Scottish Rugby

[ScottishRugby]

I am one of a group of Scottish businessman putting together a consortium to buy the franchise of a professional rugby team in Scotland.

This team is Glasgow Rugby - www.glasgowrugby.com

We believe there is enormous potential to develop this team in Scotland's biggest city to challenge the best in Europe. To give you an idea - Glasgow is one of top four biggest cities in European Rugby.

The United States is the home of business and we are looking to you for two things:

1- any advice you might have on the best way to interest communities and businesses in investing in sport and any models of best practice for this

2- any sports mad Americans who would like to invest in this venture!

This is a long shot but, hey, why not?

LB

[Shootmaster_44]

Interesting idea. A few questions:

1) Is this rugby league or rugby union?

2) Is this an existing franchise (club) you intend to buy? If its not unless you shell out Rupert Murdock-type money, the best players will remain on their existing domestic clubs.

3) Will your club be recognized by the Scottish Rugby Union? If not, then your players will be banned from participating in any international tournaments.

4) Why Glasgow? Unfortunately, in union play the best clubs are from London and Paris largely, how do you propose to attract these players to join an inferior league?

5) Theoretically, say you can come up with Rupert Murdock sized money and attract any players in the Northern Hemisphere to your club. How will your club be able to turn a profit, considering for domestic rugby crowds range in the mid-to-high 20,000's?

6) This is more so a union question, but if this club is a brand new one, how will it be supported without a grassroots program? The most successful teams as far as product is concerned are those teams who have strong feeder teams.

7) If your company is an American one, why Europe at all? Why not fund a league in the US? Rugby could be more popular in the US with the right promotion behind it. Why not start at home and support US Rugby?

I hope your idea works out. But I also hope that it doesn't turn into the ABA, IIHL, NIFL or any of the other leagues that are run by people who don't know how to manage a car wash. Not that I'm saying you are just saying for the sake of the investors I hope you realize what you're getting into. Personally, I'd prefer to see a better domestic league form than have American money sent overseas. But good luck with this venture and hopefully everything works out.