BBC sports presenter, John Beattie, has been appointed chair of Scottish Rugby Writers Club.
The Scottish arm of the worldwide Rugby Union Writers Club was re-established just over two years ago by a group of rugby writers under the chairmanship of David Ferguson, the chief rugby writer at The Scotsman. Ferguson indicated his desire to step down after two years in the chair and Beattie was voted in at the club’s AGM held at its annual lunch and golf event at the Dalmahoy Golf and Country Club on Tuesday.
Said Ferguson: “The aim was to revive the Scottish club which had lain dormant for many years both to give the body of rugby media a recognised voice with the Scottish Rugby Union, the RUWC and other organisations within the game, and also to help re-establish media relations across the rugby community.
“I am really pleased with how the first two years have gone and the support we have had, and as we have now widened the club to include photographers, broadcasters and other journalists working in rugby media it’s fitting that John takes over and leads it on to the next stage.”
Beattie, a former Scotland and British and Irish Lions forward, said: “I was very pleased to be asked to become a member of the club and to represent the broadcast media, and I am delighted now to take over as chair. I think the club serves an important role in Scottish rugby and I’ll do my best to take it forward this year.”
Lewis Stuart of the Times will continue as vice-chair, with Alasdair Reid – Sunday Herald/Herald – the secretary, Craig Watson, of SNS, the photographer’s rep and Rob Robertson, of the Scottish Daily Mail, and BBC Scotland’s Jim Mason joining the committee.
