After a very successful Christmas Lunch, it was back to rugby for the start of a new year when GROGS turned up in record numbers for the January meeting to welcome Keith Wallace, the newly elected President of the Scottish Rugby Union. As the Chairman said, it was a great relief to actually see Keith in person given the run of bad luck with cancellations we’ve had in recent times. A major problem, Keith explained, in rugby today is the unavailability or unwillingness to make a season long commitment to playing, thus the necessity of having larger player pools. He contrasted the average number of players in the Heriots pool when Andy Irvine’s team won the Division 1 title in 1978/79 was 17 compared to an average now of 46. 48 players in the Heriots pool have already been used in the 13 games played so far this season. Changed times and startling figures! Back in the day, he said, 100 club players would mean 5 teams could be fielded. Now, such a number might only field 3 teams. The days of the social players seem to be over. With some it would seem to be the case that if they can't get into the first XV then they don’t want to play. This and rising financial demands are 2 of the main causes of concern in maintaining an active interest in rugby at grass roots level. Money is being ploughed into the game to try and encourage a resurgence of interest and not only at the elite level. Women’s rugby, walking rugby and other forms are being encouraged by the SRU. Keith feels that women’s rugby has already been the salvation of some clubs. Although the sport is hurting at the moment, the Men’s and Women’s International teams, the under 20’s and the 2 Professional Teams are doing well at the moment and, in his own experience, many rugby clubs themselves are thriving so we shouldn’t be discouraged. Before concluding with a toast to The Game of Rugby Football, Keith exhorted those present to support their clubs and to encourage others to do the same. Surprisingly, there weren’t many questions but those that were asked were dealt with openly and extensively, including one about the position of the SRU regarding current and future head injury claims. The Chairman wished the President well in his tenure and thanked him with a gift of a bottle of Special GROGS Whisky.