JIM Fleming, Ray Megson, and Ken McCartney have been reappointed to
Scotland's panel of international referees, it was announced yesterday
by Bill Hogg, the Scottish Rugby Union's secretary. He added, though,
that the SRU committee were far from happy at having to restrict the
number to three.
Last season, the SRU fielded five international referees, with Brian
Anderson and David Leslie in addition to the retained trio, but the
number had had to be cut because of the International Rugby Football
Board's recently introduced rule limiting the numbers to three per
country.
''The committee disapprove strongly of the IB's edict of having only
three referees on the international panel,'' Hogg explained. ''To limit
the number is an absurdity. The general committee feel that Scotland has
more than three who are worthy of being on the international panel.''
Hogg added that he would be writing to the international board
complaining about the change. The SRU, he said, would be lobbying
strongly for the decision to be reversed.
Fleming has also been named as referee of the University match between
Oxford and Cambridge at Twickenham a week today. It will be the first
time a Scottish referee has had the ancient fixture since Allan Hosie,
now a member of the SRU, did the 1982 match.
Not only did the SRU name the threesome, but they rated them, with
Fleming as No.1, Megson second, and McCartney third, but Hogg added that
the ranking need not necessarily be the same by the time the Scots have
to nominate a referee for the England v Wales game on March 7.
During the World Cup in October, Fleming and the demoted Anderson were
the top two, with Megson as reserve.
Hogg added that the three referees were selected ''on current form,
with an eye to the future,'' and the committee were also ''aware of
injury problems.'' The last comment was an obvious reference to
Anderson, the Currie referee who had to withdraw at half-time from from
the World Cup game between Argentina and Western Samoa.
All five referees were told on Sunday about the composition of the
panel. Later that day, Anderson, who, like Fleming, had refereed in the
1987 and 1991 World Cup tournaments, announced his retirement, though he
said that it was for ''personal and business reasons.''
Anderson's departure from refereeing, after 20 internationals, did not
pass without commendation from the SRU secretary. ''I'm very sorry to
see Brian retiring,'' Hogg said. ''Without doubt he's been a tremendous
referee over many years. He set a new standard for refereeing in
Scotland.''
Hogg added that Anderson could still have a future in rugby in another
capacity. ''There's no way we can afford to have an international
referee drop out all together.''
SIR Hector Monro, union president in 1976-77 and MP for Dumfries, has
been appointed an SRU trustee in succession to Jimmie Ireland. He joins
three other past presidents, Sir John Orr, Frank Coutts, and Donnie
Innes.
A FULL colour calendar celebrating the SRU's view of the World Cup is
now available from the union office at Murrayfield and two Edinburgh
shops, Jenner's and Aitken & Niven. Its price is #9.95, and by post from
the SRU office the cost is #11.30 (second class) and #11.75 (first
class).
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