HS/S3/08/19/A

HEALTH AND SPORT COMMITTEE

AGENDA

19th Meeting, 2008 (Session 3)

Wednesday 25 June 2008

The Committee will meet at 10.15 am in the Smith and Wallace Suite, Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh.

1. Pathways into sport inquiry: The Committee will take evidence from––

Jim Hamilton, ;

Donna Kennedy, Coach, Scottish Women’s Academy;

Peter Wright, Director of Rugby, Glasgow Hawks; and then from––

Gordon McKie, Chief Executive, Scottish Rugby;

Kenny Murray, Senior Sports Development Officer, Glasgow City Council;

Colin Thomson, Head of Community Rugby, Scottish Rugby;

Gregor Townsend, Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation.

2. Decision on taking business in private: The Committee will decide whether to consider in private drafts of its interim report on pathways into sport at future meetings.

Tracey White Clerk to the Committee Room T3.60 Ext 85410 Email: [email protected]

HS/S3/08/19/A

The following papers are attached for this meeting:

Agenda Item 1:

Note by the Clerk HS/S3/08/19/1

Agenda Item 1 HS/S3/08/19/1 18 June 2008

Health and Sport Committee

Pathways into Sport Inquiry

Introduction

1. Further to its away day in August 2007, the Committee agreed on 3 October 2007 to undertake an inquiry into pathways into sport that would embrace aspects of both increasing participation in sport and supporting excellence. The Committee decided that the key questions to be answered would be—

• To what extent progress is being made in developing sport pathways • What the key barriers are to achieving sport pathways • Whether there is best practice elsewhere that would improve pathways.

2. The inquiry is structured in two phases, the first to comprise oral evidence from a number of individuals on their personal pathways into sport and the second to look more systematically at the issues that this evidence raises.

3. As part of the first phase of the Committee’s inquiry it took oral evidence from Rhona Martin on 27 February 2008, Liz McColgan on 26 March 2008, Craig Brewster on 23 April 2008, Shirley Robertson on 30 April 2008 and Graeme Randall, Ian Edmond and Richard Gordon on 18 June 2008.

Today’s evidence session

4. The sixth oral evidence session involves two panels of witnesses comprising representatives of Scottish Rugby and individuals involved in rugby development.

Panel 1 5. The first panel of witnesses comprises Jim Hamilton, Donna Kennedy, and Peter Wright.

6. Jim Hamilton was born in Swindon and played for England at Under-19 and Under-21 level. He also played for New Zealand team Marist Albion and Leicester Tigers. He is a Scottish International player and played in four of ’s five matches in the 2007 . He now plays for Edinburgh Rugby.

7. Donna Kennedy is the world’s most-capped woman player with more than 100 caps for Scottish women’s rugby. She previously played for the British Lionesses and the Samurai 7s. In 2004 Donna won the International Rugby Board International Women’s Personality of the Year award. In 2007, Donna took up the role as coach of the Scottish Women’s Rugby

Union Academy team, a stepping stone to develop Scotland's players of the future.

8. Peter Wright is a former Scotland International and British Lion. He toured New Zealand with the British Lions in 1993. He won 21 caps playing for Scotland between 1992 and 1996. In the 2004-05 season, Peter Wright coached Glasgow Hawks to a BT League and Cup double. Having been a Scottish Rugby development officer in Dumfries and Galloway and in charge of Scotland Under-19s for three years, he has since returned to Glasgow Hawks as Director of Rugby.

Panel 2 9. The second panel of witnesses comprises Gordon McKie, Kenny Murray, Colin Thomson and Gregor Townsend.

10. Gordon McKie is the Chief Executive of Scottish Rugby and is the Scottish representative on the IRB Council and Six Nations Committee.

11. Kenny Murray is Senior Sports Development Officer at Glasgow City Council

12. Colin Thomson is the Head of Community Rugby at Scottish Rugby.

13. Gregor Townsend won 82 caps playing for Scotland. He played for the British and Irish Lions as well as Gala; Warringah club in ; Brive, Castres and Montpellier in France; Natal in South Africa, and in England. Gregor now has a position with the Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation.

Rebecca Lamb Assistant Clerk