 148 people.

RugbyReady This mandatory, practical course was completed by 3,434 coaches, teachers and referees this season.

First Aid Response On non-match days we have 12 qualified first-aiders on site. We also have three defibrillators strategically located around BT Murrayfield and all first-aiders have received training to ensure a quick response to a cardiac arrest suffered on site.

Event Safety We welcomed nearly 1,000 wheelchair users to our international rugby fixtures during the season. All fixtures were delivered safely with no significant public safety issues or disorder.

Flu Vaccines All the professional players and more than 80 Scottish Rugby staff received the flu vaccination in October to ensure business continuity during the winter rugby season.

Scottish Rugby was a driving force behind new cross-sport guidelines on concussion, which was developed by leading experts.

Scotland team doctor and Scottish Rugby’s Chief Medical Officer Dr James Robson backed the launch of the Scottish Government leaflet this season advising coaches, teachers and parents on how to spot the signs of concussion and what action to take.

The publication underlines the thinking, ‘If in doubt, sit them out’ and is based on World Rugby’s clear grassroots guidance on concussion.

“Scottish Rugby has, for many years, been working with like-minded institutions and experts to put player welfare to the forefront of our sport.

“The launch of national guidelines for the recognition and management of concussion across all sports in Scotland marks a new standard in collaborative care, and one which I hope others will copy.

“This is building on work we’ve done at Scottish Rugby, including our ‘Are you ready to play rugby’ programme, which teaches good technique and risk management. It also teaches participants that sport is good for you and there are possible risks, but if you’re careful then you can enjoy a healthy lifestyle.” Dr James Robson

Dr Robson also encouraged former Scotland rugby players to participate in a groundbreaking study by University of Glasgow researchers on the effects of concussion and whether there is evidence that head injuries in rugby have any long-term health effects.

Health & Safety

“If in doubt, sit them out”

Club ResultsBT Cup Boroughmuir

BT Shield St.Boswells

BT Bowl Alloa

Sarah Beaney Cup Murrayfield Wanderers

BT Women’s Plate Stewartry

BT Women’s Bowl Watsonians

BT Premiership Heriot’s

BT National Division 1 Selkirk

BT National Division 2 Musselburgh

BT National Division 3 Lasswade

BT Women’s Premier League Murrayfield Wanderers

BT Women’s National Division 1 Cartha Queens Park

BT Women’s National Division 2 Glasgow University

BT Caledonia League 1 Orkney

BT Caledonia 2 Midlands Carnoustie HSFP

BT Caledonia 2 North Aberdeenshire 2nd XV

BT Caledonia 3 Midlands Kirkcaldy 2nd XV

BT Caledonia 3 Midlands East Arbroath

BT Caledonia 3 Midlands West Stirling County 3XV

BT Caledonia 3 North Deeside

BT Caledonia 4 Midlands Stobswell

BT Caledonia 4 North Highland 2nd XV

BT West Division 1 GHK

BT West Division 2 Oban Lorne

BT West Division 3 Cumnock

BT West Division 4 Moffat

BT East Regional Division 1 Berwick

BT East Regional Division 2 St.Boswells

BT East Regional Division 3 Ross High

Youth ResultsNational U18 Youth Cup Jed Thistle

National U16 Youth Cup Ayr & Stirling County

National U18 Bowl Melrose Wasps

National U16 Bowl Biggar

Scottish Rugby U18 League Currie

Scottish Rugby U16 League Currie

Brewin Dolphin Schools ResultsU18 Cup George Watson’s College

U16 Cup Merchiston Castle School

U18 Shield Glenalmond College

U18 Plate Earlston High School

U16 Shield Stewart’s Melville College

U16 Plate Hawick High School

Girls U18 Cup Murrayfield Wanderers

Girls U18 Shield Caithness

Girls U18 Bowl Community School of Auchterarder

Girls U15 Cup Biggar

Girls U15 Shield Hillhead Jordanhill

Girls U15 Bowl Oban High School

Club Awards of the SeasonBT Club Orkney

BT Women’s Club Murrayfield Wanderers

Caledonia Best Coach Phil Smith, Heriot’s

Daily Record Youth Coach Garry Goodfellow, Jed Thistle

Referee Alex Pratt

Spirit of Rugby Award Jim and Mary Inglis, Selkirk

BT Volunteer Lee Anne Steel, Livingston

Frank Coutts Memorial Try Jason Hill, Heriot’s

Player of the season awards

BT Premiership Jason Hill, Heriot’s

BT National Leagues Division 1 Nick McCashin, Stew-Mel FP

BT National League Division 2 Chris Mason, Howe of Fife

BT National League Division 3 Douglas Hearn, Lasswade

BT Caledonia Divisions Scott Rendall, Orkney

BT East Divisions Keir Hamilton, RDVC

BT West Divisions Dan Hull, Oban Lorne

BT Women’s Premier League Emma Bree, Melrose

BT Women’s National Division 1 Alison Henderson, Stewartry

BT Women’s National Division 2 Victoria Harper, Grangemouth


Strategic ReportPrincipal Activities

The principal activity of the Scottish Rugby Union is to promote the game of Rugby throughout Scotland, using its wholly owned subsidiary Scottish Rugby Union plc for all trading activities.

Business Review

The Union continues to work towards the objectives outlined in its Policy Initiatives, specifically in the areas of academies, coaching, the women’s game, schools, clubs, and refereeing. The implementation of these initiatives has continued in the course of the year.

The Union has achieved a £24k surplus for the year (period ended 31 May 2014: surplus of £0.9m). Turnover was £0.5m higher than in the period to 31 May 2014, with additional sponsorship income from the BT agreement and higher ticket revenues from three home Six Nations matches compared with two in the prior period being offset by reduced broadcast income from Six Nations and the effects of the depreciating euro. Other income was £0.1m lower than in the period ended 31 May 2014, with various offsetting factors affecting this. Increased sponsorship from BT is partially offset by there being no income from the British & Irish Lions Tour this year, a 12 month period against a 13 month period last year, and other smaller changes in incomes relating to grants and other income.

Within the expenditure categories, there are the effects of returning to a 12 month period from the 13 month period in 2013/14, together with increases in investment in a number of areas of the game. Club Support and Development shows a 23% increase compared with the prior period, which itself showed a 16% increase compared with 2012/13. This year, the increase relates mainly to the funding available from the new Club Sustainability Fund, made possible through the BT deal. International and Professional Rugby, which represents the Union’s largest cost base, although similarly represents the largest income generating area, has dropped from £23.6m to £22.8m, where the effects of the period length were partially offset by higher National Team tour investment and additional Pro Team coaching and off-field investment. Investment in Community & Performance Rugby has increased from £5.0m to £6.2m, both through the increased resource being made available for Domestic Rugby, but also through enhanced expenditure in the

BT Academies. Commercial and Operational costs increased from £10.1m to £10.9m reflecting the increased focus on generating income, together with continuing higher investment in the maintenance of BT Murrayfield Stadium. Similarly, there were a number of additional events in 2014/15 compared with 2013/14 including the One Direction concert, and an additional 6 Nations match, with associated costs. Depreciation fell to £1.1m as a result of the profile of the asset base.

Average bank borrowings over the year amounted to £8.6m, which is £1.6m below the level during the period to 31 May 2014, generally as a result of funds from World Rugby received in advance of Rugby World Cup. Year end bank borrowings of £8.1m are £0.3m above the previous period level, principally as a result of working capital movements, in particular payments

The Directors present their Strategic Report for the year ended 31 May 2015.

made during the year for the new International pitch. Interest charges fell to £0.6m, compared with £0.7m in the period to 31 May 2014.

The Directors continue to monitor borrowing levels, income and expenditure against budget on a monthly basis. They also monitor other key business issues including Professional and National Team performance which are fundamental to the Union’s strategy of growing the game within a stable commercial environment.

On pages 46 to 60, the Directors present their report and audited consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 May 2015. The Financial Statements comprise the consolidated financial statements of the Union and its subsidiary.

Financial Risk Management

The risk management framework of the Union is well established with the ongoing identification, evaluation and status of business risks being presented formally to the Audit Committee, Scottish Rugby Board and Council, periodically.

Financial Instruments

The Union uses interest rate swaps to reduce its exposure to interest rate movements. Details of this are noted in the Accounting Policies and in Note 8 to the Financial Statements. The Union also uses forward sale currency contracts to reduce its exposure to exchange rate movements. Details of this are noted in the Accounting Policies and in Note 7 to the Financial Statements. Financial instruments are not used for speculative purposes.

By order of the Board

Robert M Howat

Secretary

Edinburgh, 23 July 2015

Gregor Townsend and Vice-President Edward A. Crozier


Governance

Scottish Rugby CouncilIan Rankin President

Edward A. Crozier Vice-President

Peter Laverie Premier Division

Dr Doug Ward CBE National Division

Graeme Scott Championship Divisions

Ian Barr Championship Divisions

Jim Littlefair Edinburgh Regional League

Jim Stevenson Glasgow North Regional League

Bill McMurtrie Glasgow South Regional League

Alan Brown Scottish Borders Regional League

Graham Kerr Midlands Regional League

Mike Monro North Regional League

Fergus Neil Scottish Rugby Referees Assoc.

Bruce Thompson Schools Division

Dee Bradbury Women’s Rugby Forum

Rod Lynch Exile Clubs

John Jeffrey Co-opted member (World Rugby & Six Nations)

Archie Ferguson Co-opted member (Rugby Europe)

At the AGM on 16 August 2014 Ian Rankin succeeded Donald Macleod as President and Edward A. Crozier was elected as Vice-President of the Union after a contested election. Graeme Scott joined the Council, replacing John Steele as the National 2 representative. John Jeffrey and Archie Ferguson, in their capacities as Scottish Rugby’s representatives on international bodies, continued to serve during the year as non-voting co-optees to the Council.

Ian Rankin chaired the Council with the Vice-President, Edward A. Crozier acting as the Vice-Chair. The Council met 11 times during the financial year, including meeting immediately after the AGM to elect Council representatives to the Board, quarterly reviews, two joint strategy and briefing sessions with the Board and additional briefing meetings. The Council is responsible, among other things, for reviewing the operational activity delegated to the Board, developing and fostering the game of rugby in Scotland, reviewing and advising on matters of policy and strategy and developing relationships within the game at both domestic and international levels.

Council members continued to participate in a number of working groups throughout the year including season structures and governance review and in ambassadorial capacities supporting the various age-grade and women’s national teams.

PatronHer Royal Highness, The Princess Royal

President Ian Rankin

Vice PresidentEdward A. Crozier

Ian RankinElected as Vice-President at the 2013 AGM, Ian served as President this season. A former captain of Edinburgh Wanderers and Howe of Fife, he went on to coach both sides and Kirkcaldy before taking charge of Caledonia Reds and Edinburgh Reivers. He also assisted with Scotland A and Scotland under-20 before holding the Director of Rugby position at Dundee HSFP.

Edward A. CrozierEd was elected Vice-President at the 2014 AGM. He previously served on the Scottish Rugby Council as the Glasgow North Regional Representative and as a Scottish Rugby Board member. He also serves as a director on the board of Celtic Rugby Limited, the organiser of the Guinness PRO12 competition.

Dee BradburyPresident of Oban Lorne and Secretary of Argyll and Bute, Dee has been an employee of Police Scotland since 1984. The former manager of Scotland Women under-18, she is an established athlete and has represented both Scotland and Great Britain in athletics as well as playing representative netball.

Alan BrownA keen rugby player and Chartered Accountant, he has worked in the social housing sector for the past 31 years and is currently the Director of Finance and Corporate Services for the Eildon Housing Association Ltd.

Archie FergusonArchie serves as an ex officio member of the Council due to his position as one of Scottish Rugby’s representative at Rugby Europe. A former teacher, deputy head and education inspector, Archie has been involved with rugby at all levels of the game, including spells as a Board director of Scottish Rugby and Celtic Rugby Limited.

John JeffreyJohn won 40 caps for Scotland and was a member of the Grand Slam team of 1990. He was also a British Lion and continues to promote Scottish Rugby’s interests through serving as an ex officio member of the Council by representing Scottish Rugby at World Rugby and on the Six Nations Council.

Graham KerrGraham has been a member of Alloa RFC for many years, serving the club as a player, Coach, Secretary and Vice-President. As a rugby administrator, Graham was employed as Caledonia Rugby Administration Executive between 1997 and 2006. Since 2006 he has served on the Caledonia Competitions Committee and is currently Caledonia Midlands Age Grade Convenor.

Peter LaverieThe former Head Coach of Ayr and Cartha Queens Park is now forwards coach at Glasgow Hawks. Peter is also a Senior Lecturer at Glasgow Clyde College.

Jim LittlefairJim is a business consultant and chairman of the Hearts and Balls Charitable Trust.

Rod LynchRod is a member and new Chief Executive of London Scottish. He was elected as the first Scottish Exile Clubs Representative on the Council prior to the 2012 AGM.

Bill McMurtrieWith nearly 40 years’ experience in rugby-related media, Bill is renowned for his vast knowledge of the game both in Scotland and internationally, still lending that experience to Scottish Rugby’s annual Rugby Record. Bill is an honorary member of Tennis Scotland and was a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust Council for 20 years from 1977.

Mike MonroA member of Aberdeenshire RFC since 1971, Mike has served as Secretary and President. He refereed for a number of years after retiring from playing.

Fergus NeilA referee for eight years then a referee assessor, Fergus is a World Rugby accredited Performance Reviewer and has served as such at the Under-21 World Championships. He chaired the 2007 Scottish Rugby Match Officials Restructure Group and was Chairman of Scottish Rugby’s Match Officials’ Selection Panel from inception until his election to the Council.

Graeme ScottGraeme Scott joined the Council following the 2014 AGM. Prior to his appointment, Graeme served as the Championship Club Forum Secretary and he remains Honorary Secretary of Whitecraigs RFC.

Jim StevensonJim played rugby for Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Dalziel. He represented Glasgow and District Union and Lanarkshire during a career spanning over 30 years. A retired local government offer with Glasgow City Council, Jim was Scottish Rugby President from 2008 to 2010.

Bruce ThompsonAn Oxford graduate in classics, Bruce is Head Teacher of Strathallan School and the Scottish representative on the Headmasters’ Conference Sports Committee. He also chaired the HMC Committee that looked into rugby safety issues liaising closely with Scottish Rugby.

Doug WardA current member and past President of Biggar, Doug is the Chairman of Celtic Renewables Ltd and a Vice-President of the European Biodiesel Board. He was appointed CBE in 2006 for services to agriculture in Scotland and received an honorary doctorate in 2010 from Edinburgh Napier University.


Scottish Rugby BoardAs at the financial year end, the Directors of the Boards of Scottish Rugby Union and Scottish Rugby Union plc and their terms of office were:

Sir Moir Lockhead Independent non-executive, Chairman Originally appointed 1 July 2011 for 3 years. Re-appointed for a further 3 years with effect from 1 July 2014.

Ian Barr Council nominated non-executive Appointed 22 June 2013 for 2 years. Current term expires AGM 2015.

Mark Dodson Chief Executive Appointed 19 September 2011.

Colin Grassie Independent non-executive Appointed 1 July 2012 for 3 years. Re-appointed for a further 3 years with effect from 1 July 2015.

Andrew Healy Finance Director Appointed 22 August 2013.

Ian McLauchlan Independent non-executive Appointed 1 July 2012. Re-appointed for a further 3 years with effect from 1 July 2015.

Dominic McKay Director of Commercial Operations, Communications & Public Affairs Appointed 22 June 2013.

Mike Monro Council nominated non-executive Appointed 6 December 2012. Re-appointed 16 August 2014 for 3 years.

Fergus Neil Council nominated non-executive Appointed 1 July 2012. Re-appointed 22 June 2013 for 3 years.

Ian Rankin Council nominated non-executive (President as Chair of Council) Appointed 16 August 2014 for 1 year – expires at AGM 2015.

Lesley Thomson, QC Independent non-executive Appointed 1 October 2013 for 3 years.

The Scottish Rugby Board is responsible for the ongoing management and operations of Scottish Rugby, under powers delegated to it under the Bye-Laws. The Scottish Rugby Board, which also serves as the Board of Scottish Rugby Union plc, comprises four independent non-executive Directors, four non-executive Directors nominated by the Scottish Rugby Council (one of the four being the President in his capacity as Chairman of the Council) and three executive Directors. Colin Grassie is the Senior Independent Director.

Executive Directors serve under the terms of their employment or service contracts. The independent non-executive Directors are appointed for terms of three years and would normally be expected to serve for two terms. Appointment of the independent non-executive Directors is by the Board, on the recommendation of the Nomination Committee and subject to ratification by the Council.

The Council nominated non-executive Directors are appointed, or reappointed as the case may be, by the Council after the AGM. Their terms in office vary; under the current Bye-Laws the President, as Chairman of Council, serves as a Director for one year. Other Council nominated non-executive Directors may serve for up to three years at a time, subject to remaining a member of Council. Eligibility for re-election depends on remaining a member of Council and the application of the Bye-Laws. On ceasing to be a member of Council, a Council nominated non-executive Director is also required to step down from the Board.

The Board met 11 times during the year, including a separate strategy session and the two joint briefing sessions with the Council. The Vice-President attends Board meetings as an observer but is not entitled to vote. The Board conducts an annual evaluation of its performance with the outcomes reported to the Board as a whole and procedures adjusted as appropriate following that appraisal.

Sir Moir Lockhead OBEOriginally a mechanical engineer, Moir went on to be Chief Executive of First Group plc, and was appointed as the Chairman of the Scottish Rugby Board on 1 July, 2011. Awarded a knighthood for services to transport in 2008, following an OBE in 1996, he was re-appointed to the Board for a further three years from 1 July 2014. He also chairs the Nomination Committee.

Mark DodsonStarting his career in 1979 at the Guardian Media Group, Mark became Chief Executive of Guardian Media Group Regional Media in 2005 and was appointed to the Guardian Media Group Board. He was appointed as Chief Executive in September 2011 and is one of Scottish Rugby’s representatives with European Professional Club Rugby, the 6 Nations Council, World Rugby and the British & Irish Lions.

Ian BarrInstrumental in setting up the Midlothian Rugby Development Group, Ian has served as President of Lasswade RFC for a number of years and sits on the Scottish Rugby Council.

Colin GrassieBorn in Glasgow, Colin joined the Board on 1 July 2012. He chairs the Remuneration Committee and is the Senior Independent Director. He also sits on the Advisory Board of Winning Scotland and is chair of the Development Trust of the Glasgow School of Art.

Andrew HealyJoining Scottish Rugby in 2007 as Financial Controller, Andrew was appointed to the Board as Finance Director in 2013. A Chartered Accountant and born in Glasgow, he played with GHA for a number of years, before retiring and taking up refereeing for a further nine years. He played for Glasgow Schools, Glasgow under-18 and Glasgow under-21 and represents Scottish Rugby on the ERC Finance Committee.

Ian McLauchlanIan played for Jordanhill, Glasgow and Natal, was capped for Scotland 43 times (19 as captain) and played in all Tests of the successful British Lions Tours of New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974. He served two terms as Scottish Rugby President, is a non executive member on the Scottish Rugby Board and is one of Scottish Rugby’s representatives with European Professional Club Rugby.

Ian RankinElected as Vice President at the 2013 AGM, Ian has served as President this season. The former captain of Edinburgh Wanderers and Howe of Fife went on to coach both sides and Kirkcaldy before taking charge of Caledonia Reds and Edinburgh Reivers. He also assisted with Scotland A and Scotland under-20 before holding the Director of Rugby position at Dundee HSFP.

Dominic McKayDirector of Commercial Operations, Communications & Public Affairs, Dominic joined Scottish Rugby in January 2008 from his previous post at drinks giant Pernod Ricard. He is one of Scottish Rugby’s representatives on Celtic Rugby Limited (CRL) and Rugby Europe. A keen sailor, he is Chairman and Trustee of the sailing charity Ocean Youth Trust Scotland.

Mike MonroA member of Aberdeenshire RFC since 1971, Mike has served as Secretary and President. On retiring from playing, he refereed for a number of years and sits on the Scottish Rugby Council.

Lesley Thomson QCScotland’s Solicitor General and a former general committee member at Melrose RFC, Lesley was the first woman to sit on the Scottish Rugby Board when she was appointed in 2013.

Fergus NeilA referee for eight years then a referee assessor, Fergus is an IRB accredited Performance Reviewer and has served as such at the World Rugby under-21 World Championships. He chaired the 2007 Scottish Rugby Match Officials Restructure Group and was chair of the SRU March Officials’ Selection Panel from inception until his election to the Council. Fergus acts as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Robert HowatRobert joined Scottish Rugby as General Counsel in January 2013 and oversees the Legal and Governance Department. Prior to taking on this role he was company Secretary at Celtic FC for 11 years.


Board CommitteesDuring the period, the Board operated three sub-committees to assist with the delegation and management of its business. Membership of Board committees is restricted to non-executive Directors and includes at least one Council nominated non-executive director on each committee. Executive Directors and other members of staff and external advisers attend meetings regularly as required. Each committee has detailed terms of reference approved by the Board and Council.

The Chairman of each committee presents a report to the Board on the committee’s work at the next Board meeting.

Audit Committee (Chair: Fergus Neil)

Mike Monro, Fergus Neil and Lesley Thomson served on this Committee during the financial year. The Committee is responsible for assisting the Board to discharge its responsibilities for accounting policies, financial reporting, internal financial control and risk management. The Committee met 4 times during the financial year. Committee meetings are attended routinely by the Financial Director, the Financial Controller, the Company Secretary and representatives from the Union’s auditors.

Nomination Committee (Chair: Sir Moir Lockhead)

Ian Barr, Sir Moir Lockhead, Ian McLauchlan and Ian Rankin served on the Committee during the financial year. The Chief Executive and Company Secretary also attend the Committee’s meetings. This Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Board as to the membership of the Board and its Sub-Committees, the identification and recruitment of new Directors when required and the identification and appraisal of international body representatives. Advice is taken from external consultants as required. The Committee met 3 times in the year.

Remuneration Committee (Chair: Colin Grassie)

Colin Grassie, Mike Monro, Ian McLauchlan and Lesley Thomson served on the Committee during the financial year. The Committee is responsible for making recommendations, within agreed terms of reference, on remuneration policies, monitoring and approving executive directors’ and certain senior executive remuneration packages, setting and monitoring key performance targets and reviewing succession planning. Approval of the remuneration of senior coaches and higher-earning players also falls within the Committee’s remit.

The Committee met four times during the financial year. The Company Secretary attends meetings, with the Chief Executive attending as required. Advice is taken from external consultants when needed.

Governance StandardsAll members of the Board and Council are required to comply with Scottish Rugby’s Code of Conduct. Under the Code of Conduct any alleged breach of the Code is subject to consideration by an independent panel. No breaches or alleged breaches were reported in the year.

Development of Corporate Governance

During the year a Review Panel was formed by the Council, with an Independent Chairman (Rob Flockhart) for the purpose of examining governance issues. These included considering the role and terms of office of the President and Vice-President and Council electoral constituencies. Following a consultation exercise the Review Panel’s recommendations on the first of these subjects were delivered to the Council in April 2015 and form the basis for two of the resolutions to be proposed by the Council and Board at the 2015 AGM.

The Council and Board remain committed to the continuing development and improvement of our governance structures. Work in relation to Council electoral constituencies and other governance matters is intended to continue during the 2015/16 financial year.

Remuneration and Benefits of Non-Executive and Council Board Representatives

The Union offers its non-executive Board members, including Council representatives on the Board, a fee for their service. The annual rates of fee applied for the non-executive Board members serving at the financial year end are set out below. These amounts are pro-rated for part years. Board members are also entitled to be reimbursed for expenses incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily on Scottish Rugby business.

Due to the application of Scottish Government rules on other appointments Lesley Thomson continued to waive any entitlement to fees.

Director’s Representative Fee Bodies’ Fee Total

£ £ £

Sir Moir Lockhead 35,000 - 35,000

Ian Barr 15,000 - 15,000

Colin Grassie 15,000 - 15,000

Ian Rankin 15,000 - 15,000

Ian McLauchlan 15,000 10,000 (ERC) 25,000

Mike Monro 15,000 - 15,000

Fergus Neil 15,000 - 15,000

Lesley Thomson 0 - 0

Council members serving as international representatives for Scottish Rugby Union are also entitled to be paid a fee for their services on those bodies. The annual rates of fee for those individuals in office at the financial year end are set out in the table below. Fees are subject to pro-rating for part years.

Position Held Paid by Value

£

Edward A. Crozier CRL CRL 7,000

Archie Ferguson Rugby Europe SRU 7,000

John Jeffrey World Rugby World Rugby 25,000 and 6NC and 6NC

Notes:

1. These rates were not changed in the financial year.

2. Members of the Scottish Rugby Council receive no remuneration in respect of their elected roles although are entitled to recover expenses incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily on Scottish Rugby business in accordance with Scottish Rugby’s expenses policy.

3. World Rugby, Six Nations Committee (6NC) and Celtic Rugby Limited (CRL) compensate the representatives/directors serving on those bodies and the service fees paid to the Scottish Rugby representatives involved were as noted. Fees payable by those bodies during the financial year to Mark Dodson and Dominic McKay were disclaimed by the individuals and are retained by Scottish Rugby.

4. Dominic McKay served as a director of Celtic Rugby Limited during the year, with Mark Dodson and Ian McLauchlan being Scottish Rugby’s nominated board members of European Professional Club Rugby.

Lesley Thomson QC


Board ReportAn overview and review of the Union can be found in the Business Review, within the Strategic Report on page 38.

Going Concern

The Directors believe that the Union has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and it therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the Financial Statements.

Employees

Scottish Rugby recognises the value and importance of promoting equal employment opportunities for its current and future staff and considers all forms of discrimination to be unacceptable in the workplace. We aim to be an inclusive organisation where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and where diversity is valued across all of the recognised equality strands detailed within the Equality Act 2010. The organisation is committed to providing equal opportunities throughout recruitment, employment, training and career development and has a comprehensive Equal Opportunities Employment Policy, Equality and Diversity Policy and several other related policies that support the nine protected characteristics within the Equality Act.

We are committed to adopting equitable employment practices and terms and conditions which are based on the merits, ability and potential of individuals, and to avoiding any conditions or requirements that cannot be justified by the needs of the job. As an example of this equitable approach, Scottish Rugby has been granted the Positive About Disabled People award by Job Centre Plus, recognising our commitment to equality and confirming that applications from disabled people are always positively considered by the organisation.

In addition to our employment practices, Scottish Rugby has achieved the Intermediate Level of the Equality Standard: A Framework for Sport which is a collaborative effort between the four national Sports Councils, UK Sport and equality organisations to achieve measurable stands of equality. Scottish Rugby has also been awarded the Preliminary Level of the Equality Standard through our efforts and commitment to make rugby in Scotland open to all. A significant amount of work has been undertaken in producing and implementing our Equality and

The Directors present their Report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2015.

Diversity Plan, which can be located on our website, and we have appointed an Equality Champion. In addition we have recruited an Equality and Outreach Manager. This role has been instrumental in imbedding equality and diversity and progressing actions within our plan.

Consultation with employees or their representatives has continued at all levels, with the aim of ensuring that their views are taken into account when decisions are made that are likely to affect their interests and that all employees are aware of the financial and economic performance of their business units and of the company as a whole. Communication with all employees continues through e-mail communication, team meeting briefings and the distribution of the Annual Report.

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law, the Directors have elected to prepare the Union’s Financial Statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law, the Directors must not approve the Financial Statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Union and of the surplus or deficit of the Union for that period. In preparing these Financial Statements, the Directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the Financial Statements;

• prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Union will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Union’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Union and enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Union and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Union’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Auditors and Disclosure of Information to Auditors

So far as each Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information (that is, information needed by the Union’s auditors in connection with preparing their report) of which the Union’s auditors are unaware.

Each Director has taken all the steps (such as making enquiries of other Directors and the auditors and any other steps required by the Director’s duty to exercise due care, skill and diligence) that he or she ought to have taken in his or her duty as a Director in order to make himself or herself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Union’s auditors are aware of that information.

Directors

The Directors of Scottish Rugby Union plc who held office during the period, and up to the date of signing the Financial Statements, are noted on page 42.

By order of the Board

Robert M Howat

Secretary

Edinburgh, 23 July 2015


Report on the Group Financial StatementsOur Opinion

In our opinion Scottish Rugby Union’s consolidated financial statements (“the Financial Statements”):

• give a true and fair view of the state of the Union’s affairs as at 31 May 2015 and its surplus and cash flows for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

What we have audited

The Financial Statements, comprise:

• the consolidated balance sheet as at 31 May 2015;

• the consolidated income and expenditure account for the year then ended;

• the consolidated cash flow statement for the year then ended;

• the accounting policies; and

• the notes to the Financial Statements, which include other explanatory information.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Financial Statements is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In applying the financial reporting framework, the directors have made a number of subjective judgements, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates. In making such estimates, they have made assumptions and considered future events.

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006In our opinion the information given in the Strategic Report and the Board Report for the financial period for which the Financial Statements are prepared is consistent with the Financial Statements.

Other matters on which we are required to report by exceptionAdequacy of accounting records and information and explanations received

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Directors’ remuneration

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion, certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made. We have no exceptions to report arising from this responsibility.

Responsibilities for the Financial Statements and the auditOur responsibilities and those of the directors

As explained more fully in the Statement of directors’ responsibilities set out on page 47, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the Financial Statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view.

Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK & Ireland) (“ISAs (UK & Ireland)”). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

This report, including the opinions, has been prepared for and only for the company’s members as a body in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving these opinions, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

What an audit of financial statements involves

We conducted our audit in accordance with ISAs (UK & Ireland). An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the Financial Statements are

Financial Statementsfree from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of:

• whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Union’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed;

• the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and

• the overall presentation of the Financial Statements.

We primarily focus our work in these areas by assessing the directors’ judgements against available evidence, forming our own judgements, and evaluating the disclosures in the Financial Statements.

We test and examine information, using sampling and other auditing techniques, to the extent we consider necessary to provide a reasonable basis for us to draw conclusions. We obtain audit evidence through testing the effectiveness of controls, substantive procedures or a combination of both.

In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the Financial Statements (the “Annual Report”) to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Kenneth Wilson (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors Edinburgh, 23 July 2015

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of the Scottish Rugby Union


Principal Accounting PoliciesThe Financial Statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and on a going concern basis, in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 and applicable Accounting Standards in the United Kingdom. A summary of the more important accounting policies, which have been applied consistently, is set out below.

Basis of ConsolidationThe consolidated Financial Statements cover the year to 31 May 2015 and include the Scottish Rugby Union, a mutual organisation, its subsidiary undertakings Scottish Rugby Union plc and The Murrayfield Experience Limited, and a related body, the Thistle Rugby Trust. The parent body, the Scottish Rugby Union, has not traded during either the current period or previous year and its only assets and liabilities are its investment in, and loans from, Scottish Rugby Union plc of £50,000.

TurnoverTurnover represents ticket sales, broadcasting revenue and all other income and is stated net of VAT. Revenue is recognised based on the relevant contractual terms or in accordance with the occurrence of the relevant event. Where consideration is received in kind, income and expenditure are grossed up on the basis of arms length commercial rates.

Tangible Fixed AssetsThe cost of tangible fixed assets is their purchase cost, together with any incidental costs of acquisition. Significant sums are spent on maintenance of the Union’s main asset, BT Murrayfield Stadium, therefore the de-minimus level for capitalisation of assets has been set at £10,000 for the first three asset categories below and at £5,000 for Other equipment. Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of tangible fixed assets, less their estimated residual values, over the expected useful economic lives of the assets concerned. The straight line basis is used in respect of all assets and the principal annual depreciation rates are: %Land Nil Stands and Heritable property 1-20 Fixtures and fittings 4-25 Other equipment 7-50

No depreciation is charged on Assets under Construction.

Deferred IncomeCapital grants and debenture premiums are transferred to deferred income and amortised over the estimated useful life of the associated fixed assets or the life of the debenture, respectively.

Debenture issue costsThe costs associated with the issue of capital instruments are

charged to the Income and Expenditure Account on an annual basis over the minimum period remaining until the redemption of the associated instrument.

Pension costsContributions are made by the Union to money purchase scheme pension arrangements for certain employees. Amounts due to assurance companies are charged against the income and expenditure account in the year in which they become payable. The Union provides no other post retirement benefits to its employees.

Finance and operating leasesCosts in respect of operating leases are charged on a straight line basis over the lease term.

Leasing and hire purchase agreements which transfer substantially all the benefits and risks of ownership of an asset are treated as if the asset had been purchased outright. The assets are included in fixed assets and the capital element of the leasing commitment is shown as an obligation under finance leases. The lease rentals are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements, with the capital element applied to reduce the outstanding obligation and the interest element charged against the surplus or deficit for the period on a straight line basis. Assets held under finance leases are depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and the useful lives of equivalent owned assets.

GrantsRevenue grants are credited to the income and expenditure account in the same period as the related expenses.

TaxationThe Union has mutual trading status for taxation purposes as regards its trading activities with its own members and pays tax only on the profit derived from trading with non members. Deferred taxation is recognised on all timing differences where the transaction or events that give rise to an obligation to pay more, or less, tax in the future have occurred by the Balance Sheet date. Deferred tax assets are recognised when it is probable that they will be recovered. The tax rates in force at the Balance Sheet date are used to calculate the need for any deferred tax provision or asset.

Financial InstrumentsThe Union uses interest rate swaps to reduce its exposure to interest rate movements. Receipts and payments on these interest rate swaps are recognised on an accruals basis over the life of the swap. The Union also uses forward sale currency contracts to reduce its exposure to exchange rate movements. The income relating to these sales is accounted for at the rate of exchange at which the related contract has been taken out. The Union does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes.

Year Ended Period ended 31 May 31 May 2015 2014 Notes £000 £000

Income

Ticket income 10,143 8,225

Broadcasting revenues 10,822 12,065

Other operating income 23,278 23,440

44,243 43,730

Expenditure

International and Professional Rugby 22,761 23,614

Domestic and Performance Rugby 6,201 4,969

Commercial and Operational 10,876 10,077

Club Support and Development 2,772 2,251

Depreciation 1,053 1,257

43,663 42,168

Operating Surplus 580 1,562

Net Interest 3 (556 ) (702 )

Surplus on ordinary activities before taxation 1 24 860

Taxation on surplus on ordinary activities 4 - -

Surplus for the financial period 15 24 860

The Union has no recognised gains or losses other than those included in the surplus above and therefore no separate statement of total recognised gains and losses has been presented. All activities are continuing.

There is no difference between the surplus on ordinary activities before taxation and the surplus for the periods stated above and their historical cost equivalents.

A commentary on the main items included in each of the above categories is appended to the Financial Statements after the Five Year Financial Summary.

Consolidated Income & Expenditure Account


2015 2014

Notes £000 £000

Fixed Assets Tangible Fixed Assets 5 39,616 39,629

Investments 6 2 2

39,618 39,631

Current Assets Debtors 7 5,456 4,896

Cash at bank - 404

Cash in hand 8 5

5,464 5,305

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 8 (20,132 ) (11,654 )

Net Current Liabilities (14,668 ) (6,349 )

Provisions for liabilities 9 (46 ) (44 )

Total Assets less Current Liabilities and Provisions 24,904 33,238

Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year 8 148 8,451

Deferred income 10 2,070 2,207

Ten Year Debentures 11 1 1

Murrayfield Debentures 12 31,542 31,460

Irredeemable Debentures 13 97 97

33,858 42,216

General Reserve 15 (8,954 ) (8,978 )

24,904 33,238

The Financial Statements on pages 50 to 60 were approved by the Scottish Rugby Board and signed on its behalf on 23 July 2015 by:

Sir Moir Lockhead OBE, Chairman

Mark Dodson, Chief Executive

Consolidated balance sheet

Year Ended Period ended 31 May 31 May

2015 2014

Notes £000 £000

Net cashflow from operating activities 16 1,999 4,391

Return on investments and servicing of finance Interest paid on bank overdrafts and loans (341 ) (409 )

Capital Expenditure and Financial Investment Payments to acquire Tangible Fixed Assets (1,877 ) (598 )

Financing

Repayment of bank loan (2,250 ) (1,250 )

Finance lease (4 ) (5 )

(Decrease) / Increase in cash (2,473 ) 2,129

Year ended Period ended 31 May 31 May Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net debt 2015 2014

£000 £000

(Decrease) / Increase in cash in period (2,473 ) 2,129

Amortisation of Murrayfield Debentures (82 ) (89 )

Repayment of bank loan 2,250 1,250

Finance lease 4 5

Change in net debt (301 ) 3,295

Opening net debt (39,411 ) (42,706 )

Closing net debt 17 (39,712 ) (39,411 )

Consolidated cash flow statement


1. Surplus on ordinary activities before taxation Year Ended Period ended 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 The surplus on ordinary activities before taxation is stated after crediting: £000 £000 Amortisation of deferred income 137 148 Barter transaction sponsorship income 851 710

And after charging: Auditors remuneration 25 25 Auditors fees for non-audit services Tax compliance 8 7 Tax advisory 6 9 Other 2 2 Depreciation charge for the period Owned fixed assets 1,053 1,257 Operating lease rentals Plant & machinery 44 10 Other 305 265 Barter transaction sponsorship costs 851 710 Administrative and management expenses 2,682 2,646

2. Staff Costs The average number of persons employed during the period who are involved in and support the Scottish game was:

Year Ended Period ended 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 No. No. No. No. Rugby Professional Players 101 100 Professional Teams - Coaching & Operations 24 22 National Team - Coaching & Operations 9 9 Elite Development Players & Coaches 33 26 Domestic & Performance 69 61 Strength & Conditioning 11 12 Medical & Physiotherapy 10 11 257 241 Stadium Operations 37 34 Commercial, marketing & other 51 42 corporate functions TOTAL 345 317

Within the above figures:

Domestic & Performance includes employees within the BT Academies, Domestic Rugby Support, Services, Participation and Development, Coach Development, Outreach & Equality, Schools & Youth, Domestic and Elite Refereeing, and Age Grade & Other Coaches.

Stadium Operations includes staff involved in Event Management, Ticketing and Stadium & Pitch Maintenance.

Commercial, marketing & other corporate functions includes Commercial & Marketing, HR & Communications, Finance & IT, Governance and Business Services.

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements

2. Staff Costs (cont)

Year Ended Period ended 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 Total Total £000 £000 Employment costs:

Wages and salaries 21,052 19,868

Social security costs 2,295 2,131

Other pension costs 573 488

23,920 22,487

At the period end the pension accrual was £159k (2014 - £105k).

3. Net Interest Year Ended Period ended 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 £000 £000

Interest payable on bank borrowings (474 ) (613 )

Amortisation of Debenture issue costs (82 ) (89 )

(556 ) (702 )

The rates of interest on the Union’s term loan borrowings are included in Note 8.

4. Taxation on surplus on ordinary activities Year Ended Period ended 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 £000 £000 Current Tax:

On profits arising from non-mutual trading - -

Deferred:

Origination and reversal of timing differences (27 ) 533

Movement in deferred tax unprovided 27 (533 )

- -

Factors affecting the current tax charge for the year:

Surplus on ordinary activities before tax 24 860

Corporation Tax at 20% (2014 - 20%) 5 172

Effects of:

Net expenses not deductible for tax purposes 141 167

Crystallisation of tax losses (112 ) (316 )

Non-taxable mutual profits (150 ) (134 )

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances 88 105

Movement in other timing differences 28 6

- -

The Union has gross taxable profits arising in the period of £nil (2014 - £nil).


5. Fixed Assets Heritable Fixtures Other Assets Under Property & fittings Equipment Construction Total £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Cost As at 1 June 2014 46,128 14,171 3,888 916 65,103

Additions 513 162 365 - 1,040

Transfers 916 - - (916 ) -

As at 31 May 2015 47,557 14,333 4,253 - 66,143

Accumulated Depreciation As at 1 June 2014 10,241 12,190 3,043 - 25,474

Charge for year 657 218 178 - 1,053

As at 31 May 2015 10,898 12,408 3,221 - 26,527

Net Book Value As at 31 May 2015 36,659 1,925 1,032 - 39,616

As at 31 May 2014 35,887 1,981 845 916 39,629

6. Investments

The Union is the beneficial owner of 1,667 €1.27 ordinary shares in European Rugby Cup Limited (ERC), a company incorporated in the Irish Republic. The Union’s holding represents 16.67% of the company’s issued share capital.

The Union holds one €1.25 ordinary share in British Lions Limited, a company incorporated in the Irish Republic. The Union’s investment represents a 25% holding in the issued share capital of the company.

The Union is the beneficial owner of 100 €1.00 ordinary shares in Celtic Rugby Limited, a company incorporated in the Irish Republic. The Union’s holding represents 33% of the company’s issued share capital.

Given the disposition of the other shareholdings in these companies, and the immateriality of their net surpluses and net assets after receipt of dividends by the Union, the Directors do not believe that these investments fall to be treated as associate companies. Fixed asset investments are stated at the lower of cost and valuation.

7. Debtors 2015 2014 Amounts falling due within one year £000 £000

Trade debtors 4,413 3,818

Prepayments 655 890

Other debtors 388 188

5,456 4,896

Notes to the Financial Statements

7. Debtors (cont)

The Union has entered into a number of forward sale currency contracts to reduce its exposure to exchange rate movements affecting the income it receives in Euro. At 31 May 2015, the contracts held were for a total of €9m, with settlement dates between 25 January 2016 and 29 July 2016 at an average rate of £0.73:€1. The notional market value of these contracts at 31 May 2015 was £151k. At 31 May 2014, contracts for a total of €1.3m were held, with a settlement date of 30 June 2014 at an average rate of £0.86:€1. The notional market value of these at 31 May 2014 was £61k.

8. Creditors 2015 2014 Amounts falling due within one year £000 £000

Bank overdrafts 2,072 -

Bank Loans 6,000

Obligations under finance leases 5 5

Advance receipts 4,391 3,918

Trade creditors 2,163 2,251

Other tax and social security 1,234 1,111

Accruals 4,267 4,369

20,132 11,654

Amounts falling due after more than one year

Bank loans and overdrafts - 8,250

Obligations under finance leases 3 7

Other creditors 145 194

148 8,451

Finance lease obligations to which the Union is committed are due:

In one year or less 5 5

Between one and two years 3 5

Between two and five years - 2 8 12

Within Amounts falling due within one year, bank loans of £6m (2014 - amounts falling due after more than one year - £8.25m) were repayable in full on 30 June 2015. Security was granted to the Union’s bankers by way of a Bond and Floating charge over the assets of Scottish Rugby Union plc.

The Union had entered into an interest rate swap with the Bank of Scotland, in relation to £6m of the loan (2014 - £8.25m). This fixed the interest rate on these borrowings at 4.295% (2014 - 4.295%).

The Union has concluded a further re-financing deal with the Bank of Scotland and a new term loan of £6m has been agreed. £0.5m of this loan is repayable annually, with the balance being repayable in full on 30 June 2020. The Union has also entered into a further interest rate swap with the Bank of Scotland, initially in relation to £5.5m of the new term loan. This has fixed the interest rate on these borrowings, from July 2015, at an average rate of 3.491%.

The interest rate swap arrangement has a notional market value, being the net present value of future cash flows due under the swap compared to current interest rates. The market value of the interest rate swap on 31 May 2015 was (£9k). The market value of the interest rate swaps in place on 31 May 2014 relating to the £8.25m term loan was (£43k).




9. Provisions for liabilities Deferred Tenant Tax Club Fund Total £000 £000 £000

Opening - 44 44

Transfer during period - 2 2

Closing - 46 46

Deferred taxation comprises: 2015 2014 £000 £000

Accelerated capital allowances 1,644 1,704

Other timing differences 390 418

Trading losses carried forward (3,399 ) (3,470 )

(1,365 ) (1,348 )

Deferred Tax asset not recognised 1,365 1,348

- -

Following due consideration of future anticipated taxable profits, the residual deferred tax assets on trading losses carried forward has not been recognised on the basis that it will take some time for them to be fully recovered. The deferred tax asset will be fully recoverable should there be appropriate future taxable profits.

10. Deferred income Heritable Debenture 31 May 31 May Property Premium 2015 2014 £000 £000 £000 £000

Opening 1,598 609 2,207 2,355

Amortisation (31 ) (106 ) (137 ) (148 )

Closing 1,567 503 2,070 2,207

11. Ten Year Debentures Class of Max. No. 2015 2014 Debenture Issue Debenture Value Each Authorised No. issued No. issued

2009 Debentures J £1 500 90 90

K £1 1,000 429 429

L £1 200 78 78

2012 Debentures N £1 1,000 14 14

O £1 1,000 180 180

Debentures issued 791 791

The 2009 Debentures are unsecured, interest free and repayable at par on 31 May 2019. The 2012 Debentures are unsecured, interest free and repayable at par on 31 May 2022. Holders of the 2009 and 2012 Debentures have the right to purchase a ticket for any event or match at the stadium for which the Union retains direct control over the allocation of all tickets. In respect of Six Nations matches, the ticket is for a specific seat.


12. Murrayfield Debentures

Class of 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 Debenture Value Each No. Authorised No. Issued £000 No. Issued £000 A £1,200 9,100 9,092 10,910 9,092 10,910

B £2,200 7,900 7,900 17,380 7,900 17,380

C £3,500 1,000 1,000 3,500 1,000 3,500

Thistle £9,900 500 188 1,861 188 1,861

Debentures issued 18,180 33,651 18,180 33,651

Issue Costs: Opening 2,191 2,280

Amortisation (82 ) (89 )

Closing 2,109 2,191

Net Issue Proceeds less amortisation 31,542 31,460

The Murrayfield Debentures are unsecured, rank pari passu and are interest free. Repayment, at par, is at the discretion of the Union on or after 1 January 2043 in respect of the A and C Debentures and 1 January 2044 with regard to the B and Thistle Debentures. Murrayfield Debenture holders have the right to purchase a ticket for any event or match at the stadium for which the Union retains direct control over the allocation of all tickets. In respect of Six Nations matches the ticket is for a specific seat. Thistle and C Debenture holders also have the right to purchase certain matchday hospitality packages.

13. Irredeemable Debentures

The 972 (2014 - 972) Debentures of £100 each (the 1925 Debentures) entitle the holder to purchase two tickets at BT Murrayfield for each match directly controlled by the Union. The debentures are interest free.

14. Leases

Non-cancellable commitments under leases to pay rentals in the year following the year of these Financial Statements are noted below, analysed to the year in which each lease expires. 2015 2014 £000 £000

Land & Buildings - Expiring within 2 to 5 years 305 305

Plant & Machinery - Expiring within 2 to 5 years 15 10

320 315


15. General Reserve 2015 2014 £000 £000

Opening (8,978) (9,838 )

Surplus for the year 24 860

Closing (8,954) (8,978 )

16. Reconciliation of operating surplus to net cashflow from operating activities Year ended Period ended 31 May 2015 31 May 2014 £000 £000

Operating surplus 580 1,562

Depreciation charge 1,053 1,257

Amortisation of deferred income (137 ) (148 )

Tenant club residual fund 2 2

Movement in debtors (560 ) 363

Movement in creditors 1,061 1,355

1,999 4,391

17. Analysis of changes in net debt Other 31 May 2014 Cash Flows Changes 31 May 2015 £000 £000 £000 £000

Cash in hand 5 3 - 8

Bank 404 (2,476 ) - (2,072 ) Bank loans (8,250 ) 2,250 - (6,000 ) Finance Leases due within one year (5 ) 4 (4 ) (5 ) Finance Leases due after one year (7 ) - 4 (3 ) Irredeemable Debentures (97 ) - - (97 ) Murrayfield Debentures (31,460 ) - (82 ) (31,542 ) Ten Year Debentures (1 ) - - (1 ) (39,411 ) (219 ) (82 ) (39,712 )

18. Related Party TransactionsTwo of the directors of Scottish Rugby Union plc, Mike Monro and Ian Rankin, were also trustees of the Murrayfield Centenary Fund during the year. Scottish Rugby Union plc does not charge the charity for any administrative or other support that it provides and made no donation to it in the current year or previous period.

During the course of the year, £16k (2014: £9k) of ad hoc grounds and facility services were purchased from WH&R Barr, a firm whose managing partner, Ian Barr, is a Director of Scottish Rugby Union plc. At the year end £nil (2014: £2k) was outstanding.

Fergus Neil, a director of Scottish Rugby Union plc acts as a referee performance reviewer for domestic, EPCR and Pro12 fixtures, on behalf of Scottish Rugby. The fee payable to Mr Neil for this service in the year was £1,125 (2014: £1,500).

19. SRU Group

The Scottish Rugby Union carries out all of its operations through its wholly owned subsidiary, Scottish Rugby Union plc, the registered office of which is BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, EH12 5PJ. For accounting purposes the group is also deemed to include the Thistle Rugby Trust. The group has taken advantage of the exemption conferred by FRS8 from the need to disclose transactions between group entities that have been eliminated on consolidation in these group Financial Statements.

Five year Summary

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000

Income 44,243 43,730 39,275 38,226 35,086

Expenditure: International and Professional Rugby 22,761 23,614 20,884 19,116 16,691

Domestic and Performance Rugby 6,201 4,969 4,701 4,494 4,221

Commercial and Operational 10,876 10,077 8,874 9,207 9,121

Club Support and Development 2,772 2,251 1,932 1,900 1,805

Depreciation 1,053 1,257 1,100 1,131 1,037

43,663 42,168 37,491 35,848 32,875

Operating Surplus 580 1,562 1,784 2,378 2,211

Surplus on sale of Fixed Asset - - - 121 -

Surplus on ordinary activities before interest 580 1,562 1,784 2,499 2,211

Net interest (556 ) (702 ) (926 ) (919 ) (923 )

Surplus before taxation 24 860 858 1,580 1,288

Taxation - - - (10 ) -

Surplus for year / period 24 860 858 1,570 1,288

Note (1)

Capital Expenditure 1,040 1,558 534 636 1,008

Note (1) – 2014 represents a 13 month period, ended 31 May 2014. Other columns represent one year, ended 31 May for 2015, and 30 April for other years.


Commentary on the Financial StatementsThis section provides a general commentary on the income and expenditure categories for the year ended 31 May 2015.

Turnover

Scottish Rugby’s turnover comes from a number of areas. National team match ticket sales, including the RBS 6 Nations and the viagogo Autumn Tests, pro-club match ticket sales and tickets for the Emirates Airline Glasgow 7s, together with related broadcasting revenue provide a significant element of this. Match day income also includes revenue from pitchside advertising boards, match programmes and revenue from hospitality activities. The sale of merchandise throughout the period is a further important source of income.

Scottish Rugby is grateful for funding from its many sponsors including BT, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Macron, and for significant grant funding from World Rugby, sportscotland and the Cashback for Communities programme. Turnover also includes income from the European Rugby Cup and the Guinness Pro12 League, and from other events held in BT Murrayfield Stadium including dinners, business conferences, concerts, football matches and Christmas party nights.

International and Professional Rugby

The expenditure relating to the players, management, medical and strength & conditioning teams involved in International and Professional rugby is within this category. This includes travel, food and accommodation at venues, salaries, kit, laundry costs, travel insurance, training facilities, honours caps and team coach hire for all of the Scotland teams playing at international level. It also includes all Pro-club costs, being players’, coaches’ and support staff salaries together with kit, travel and other coaching costs, and match day outgoings such as advertising, turnstile staff, ticket printing, venue preparation and entertainment.

Expenditure in the provision of medical services, including physiotherapists, match doctors for the players, crowd doctors, and the medical supplies needed for strapping and treating injuries is included in this category as is the investment in the strength and conditioning personnel who work with the National and Professional teams together with the associated programme costs.

Domestic and Performance Rugby

Grassroots investment, which is key in helping to develop the players and coaches of the future, as well as maintaining and growing the game, is included in this category. The domestic

rugby team, which is supported by sportscotland, together with associated programme costs, including travel, training and event costs are also included. Similarly, expenditure for the delivery of the programme related to funding from the Cashback for Communities grant is included here.

The investment in The BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy in 2014/15 is included in this category. Costs include coaching, facilities, programmes and players, kit, equipment and match costs. Specialist coaching costs are included here, as are analysis and other rugby operational support costs. This area also includes investment in the Exiles programmes.

Referee development, from grassroots to international level, includes the costs of referee coaching, travel to games, kit, and staffing and office expenditure for those employed in this area. Referee costs also include salary, travelling expenses and associated costs for professional refereeing.

In the area of coaching, Scottish Rugby staff deliver United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) courses throughout Scotland to ensure that coaches are properly qualified to coach at all levels and the delivery of this programme is part-funded by sportscotland. Also included are the costs of the Coach Development Officers, and training and facility costs, as well as tutor and registration fees. Scottish Rugby assists in the delivery of the Positive Coaching Scotland programme and the costs associated with this are included here, as are the programme and administration costs of the Are You Ready to Play Rugby safety initiative.

Finally, the provision of medical services from physiotherapists and doctors, for cover at various events and matches are included here, as are related strength and conditioning costs.

Scottish Rugby is grateful for the support of sportscotland and World Rugby grants which assist in the delivery of a number of the above programmes.

Commercial & Operational

Commercial and Operational costs cover various areas of activity in Scottish Rugby. The running costs of the national stadium are included and these range from pitch repair and preparation to roof and other stadium maintenance, from security to insurance, and from rates to electricity, gas and water, all of which continue to ensure that BT Murrayfield remains a suitable, safe, and well maintained venue. Also included are match day and non-match day operational and staff costs, as are other event management and entertainment costs.

Marketing and commercial expenditure is included in this area, where the costs of partnering with, developing and maintaining Scottish Rugby’s family of sponsors are recorded. The activation

costs of marketing campaigns, promotional materials, media events and other operational activities are also included here. Similarly included are the costs of other support staff and programmes in the areas of ticketing, HR, procurement, IT, finance, governance and business services. Finally, the costs of the communications and public affairs team and related activity across the wide spectra of print, broadcast, web and other social media are part of this category.

Club Support and Development

Scottish Rugby recognises that investment in the sport at grassroots level is a key element in maintaining and growing the game. Clubs are supported through the payment of Participation Monies, Player Accident Insurance, contributions to cup and league travel costs, the Club Sustainability Fund and the payment of all referees’ travel costs across the country. Ticket commissions which clubs receive for sales of international and sevens tickets are included here as are player reward scheme payments, where clubs’ contributions to the development of players who have gone on to win academy or professional contracts are acknowledged. The joint funding of Club Development Officers in partnerships with both clubs and local authorities across the country is also part of club support and development expenditure.

Depreciation

Depreciation is the annual charge in respect of Scottish Rugby’s fixed assets, primarily the redevelopment costs of BT Murrayfield Stadium.

Registered Office

BT Murrayfield Stadium Edinburgh, EH12 5PJ

Bankers

Bank of Scotland Head Office The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 1YZ

Auditors

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors Level 4, Atria One, 144 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EX

Solicitors

Pinsent Masons Princes Exchange 1 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9AQ

Scottish Rugby Annual Report 2014/1564

Thank you to Scottish Rugby’s

PartnersPrincipal Partners

Official Partners

Glasgow 7s Partners

Inspiring ScotlandThrough RugbyLeadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect

scottish rugby annual report - amazon s3 · 2019-01-24 · 6 scottish rugby annual report 2014/15...

Documents