:00:32. > :00:36.Hello and welcome to Sport Nation. This is the programme covering the
:00:36. > :00:43.length and breadth of sporting events, issues and personalities.
:00:43. > :00:50.Coming up: We have a special investigation into Murrayfield's
:00:50. > :00:58.plans to conquer the world. People say, isn't the World Cup, winning
:00:58. > :01:04.at a bridge too far? We're in the business to be the best. We look at
:01:04. > :01:08.the Parc Scotland House plague in the Ryder Cup. So Scottish golf, it
:01:08. > :01:13.is in our DNA. With Andy Murray now confirmed as one of the best and
:01:13. > :01:17.the world, can this country be optimistic about his legacy? Having
:01:17. > :01:21.courts in the park opening up our school facilities to the wider
:01:21. > :01:26.community, seems to be the most obvious way to get new people into
:01:26. > :01:32.the game. We speak to one of our London Olympic winners and her life
:01:32. > :01:39.has changed since he struck gold. am not going to lie, it is a big
:01:39. > :01:46.bike nut! With the sporting summer now but a memory, we assess the
:01:46. > :01:49.challenges facing Glasgow before the Commonwealth Games. Things that
:01:49. > :01:56.-- but things like the Health League's not having to walk too far
:01:56. > :02:04.to do it food hall, having the right length of beds! It is the
:02:04. > :02:11.details that are important. Scotland win the Rugby World Cup in
:02:11. > :02:14.2015? Can we even win a Grand Slam between now and then? We would like
:02:14. > :02:20.to have been sold. Scottish rugby set itself simple targets this
:02:20. > :02:23.summer. That included success in both of these events and a massive
:02:24. > :02:27.increase in people watching and playing. With the Autumn
:02:27. > :02:33.Internationals just around the corner, here is a rugby reporter,
:02:33. > :02:36.Jim Mason. Scottish rugby is facing a shake-up, a plan that will affect
:02:36. > :02:41.everyone who plays and watches the game in Scotland.
:02:41. > :02:47.From the stars to wear the jersey, to the men, women and children who
:02:47. > :02:52.turn out now thousands to play the game every week. What the
:02:52. > :02:59.international stage, Scottish Rugby's mainland has described the
:02:59. > :03:06.National teen... as an on of the day side. Occasionally they can mix
:03:06. > :03:11.it with the best. Scotland has brought 27 long years of Australia
:03:11. > :03:18.resoundingly to a close. Or as in last year's Six Nations, they
:03:18. > :03:23.finished bottom of the pile. Just watch it, he has got to make that
:03:23. > :03:29.tackled. Unfortunately, he slips out of the tackle. To be, too
:03:29. > :03:37.strong. No longer, says Scottish rugby. They have a target in their
:03:37. > :03:43.sights. 2015, the Rugby World Cup. What we're trying to do is say to
:03:43. > :03:48.people, this is where we want to be. This is a journey between now and
:03:48. > :03:51.2015 that Scottish rugby is going to go on. We're setting targets for
:03:52. > :03:57.her cells often on the field, and for the nation to say this is what
:03:57. > :04:03.Scotland will be in 2015. Iain Morrison is now one of the
:04:03. > :04:10.country's most respected rugby journalists. You have got to set
:04:10. > :04:16.goals. Mark Dobson has done that. You put a time frame on it, 2015.
:04:16. > :04:21.He has made it public. The problem is that the third aspect, it has
:04:21. > :04:25.got to be attainable. I am not convinced that this Scotland team
:04:25. > :04:30.can win a World Cup, and afraid. create a strong national team,
:04:30. > :04:35.Glasgow and Edinburgh have to play their parts. That target for the
:04:35. > :04:40.team's his success in Europe and more people at games. The 10,000
:04:40. > :04:45.fans at Edinburgh, they should be getting that now every weekend.
:04:45. > :04:49.Edinburgh is a rugby city. Why don't they have that? They
:04:49. > :04:53.certainly should be getting that. A smaller ground would probably help
:04:53. > :05:01.as it would have more atmosphere. Same target for Glasgow. At no
:05:02. > :05:08.reason why they shouldn't make it. It might it them a bit longer.
:05:08. > :05:15.Queensferry are in new club and they play in the East League Three,
:05:15. > :05:20.one of those targets would benefit them greatly. By 2015 it is hoped
:05:20. > :05:26.that the number of adult teams in Scotland would rise from 401, to
:05:27. > :05:32.500. That could mean a second team for so Queensberry -- South
:05:32. > :05:37.Queensferry. I think the plants to get 500 teams are extremely
:05:37. > :05:43.ambitious. There is a pool of players and rugby is not a game you
:05:43. > :05:49.can learn as an adult and compete at first 15 level. It is something
:05:49. > :05:53.you need to grow up with. It is very difficult to get the players
:05:53. > :05:59.who haven't played before. We have given ourselves a target this year
:05:59. > :06:03.to finish mid-table, and next year to be competing for promotion. We
:06:03. > :06:09.have given ourselves a target at the end of the season to have a
:06:09. > :06:13.second 15 out for at least one game. What is behind it is for the
:06:13. > :06:21.community to get behind us and for the rugby players do want to play
:06:21. > :06:29.for their community club. There is one guaranteed way to get people
:06:29. > :06:32.into the game, is to create heroes and stars, were people want to be
:06:32. > :06:37.those players. That is why the professional game is so important,
:06:37. > :06:41.not just to the finances of the Union and the clubs, but to the
:06:41. > :06:48.grass roots. That is why we have made such a sustained effort and
:06:48. > :06:54.put our investment into the professional teams. So, the quest
:06:54. > :06:59.for World Cup glory, a desire to quote again from the bottom-up go
:06:59. > :07:03.hand in hand. It is a bold target. People will say, winning the World
:07:03. > :07:08.Cup isn't that an extraordinary dream? And as far as we're
:07:08. > :07:12.concerned, that is we're in the business to be the best. You talk
:07:12. > :07:18.to the players and coaches and they want to perform at that level. They
:07:18. > :07:22.are not interested in coming joint 5th. These guys are winners. We
:07:22. > :07:28.need to make sure that we as an organisation support them and give
:07:28. > :07:32.them every opportunity to win the World Cup. Paul Lawrie and his
:07:32. > :07:37.European Ryder Cup team mates are still basking in the glory of the
:07:37. > :07:44.victory. His involvement is just another chapter in a long Scottish
:07:44. > :07:48.tradition with the Ryder Cup. That tradition is about to get stronger.
:07:48. > :07:54.There is nothing quite like it in sport. The first tee at the Ryder
:07:54. > :08:00.Cup. It is spectacular. For all three defied years that has been
:08:00. > :08:05.the case. There has been a Scottish dimension, tradition running deep,
:08:05. > :08:15.and a tradition with the Ryder Cup coming to Gleneagles in two years,
:08:15. > :08:20.
:08:20. > :08:25.We all know their history. A seed merchant called Samuel Ryder
:08:25. > :08:30.donated a small golden trophy after British and American golfers played
:08:30. > :08:33.the first recognised match at Gleneagles. Two years after the
:08:33. > :08:39.first Ryder Cup, a man from Aberdeenshire lifted it. George
:08:39. > :08:43.Duncan, the first winning captain from Europe in 1929. Since then a
:08:43. > :08:50.succession of Scottish players have looked up the match. None more so
:08:50. > :08:57.than this man. Bernard Gallacher stays calm and hammers Lee Trevino.
:08:57. > :09:02.Bernard Gallacher, eight times a player, three times a captain.
:09:02. > :09:07.get more nervous nowt watching the players playing. When you're
:09:07. > :09:11.playing in the matches, you don't get nervous. You are young, in
:09:11. > :09:17.control of your swing. At was much more nervous watching the players
:09:17. > :09:22.as a captain and a was playing. greatest moment came in 1995,
:09:22. > :09:28.leading you to victory at Oak Hill. His worst game a little closer to
:09:28. > :09:34.home. Muirfield in 1973 is the only time Scotland has hosted the Ryder
:09:34. > :09:41.Cup. He fell ill with food poisoning in a match America one.
:09:41. > :09:45.40 years on, Muirfield is proud of its weak in the spotlight.
:09:45. > :09:52.American team, so full of distinguished, famous names, were
:09:53. > :10:00.going to come here. Would we give them a good game? Then, of course,
:10:00. > :10:05.you begin to see the names in the paper, on the television, and
:10:05. > :10:11.realise what is happening. This being the first time in Scotland,
:10:11. > :10:16.but was a bit of pride and we began to really look forward to it.
:10:16. > :10:23.Pretty spectacular, isn't it? The architecture makes the clubhouse
:10:23. > :10:29.one of the most unique in world golf. Unique to is that MIDI neck
:10:29. > :10:33.course. It is a monster. With this being the Ryder Cup, we have a
:10:33. > :10:40.Scotsman to thank for that. A if it wasn't for the Scottish you
:10:40. > :10:45.wouldn't have Nadina. Tom bundle was a great Scot. He came over in
:10:45. > :10:50.the early 1920s and designed are two courses, then convinced the
:10:50. > :10:58.owners of the course that we should have a third course, which is a
:10:58. > :11:03.championship course, number three. Tommy are more was are pro in the
:11:03. > :11:13.early 1940s. Celebrities came from all over the country to play with
:11:13. > :11:18.
:11:18. > :11:24.him here. It now of course has even Paul Laurie's second Ryder Cup
:11:24. > :11:30.appearance was memorable, certainly. The Aberdeen man playing a pivotal
:11:30. > :11:36.role in one of sport's greatest comebacks. You little gem! I have
:11:36. > :11:41.never seen him so excited. It feels pretty awesome. I am proud of the
:11:41. > :11:51.team, but pretty proud of myself to perform like that under the utmost
:11:51. > :11:58.pressure against a tough crowd. think Scottish golf, Scottish
:11:58. > :12:05.golfers just like the Ryder Cup. Be like to pit against the best
:12:05. > :12:09.players. It is in our DNA, I think. In the end, the most fantastic day
:12:09. > :12:16.for Paul Lawrie and his European team-mates, overturning such a big
:12:16. > :12:22.deficit to bring back the Ryder Cup. They will defend it in Gleneagles
:12:22. > :12:27.in two years' time, an event that strengthens Scott Young's Ryder Cup
:12:27. > :12:33.traditions. So will the Ryder Cup is coming to
:12:33. > :12:36.Scotland in 2014. Another event is coming in two years' time, as well.
:12:36. > :12:46.Glasgow is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games. Would it be
:12:46. > :13:01.
:13:01. > :13:07.ready? We look ahead to the The summer of 2012 was very much a
:13:07. > :13:13.golden one for Scottish athletes. As London put on an Olympic Games
:13:13. > :13:17.to live long in the memory. But no sooner had the Olympic flame been
:13:17. > :13:24.extinguished then 53 of those countries turn their attentions to
:13:24. > :13:33.Scotland. That is because other clarion call made in India or in
:13:33. > :13:38.2010. Now please allow me also to offer a warm invitation from the
:13:38. > :13:48.City of Glasgow to the nation's, athletes and people of the
:13:48. > :14:00.
:14:00. > :14:05.Commonwealth to come and join us in Now there are under two years to go
:14:05. > :14:10.before the Commonwealth Games comes to the biggest city in Scotland.
:14:10. > :14:17.get a home crowd. Nothing better than at home crowd. It is an
:14:17. > :14:23.amazing opportunity for athletes and spectators. We have had
:14:23. > :14:29.something further south and now something up north. We're so lucky
:14:29. > :14:33.to be involved in the sport at that time with a home Olympic Games
:14:33. > :14:38.followed by a Home Commonwealth Games. It is a huge motivation for
:14:38. > :14:41.anyone involved in the sport. The group I am training with, we have,
:14:42. > :14:48.fingers crossed, the World Championships next summer. Everyone
:14:48. > :14:58.is thinking about competing in Glasgow. How our preparations going
:14:58. > :14:58.
:14:58. > :15:07.in Glasgow? The venues are coming along beautifully. This arena is
:15:08. > :15:13.absolutely fantastic. A number of venues open up in 2013. Glasgow has
:15:13. > :15:22.a fantastic reputation already. Games infrastructure of a sleep
:15:23. > :15:28.comes at a cost. The Budgett is �524 million. -- obviously comes.
:15:28. > :15:36.We are doing very well. We're attacking far ahead of previous
:15:36. > :15:41.Commonwealth Games. We are very confident. -- we are tracking. We
:15:42. > :15:47.need to be working smarter. We are engaging a lot of sponsors. It is
:15:47. > :15:54.how we chose procurement as well - to get the biggest bang for our
:15:54. > :15:58.buck. As well as places to compete, the athletes need a place to sleep.
:15:58. > :16:04.In the east end, work on the athletes village is another project
:16:04. > :16:09.well under way. Does anyone know what is happening in July, 2014?
:16:09. > :16:14.This woman is a former hockey player and veteran of five multi-
:16:14. > :16:18.sports Games. She has been making sure the village will meet the high
:16:18. > :16:24.standards expected for top-class athletes was dubbed I have been
:16:24. > :16:30.fortunate to see around the village. -- athletes. The accommodation is
:16:30. > :16:37.nice and spacious. That is great. When you are cooped up for 12 days,
:16:37. > :16:43.it is nice to get the bit of space. That is important. Also, make sure
:16:43. > :16:47.it is very close - the communities in the village. The athletes do not
:16:48. > :16:54.have to walk too far to get to transport and the food will. The
:16:54. > :16:59.length of the beds for example, they are the right length to
:16:59. > :17:04.accommodate anyone. It is the details that are important. It is
:17:04. > :17:12.not only Brooks and mortar that organisers have to get into place.
:17:12. > :17:18.-- Brooks. Of the 16,000 workers, only 1000 will be paid. The rest
:17:18. > :17:25.will be volunteers. This is the woman responsible for finding them.
:17:25. > :17:29.It is a massive operation and it is fun as well. The volunteers will be
:17:29. > :17:33.meeting and greeting people from across the world, he will be coming
:17:33. > :17:39.to Glasgow, to watch the Commonwealth Games happen. The
:17:39. > :17:44.volunteers will be the face of the Games. They're so important to us.
:17:44. > :17:51.They have a Hart and soul of the Games. We want to ensure we recruit
:17:51. > :17:57.3000 friendly faces. She was also a volunteer at the London Olympics.
:17:57. > :18:05.As well as meeting Usain Bolt, she took weight other valuable
:18:05. > :18:11.experiences. We have learnt from the London experience. -- took away.
:18:11. > :18:17.The volunteers were recognised well in London. We will insure up Arab
:18:17. > :18:24.volunteers feel like the most important people in the world.
:18:24. > :18:29.ensure our volunteers. The face of Glasgow, 2014, will be Clyde, the
:18:29. > :18:34.mascot. Where the you are an athlete, a spectator or the media,
:18:34. > :18:44.we're looking forward to hosting people in Glasgow in Scotland in a
:18:44. > :18:49.
:18:49. > :18:56.way that will be very memorable. We One of the Scottish stars of London
:18:56. > :19:01.2012 was an unassuming young bloke called Scott brash. He was part of
:19:01. > :19:08.the British team that won showjumping gold. We had been to
:19:08. > :19:14.meet him and his incredible horse. The rolling countryside of the
:19:14. > :19:20.Scottish Borders. A very private training ground. They did make
:19:20. > :19:30.their way to London to take on the world. -- they would make. Imagine
:19:30. > :19:38.there was huge excitement in the local community. -- I imagine.
:19:38. > :19:44.guess so. They made a huge banner. The whole community has been
:19:44. > :19:54.fantastic. # Here I am in London town, waiting
:19:54. > :19:54.
:19:54. > :20:04.for the world to begin. His lie in Peebles is a lie away
:20:04. > :20:10.
:20:10. > :20:16.from Greenwich Park with thousands of fans willing him on. I put the
:20:16. > :20:23.pressure on the Dutch. He nicked off the second fence. It really put
:20:23. > :20:33.the pressure on. The Dutch have to go quick and they had fences down.
:20:33. > :20:36.
:20:36. > :20:42.He has kept his head. He is pretty quick. Is it quick enough? 48.01
:20:42. > :20:52.with a four faults. I do not like coming second. A 1-2 win gold and
:20:52. > :20:55.
:20:55. > :21:01.so did the others. We got stuck in. -- I wanted to win gold. Winning
:21:01. > :21:07.gold somewhere else like Beijing or Sydney would be fantastic. It would
:21:07. > :21:17.not love -- it would not be like London for Bath. It is a memory
:21:17. > :21:23.
:21:23. > :21:28.Do you think you were in a bit of a days afterwards? You probably did
:21:28. > :21:36.more media interviews then you have ever done. We had the good
:21:36. > :21:46.celebration that night. -- a big celebration. How will this change
:21:46. > :21:49.
:21:49. > :21:58.be lie? I hope it improves my pulling-power with women. -- change.
:21:58. > :22:05.I am not going to lie. It is a bit of a babe magnet. I definitely
:22:05. > :22:13.would encourage people to try and win one. Let's put it that way.
:22:13. > :22:23.Enough said. Has he changed since he won a limpet gold? He thinks he
:22:23. > :22:23.
:22:23. > :22:32.is a celebrity. -- Olympic gold. He knows he is a superstar. Up close,
:22:32. > :22:39.he looks incredible. Remind us how much he is worth? The rumours were,
:22:39. > :22:47.he was worth 2 million euros. I think, after the Games, might only
:22:47. > :22:52.got a big bid for him - over double that from the Saudis. -- my own are
:22:52. > :23:00.got. That is a great thing with top owners, they love the horse. They
:23:00. > :23:06.do not want to sell him. That is great for me. Showjumping is a
:23:06. > :23:12.funny sport. It is not just a bike or a tennis racket or feet for
:23:12. > :23:18.football, we have another creature there. They can be very
:23:18. > :23:23.unpredictable at times. That is what makes our sport so unique. It
:23:23. > :23:33.means it can go up anyway. It depends how your horse will react
:23:33. > :23:34.
:23:34. > :23:43.on the two -- on the day. I would imagine that Rio was a four-year
:23:43. > :23:49.plan. They have just got another six-year-old horse for Rio.
:23:49. > :23:57.Ultimately, I want to be world number one. I am going to target to
:23:57. > :24:06.try and do that in the next four years. How far will you be able to
:24:06. > :24:12.take Sanctus? Do you hope you will still be around for Rio? He will be
:24:12. > :24:21.14 when Rio comes. It all depends what happens in his lifetime - if
:24:21. > :24:27.he gets an injury. Things like that. Basically, if I look after him and
:24:27. > :24:31.do not do a show every week or whatever with him. That is why we
:24:31. > :24:38.have so many other horses so we can rest him and accused the other ones.
:24:38. > :24:45.If I can look after him and keep him sound, he will sue -- he will
:24:45. > :24:55.still be able to do Rio. Scotland watched with pride this summer as
:24:55. > :25:05.
:25:05. > :25:15.Andy Murray won gold and won his It is a golden triumph for Andy
:25:15. > :25:16.
:25:16. > :25:20.mammy! -- Andy Murray! There will never be a better time to invest in
:25:20. > :25:28.tennis in Scotland. How do we captured the imagination of all
:25:28. > :25:33.those kids who want to try tennis? We lost so many courts because they
:25:33. > :25:38.were not being used. Now kids want to play, we have to look at
:25:38. > :25:46.resurrecting and replacing them. Otherwise, where will the kids
:25:46. > :25:51.play? He finished off like a champion that he is. The key for me
:25:51. > :25:57.in growing the game in Scotland is investment in public facilities.
:25:57. > :26:02.Not everybody wants to try out a new sport in a private club. Having
:26:02. > :26:10.courts in the park or opening up schools to the wider community
:26:10. > :26:20.seems to be the most obvious way to get new people into the game.
:26:20. > :26:21.
:26:21. > :26:26.Murray. Never a man to take short cuts. Nor mum either. That is
:26:26. > :26:32.really going to be the key. Everybody can try. Not only kids
:26:32. > :26:40.but adults as well. The adults, parents in particular, will take
:26:40. > :26:47.the kids down to play with them. They have been with him - building
:26:47. > :26:54.him physically - supporting him. He shared a room with him when he was
:26:54. > :26:59.the youngster. Agents, friends. Delighted to see his dad here.
:26:59. > :27:05.have to invest in the stronger and bigger coaching work force all the
:27:05. > :27:09.way across the country. A mean that from people who work in Parks and
:27:09. > :27:14.schools. We need to invest in teachers. If we are going to
:27:14. > :27:19.improve the level at entry level of the game, we will get better
:27:19. > :27:27.players coming through, which will beat club teams and school teams
:27:27. > :27:32.and we might be able to produce more champions. -- will feed. One
:27:32. > :27:37.of the biggest challenges for our top young players is that there are
:27:37. > :27:42.very few of them to start with and there are very few coaches.
:27:42. > :27:46.Probably about two or three in the whole country, who actually
:27:46. > :27:51.understand all the issues in terms of skill development and things
:27:51. > :27:55.that the kids need to learn at the young age to have any chance of
:27:55. > :28:00.surviving on a world Tour. We have a number of kids on the programme
:28:00. > :28:07.who are world class, between the ages of 12 and 16. By the time they
:28:07. > :28:11.are 14 and 15, we have run out of an environment for them in Scotland
:28:11. > :28:16.and they need to look for a training base overseas, where they
:28:16. > :28:22.can be independent and train outdoors in the sunshine, on
:28:22. > :28:27.surfaces like clay. That costs money. It is like paying -- paying
:28:27. > :28:33.to go to an expensive boarding school. The onus goes back on to
:28:33. > :28:39.the parents. That is one of the things we would really like to see
:28:39. > :28:45.changed. That is it for this programme. We are on radio every