There was a particularly large turnout for the October Lunch all looking forward to hearing guest speaker, Richie Dixon, who was described in his introduction as being one of rugby’s “Old War Horses”, a title he didn’t seem to mind. After a very enthusiastic welcome, Richie said that all he could promise the members were the ramblings of a “rugby junkie” with his views of rugby ‘yesterday, ‘today’ and ‘tomorrow’. Yesterday was, in Richie’s words “our time” and was a delightful piece of warm nostalgia with Richie reminding everyone of the way rugby was organised and played when they were all much younger men. Mentions of the Tuesday/Thursday training sessions, the all day commitment to the Saturday matches and the bus journeys with bawdy sing-a-longs brought smiles to many faces and tears to a few eyes. Richie didn’t just talk about the shining years of the past when he had a playing career with Jordanhill, the Glasgow district side, the Barbarians and a single foray with the Scottish National team. He also talked about his coaching stints with schools, clubs and Glasgow Warriors and his time as coach to the Scotland National side and intriguing times as instigator and coach to the Georgia National side - a team that has grown in skills and success since. Rugby had given him so much that he was sad when he thought about the future of the sport. “I fear for our game”, he said. He felt that everyone should thank the person who had introduced him to rugby, for the fun enjoyed, the lifelong associates made and the fond memories of the amateur days in the sport. The professional game of today had changed all that and not for the better, he felt. The lure of money had taken away the importance of the grassroots and he’s convinced that one day the money bubble will burst.
Richie’s stories of his time in Georgia were equally entertaining and interesting. He is in no doubt that Georgia is growing in stature in world rugby while some of the established sides are slowing up. Apologising for being all doom and gloom, Richie ended on a high with stories of players and referees of a bygone time, a time much mourned by many of the old lags present. There has been no more an enthusiastic recipient of a bottle of Special GROGS whisky! Thanks Richie.
Richie’s stories of his time in Georgia were equally entertaining and interesting. He is in no doubt that Georgia is growing in stature in world rugby while some of the established sides are slowing up. Apologising for being all doom and gloom, Richie ended on a high with stories of players and referees of a bygone time, a time much mourned by many of the old lags present. There has been no more an enthusiastic recipient of a bottle of Special GROGS whisky! Thanks Richie.