THE family of Siobhan Cattigan, the Scotland international back-row forward who died in tragic circumstances almost two years ago, have issued a statement in response to Scottish Rugby Limited Chair John McGuigan’s apology at Saturday’s SRU AGM on behalf of the governing body for its inadequate handling of the situation.
“We acknowledge the apology announced on Saturday by SRL Chairman John McGuigan,” said the statement, which was posted on ‘X’ this morning. “Mr McGuigan contacted us some months ago to say he wished, as far as his capabilities would permit, to ‘right the wrongs’.
“We are extremely grateful that he has acted with integrity, humanity and decency, reaching out to us from an organisation that had previously treated our family and, more importantly, Siobhan’s memory shamefully with unkind comments and disrespectful actions being made by senior executives.
SRU AGM: Chair John McGuigan issues apology to the family of Siobhan Cattigan
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“There are those within Scottish Rugby who have questions to answer regarding their treatment, or lack thereof, towards Siobhan and we cannot begin to grieve until they are answered.
“Guided by Siobhan’s shining light we will continue her life of love, kindness and compassion for those less fortunate through her Legacy of Love Charity and will work alongside Mr McGuigan in identifying appropriate actions honouring Siobhan.
“We have accepted the Scottish Government’s invitation to meet; discuss their acknowledgement that injury risk, prevention and treatment differs between males and females and work together towards adequately protecting future generations of players in Siobhan’s memory. Similarly, we anticipate our upcoming meeting with the Crown Office will be productive. Thank you to every single person who has supported our broken hearts and kept our beautiful wee girl’s memory alive. We have a long road ahead.”
SRU AGM: Chair John McGuigan issues apology to the family of Siobhan Cattigan
“from an organisation that had previously treated our family and, more importantly, Siobhan’s memory shamefully with unkind comments and disrespectful actions being made by senior executives”
This should be printed and displayed in every clubhouse in the country as reminder of what Dodson and his acolytes stand for.
I’m grateful to TOL for seeking out and sharing this article, and to the Cattigan’s (plus Ms Taylor I’m assuming) for their candid response to John McGuigan’s comments of last Saturday. To those of us in the cheap seats it is most, most welcome to hear their views. For it gives us a better understanding. It will bring but little solace to the rancour that obviously still and understandably remains however, but I do look forward to being able to support future “Siobhan’s Legacy of Love” initiatives in much the same way as my family and thousands of others like us have rallied behind the Doddie Weir Foundation / MND.
What I’m not quite so impressed by however is Ron Sutherland’s attempt to hijack this event as an opportunity to continue his misplaced, almost homoerotic feud with Prof Crerar. Amusing those his ranting are, I do wonder has he – post AGM – been at the Warren Cup once again??!! This simply isn’t the time, nor is it the forum nor is it the place to conflate Eino-the-Whineo’s mis-judged, misanthropic views with those of someone who’s stepped up and had the gumption to do something he as a self-styled “accomplished executive leader…….strong achiever…….and visionary……..” simply can’t.
Seriously Eino / Ron, if you weren’t quite so self-effacing on LinkedIn, maybe more than a handful of acolytes in your very echo-chamber might begin to take you seriously.
Hello, Craigie / Lorne – we really ought to meet some time!
Assuming you can tear yourself away from that mirror of shame.
You have to admit that Ron makes an excellent point about which chairman should do what, don’t you agree?
I’m wondering if I knew your big sister Ailsa, Craigie?
Careful, Madeleine.
The trenchant “Lythgoe” nonentity is probably just a wearisome Harper Macleod throw-back, a modern-day “spanking slipperman”. Look it up, quite a history!
SRUL Board Chairman John McGuigan’s sincere apology is clearly welcome.
However, it prompts the question as to whether (or not) such an apology ought more correctly to have come from Lorne Crerar, Chairman of the SRU Custodian Board, whose responsibilities had, one imagined, been agreed to encompass the rugby / playing side of the now excessively convoluted organisation, with McGuigan’s bunch of executive and non-executive directors in charge of the commercial and financial aspects…. Hadn’t we been led to believe that the SRUL Board is responsible to and overseen by the SRU (Custodian) Board, who were supposed to be in charge? Even for a professional / academic specialist in corporate structures, management and governance, those behind this new set-up appear still to be making it up as they stumble along, with little going well on either the rugby or financial fronts!
Let no-one forget the absolute horlicks of an insensitive statement made by Crerar in this connection a few months ago – evidence of how far out of touch he and his colleagues appear to be (possibly also out-of-their-depth on such matters!), and indeed how over-complicated the new governance structure really is, in practice.
SRUL Board Chairman John McGuigan’s sincere apology is clearly welcome.
However, it prompts the question as to whether (or not) such an apology ought more correctly to have come from Lorne Crerar, Chairman of the SRU Custodian Board, whose responsibilities had, one imagined, been agreed to encompass the rugby / playing side of the now excessively convoluted organisation, with McGuigan’s bunch of executive and non-executive directors in charge of the commercial and financial aspects…. Hadn’t we been led to believe that the SRUL Board is responsible to and overseen by the SRU (Custodian) Board, who were supposed to be in charge? Even for a professional / academic specialist in corporate structures, management and governance, those behind this new set-up appear still to be making it up as they stumble along, with little going well on either the rugby or financial fronts!
Let no-one forget the absolute horlicks of an insensitive statement made by Crerar in this connection a few months ago – evidence of how far out of touch he and his colleagues appear to be (possibly also out-of-their-depth on such matters!), and indeed how over-complicated the new governance structure really is, in practice.