Hullo boys and girls, how are we this week?

NH Pro season has already kicked off in France, but for the rest of Europe: it's this Friday. I've got tickets for Edinburgh v Leinster and cannot wait! Champions cup joins the URC on Premier Sports; hooray for me, as I was never going to pay for TNT and Premier Sports

Fantastic news, 2014 was genuinely great to be in Glasgow. And Glasgow has many venues ready to roll, so the reduction to 10 different disciplines makes lots of sense. I attended a fair bit of the rugby sevens, so hoping to see that again, but swimming, cycling, and athletics are all no brainers for Glasgow to host, as would badminton, indoor bowls, and curling potentially. Exciting times!

The only people that actually want this are the Welsh. The URC is working well, the prem needs to reign in the spending, and the Champions Cup needs to change to a format people understand. I'd go full knock out like a football cup personally. Sorted, no B&I league needed. But I do suspect NZ and Aus would like to see SA back in Super Rugby

Back Doune the Rabbit hole, the first iteration was very highly rated, but I do suspect Scotland has enough wee festivals, and with prices only ever increasing for attendees - will this one be able to break even? Find out next year!

Anyone make it to a festival this year in Scotland?

A literal monorail. I bet the council approves it and then Holyrood has to step in. Surely national parks need differing planning standards, this is madness!

What a fuck up. The man in charge at the time, has now been rewarded with a Labour seat in Edinburgh. Labour: rewarding failure since time immemorial

How are we this week folks? Onybidy wi weekend plans?

Poor Grangemouth, big blow to the area. Leaving Scotland without a refinery forcing us to rely on English production an obvious defenestration to independence ambitions too. Really tragic to see under a Labour government, combined with port Talbot - just what is Starmer doing???

Dodson was bullish and unapologetic; Tom here talks of cash, but I'd prefer to see bridges being built and listening. It's no coincidence the amateur game is finding things tough, and the pathways aren't there. It's no surprise the money blackhole is there when the pro club sides are obvious money pits too. Funnily enough likely due to the pathways not being there so talent is bought in at bigger prices, this includes coaching staff which aren't helping with the community game either.

Re: money. Squeezing the fan for more will quickly start to backfire, any investment in the matchday experience is unlikely to offset its cost in significant terms and amount to little more than a distraction imo. Redeveloping Murrayfield into a 100k stadium the only real possibility of significant earning potential, but what a cost that will bring. Instead costs must come down, and that's the wage bill. I've no idea what a player earns, but between Edinburgh and Glasgow it must be over 100 full time professionals each including sales & marketing, coaching, squad, rehab/medical, scouts, managers, and others I'm sure. Glasgow still leasing their ground annually too, I'll bet GCC ask a pretty penny. And Scotland staff must be phenomenal too.

Alex here with a hard first couple of years

Well done Unite and GMB! Diageo have been extracting profit for decades now, they can pony up for staff

Poor Midge and Oats. Sadly as we add more to the wild, more will die, but it's good to hear that some are doing well all the same