Makes for a sobering read.

[Matt Ha]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/37171363

[Stones of granite]

Is anyone really surprised, though? Isn't this an inevitable consequence of professionalism and the commercialisation of the sport.

On a tangentially related matter, has anyone been watching the BBC Scotland documentary on commercialisation of football. Seems to me that Rugby is heading down the same path, as we seem to keep using football as the model.

[General Zod]

Yeah - watching the football one. I think as far as rugby in Scotland goes, we're less likely to spunk out on average foreign imports, partly due to seeing what it did in football.

That said, we're still a fair bit behind the curve due to spending on other things and being administered by a different sort of old boys' network.

I have marginally more faith in the SRU to get the show back on the road than I do in the SFA, but still find certain things incomprehensible, like failing to invest more heavily in sevens/ the women's game, or making rugby an option for urban state schools (with links to welcoming local clubs so that pupils can keep it up and any potentially elite players don't feel excluded/ can see a career path).

A bit of an unstructured rant, but I haven't posted for ages.

[OptimisticJock]

Yeah - watching the football one. I think as far as rugby in Scotland goes, we're less likely to spunk out on average foreign imports, partly due to seeing what it did in football.

Which Embra players should I mention?

[Chunks Baws]

It's great that awareness is increasing and protocols are improving, but what's the long term solution? Rule changes that favour lighter, nimble players?

[Stones of granite]

It's great that awareness is increasing and protocols are improving, but what's the long term solution? Rule changes that favour lighter, nimble players?

Probably. Rugby has always evolved, albeit slowly, and the increasing damage - and awareness of the hidden damage - that players are doing to each other as they get bigger and more powerful is probably going to be a catalyst for the next stage in it's evolution.

[General Zod]

Yeah - watching the football one. I think as far as rugby in Scotland goes, we're less likely to spunk out on average foreign imports, partly due to seeing what it did in football.

Which Embra players should I mention?

Fair point - there are still a few foreign journeymen in our professional ranks. However, by spunk out, I meant doing daft things like paying £12m for tore-andré Flo.

Signing a few journeymen pros from other countries for (hopefully) not a large percentage of our budget is, whilst not ideal, unlikely to completely drain our sack and mean we end up with a Newco in charge of the The SRU. I am more optimistic that there is investment in youth development but feel we could probably do more.

[switchskier]

I had it in my head that we reached peak brawn over brain in 2007, though that may have been coloured by the memory of a Dewey-Henderson midfield axis, and the game has become more fluid since. However maybe that's not the case, what do you guys think? Is watching Scottish rugby and then the rise of Glasgow skewering my view?

[OptimisticJock]

Yeah - watching the football one. I think as far as rugby in Scotland goes, we're less likely to spunk out on average foreign imports, partly due to seeing what it did in football.

Which Embra players should I mention?

Fair point - there are still a few foreign journeymen in our professional ranks. However, by spunk out, I meant doing daft things like paying £12m for tore-andré Flo.

Signing a few journeymen pros from other countries for (hopefully) not a large percentage of our budget is, whilst not ideal, unlikely to completely drain our sack and mean we end up with a Newco in charge of the The SRU. I am more optimistic that there is investment in youth development but feel we could probably do more.

I was being a bit facetious. Whilst they admittedly don't shell out millions I'm sure what the do shell out is equivalent to an SPFL side that isn't dodgy as fuck with money.

[Which Tyler]

As this is the most recent thread touching on concussion:

Good news here, but absolutely no reason for complacency - it's still a fairly small study, and I'd need to see the source before comming on methodology etc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37581000

A study on the long-term effects of concussions in former Scotland rugby players has found they displayed "only some mild memory effects".

Fifty-two ex-internationals with an average of 14 concussions each were examined by the University of Glasgow.

Multiple sports concussions have been linked to the neurodegenerative disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

It has been found in the brain tissue of deceased former NFL athletes, boxers and rugby players.

The former players were examined alongside 29 control subjects.

"Overall there is not a suggestion of widespread decline in daily function in ex-rugby internationalists who had a high number of repeat concussions," said Tom McMillan, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology.

"Although some differences in memory were found, these were mild overall and their cause uncertain.

"Despite a high number of repeat concussions in the retired rugby players, effects on mental health, social or work function were not evident some 20 years after they had stopped playing."

...

[Mikey Brown]

I had it in my head that we reached peak brawn over brain in 2007, though that may have been coloured by the memory of a Dewey-Henderson midfield axis, and the game has become more fluid since. However maybe that's not the case, what do you guys think? Is watching Scottish rugby and then the rise of Glasgow skewering my view?

I remember the entire build up for our 07 campaign was centred on how big Hamilton's biceps were. Wales and many others seemed to go crazy in the gym for that world cup. While NZ were noted for getting a load of players to lose weight iirc.

It's great to think how many centre partnerships we could happily field ahead of Henderson/Dewey now.