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).