Rugby: Cash boost for Scottish clubs

The Scottish Rugby Union are offering financial help to the club sides affected by the recent bad weather and the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Both circumstances have forced widespread cancellation of games in the league season.

But now the SRU are looking to offer financial assistance to clubs who have been badly affected.

"In the club game the fixtures backlog caused by the wintry weather has now been compounded by an increasing number of fixtures falling victim to foot and mouth disease," said SRU financial director Graham Ireland.

"Each lost fixture means lost revenue to the home club and further pressure on the bank overdraft.

"In recognition of this, and despite the financial constraints imposed on the Union by the postponement of the Scotland v Ireland game, the SRU is prepared, in exceptional cases, to advance clubs a proportion of the position-based accreditation payment they would be entitled to for season 2001-2002."