The chief exec has insisted on the decision being one he made instead of being pushed out
Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) chief executive Mark Dodson is set to leave his position, but has denied he was forced out of the role.
Dodson, who will stand down in summer 2024, has faced criticism for financial losses and the handling of the investigation into Siobhan Cattigan’s death.
Scotland international Cattigan died in 2021 and her family have since said a rugby-related brain injury led to her death. The SRU apologised last year and said they had let down the family. However, Dodson says he has stood down on his own volition.
“It is an upsetting affair and it’s been a difficult time for everybody, but it had no bearing on my decision at all,” he said.
Dodson, whose contract ran until 2025, added: “It was entirely my decision.
“I talked through with (Scottish Rugby chairman) John McGuigan at length during the autumn and I suggested this was the right time to go. We agreed, we moved on.”
Dodson also expanded on the reasoning behind why is he leaving the post.
“The national teams are in good shape, the two pro teams are in good shape, we had a record crowd (of 37,000 for the 1872 Cup game), we’ve got two nascent female teams just coming through,” he said. “When we got back from the World Cup, I thought long and hard with the family and we believed it was only right that the next World Cup cycle be given to someone who is actually going to see it through.
“There are other things I want to do in my career and we felt it was the perfect time to do that.”
Scotland are next in action during the Six Nations, which begins on 2 February.
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