The Scottish RFU, roundly criticised for their promotion of the Rugby World Cup and ancillary decisions on venues for matches, proved architects of their own misfortune when they sent the general media a recent communique.

The e-mail/fax heralded the appointment of former Scotland international prop Peter Wright as a Youth Development officer for South West Scotland. The first two paragraphs were standard publicity bumph. There was to follow a quote from a John Low, a well-known figure from one of the local clubs.

The main body of text had obviously been ready for some days and just awaited Low's comments. Someone was obviously a bit bored in the SRU and decided to type in Rat, a tat a tat a tat. Blah de Blah. Unfortunately for the Pulitzer aspirant, the communique was mistakenly despatched to the media, followed two hours later by a grovelling apology by the Scottish RFU to Mr Low for any embarrassment caused.