February 2014 Lunch
About THE GROGSThe GROGS started in 2002 when a group of like-minded individuals, past their playing prime but with the love for rugby still coursing through their veins, got together with a common vision in mind. This was to start a lunch club at which they could exaggerate their roles in past rugby glories, discuss the current state of the game and explain to each other what is needed for Scottish rugby in the future. The inaugural lunch took place at Braidholm in March 2002 with Bill Nolan as guest speaker. The GROGS lunches have continued ever since. For the first 3 years the average attendance was 30 – 40 but this has now risen to 100-120. There has been a wide range of guest speakers, most, but not all, linked to rugby. Since 2002, every new President of the SRU has addressed the GROGS. Allan Hosie, former SRU President and international referee, is one of only 3 speakers who have been invited twice, along with Bill Nolan and Peter Mitchell. Jim Farry, former supremo of the SFA, was our guest in January 2003; Lord John Maxton and Ted Brocklebank MSP represented the political side of sport; Jim Telfer and Andy Irvine both came to seek tactical advice from the GROGS before Lions Tours. We've had high profile, multi-capped rugby internationalists; low profile, no-caps but very entertaining, lesser lights from the rugby playing and refereeing sides of the game; sports commentators; journalists and high ranking sports officials. We've even had 2 female guest speakers – Barbara Wilson, former SWRU Development Officer and Alison Walker, well known sports commentator and broadcaster. The GROGS' enthusiasm and interest in the common bond of rugby has continued unabated and, with many interesting speakers in the pipeline, hopefully will do so for many years to come.
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The GROGS Committee
Chairman: Brian Rigby - 0141 637 1225
Secretary: Johnston Sime - 0141 585 3713 Treasurer: Murray Kerr - 0141 637 9163 Membership Sec.: Alasdair Graham - 0141 616 4056 David Brown - 0141 639 2097 Raymond Healy - 0141 959 5107 Ian MacGrain - 0141 639 1513 Fergus Neil - 0141 639 1326 |