Rugby, Australian Football: SRU weighs up offer to 'sell' games

MARION TRACE

WALES have expressed an interest in ‘buying’ from Scotland Rugby World Cup matches due to be staged at Murrayfield in 2007. France are the principle hosts of the tournament but in order to win the backing of Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as they fought off rivals England, they offered the three Celtic nations pool matches as a sweetener.

The Scottish Rugby Union is understood to be considering giving up its right to stage three pool matches. In return, the SRU would be compensated financially. Given the SRU is in debt to the tune of £20million, it is an attractive option. However, the downside is that Scotland would lose home advantage, notably in the pool match against New Zealand scheduled for Murrayfield.