Demographics and Sport

March 2, 2010

For many Scotland supporters Saturday was too depressingly familiar, as the country lost yet another rugby match to an emerging rugby nation. We would like to make it quite clear that Italy thoroughly deserved its victory; however, we feel that Scotland's struggling demographic landscape is finally making itself felt on the sports field.

Scotland's position in world rugby play began to decline rapidly following a strong showing in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. By studying Scotland's birth chart one can see why. Scottish rugby, as with other Scottish sports, is suffering from a lack of "talent" brought about by the collapse in births from around 1962 to 1978, and though it then stabilized through 1990, it collapsed again to 2000.

Those looking for a turn around in Scottish sport will be a long time waiting.