In recent times there have been some excellent and entertaining speakers at the GROGS lunches, all enjoyed by the ever increasing number of attendees. However, at the heart of the GROGS ethos is an abiding interest in the sport of rugby and this needs to be nourished every now and then by speakers who really know their ‘rugby stuff’. Mark Palmer, Scottish rugby correspondent of the Sunday Times, fitted this description when he addressed 115 GROGs at the January Lunch. In a presentation which could have been titled “The shape of Scottish Rugby today and where it might be going”, Mark gave a very good account of himself with an insight gathered from a number of previous career positions. He was aware that he might be accused of criticising the more capable but it was clear that here was a subject he felt passionate about. Mark praised the successes of the SRU, especially in the way the finances have been turned round and the popularity of Murrayfield as an International venue. However, he was concerned about the way Scottish Rugby's Agenda 3 project to form the new Super 6 league for the 2019/20 season was being presented with little clarity and consultation and even some degree of secrecy. Although most in the audience were interested in this new direction for Scottish rugby, it would have to be said that not many were well versed in the details. The same could not be said about Mark who had clearly researched the subject as far as he was able and who presented a number of facts and figures leading him to the belief that the proposal, at this stage, is somewhat divisive and might lead to a situation of a 2 Club tier system - the smaller number of “haves” and the much larger number of the “have nots”. His view, expressed rationally and dispassionately, is that the SRU have put forward a very flawed proposal for the future and the improvement of Scottish Rugby. He invited questions by asking one:- “What do you want the future of Scottish rugby to look like?”. This inspired considerable participation from the floor, although not much by way of solutions.