Scottish Sport

[MacDuff]

The British and Irish Lions Squad to Tour South Africa was announced on Tuesday with only 2 of the 37 players being Scottish (and one of them was born and raised in Australia). Is this a sad but true reflection of the current state of Scottish Rugby and perhaps more so, Scottish Sport in general ?

It's not too long ago (pre Premiership) that almost every team in England's Top Football Division had at least one Scottish player in their ranks.

We don't currently have a Scottish Golfer in the top 100 in the World Rankings, nor are there many Scottish Track and Field Athletes setting the heather on fire at National (UK) Level, never mind worldwide.

Andy Murray aside (and perhaps Bowls, Curling and Snooker - if that's truly a "Sport (perhaps that's for another topic)", the Saltire doesn't appear to be flying very high in the Sporting World.

Are we currently experiencing the down-side of the "Playstation/PC Culture" or are other nations (especially the emerging ones) doing something we are not?

[maganru]

I'm definitely with you on the pc/games machine theory. It is extremely disappointing to have only two Scots in the Lions team, one of which was born in Australia. On the back page of today's sport supplement in the Herald, Kevin Ferrie has written a good article, stating that in the space of a couple of weeks England's under-18s put 138 past Scotland with no reply. This country has dozens of rugby clubs with mini, midi and youth teams, the coaches of which are mainly volunteer Dads. So no lack of support there but once these boys get into their late teens it is harder to motivate them to keep playing and training. My sons both played rugby at school and one of them also played at our local club for nearly ten years. After school, they leave home, go to university and find other attractions which keep them away from their sport. The competition for places in the teams is also greater. My sons still enjoy watching and participating in kick-abouts but I really don't know what we do about getting boys off their backsides and participating in sport regularly and seriously again.

[A Horse called Juan Face]

I reckon it's what Scotland does that other country's don't. IE sell buckfast.

[Govangirl]

the Saltire doesn't appear to be flying very high in the Sporting World.

Lay on Macduff BUT there is no sport bar none that has a dead spitting gorgeous commentator like Coulthard!!!!

AND it has Jensen Button.

And dare I mention the great Sir Alex who has been flying high in the sporting world for decades now?