Williamson appointed new Scottish Rugby CEO

Scottish Rugby have their new chief executive

Alex Williamson, the former boss of House of Fraser, has been recruited as Scottish Rugby's new chief executive.

Williamson, who has a background in finance and will leave Inspiring Learning, could take up new his post before Christmas but Scottish Rugby may need to wait until February for him to start.

The appointment brings an end to a process that began earlier this year. It was announced in January that Mark Dodson would be leaving after 13 years.

Mark Darbon was close to being named Dodson's replacement but changed his mind and took up the equivalent role at the R&A instead, with senior figures at Murrayfield surprised and upset at the late change of heart.

Williamson was a senior auditor for Ernst & Young in the 1990s then worked for Warner Music as senior business analyst, for publisher EMAP as financial controller in the north east of England before holding senior positions in TUI.

In 2013, he was appointed chief executive of the Goodwood Group, the giant sporting estate in England and after for nine years moved to House of Fraser.

When Sport Direct’s Mike Ashley bought Frasers, he changed the management team and Williamson departed in late 2018, just over a year after he had started.

Since 2019, Williamson has been chief executive of Inspiring Learning - the UK’s largest provider of adventure camps for children.

“There are many opportunities ahead and I see no reason why Scotland cannot continue to be a positive force in the world game and within the wider sporting community," he said. “I cannot wait to get to Edinburgh and crack on.”

Scottish Rugby said in July they expect to lose £10.6m this year and Williamson will follow David Nucifora's autumn arrival in an advisory role on a two-year contract. Nucifora was previously Ireland's performance director.

Scotland play Fiji, world champions South Africa, Portugal and Australia in November.

Their fifth straight home game will be against Italy in February's Six Nations opener in February.

What's on Williamson's must-do list?

The money problem

The SRU recorded losses of £10.5m in the most recently published accounts despite having three home games in the Six Nations as well as hosting Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Harry Styles concerts.

Huge work needs done on maximising SRU revenues, particularly around the Six Nations. There’s been talk of building a large covered venue on the estate with bars and food outlets to get fans to matches earlier and keep them there longer. Williamson will need lots of new thinking on improving the financial picture.

Working with David Nucifora

Williamson and the de facto performance director is the partnership that must revolutionise the player pathway system. It’s a gargantuan issue. The flow of young players is chronic in Scotland. The current system needs torn apart. Nucifora did a magnificent job in this area for a decade in Ireland, so there’s hope.

Reaching out to the club game

The grassroots need some TLC. At club level there is widespread concern about the future of the game - challenging finances, falling player numbers, fewer teams, a threat to the social fabric of community rugby clubs. Williamson needs be go on a tour of clubland and listen to people’s concerns.

Tapping into Scots abroad

This is something SRU chairman, John McGuigan, has spoken about. Are there high net-worth Scots around the world who might be minded to financially support new projects on the development of young players, particularly in traditionally non-rugby playing parts of the country? Can the SRU move into new terrain to find new players? They must.

Executing the 10-year strategy

There’s huge work going on right now around a 10-year plan for rugby at all levels. It’s a forensic analysis of where the game is at and it will have a string of recommendations. Williamson needs to drive that strategy for all he’s worth.

Win trophies

Glasgow’s URC victory was manna from heaven. Edinburgh need to step up now. Quickly. They’ve been underperforming for years. It can’t go on. Williamson needs to demand more from them. It’s harder for Scotland in the brutal waters of Test rugby, but being properly competitive in the Six Nations is a must. They need to become a serious contender - and consistently.

Build on progress in the women’s game

They’ve never been in a better place. Now is the time to build on strong foundations. So much of this goes back to finance. Williamson needs to get the cash flowing.