Digest: The former international player, Dr Michael Molloy, has been appointed as the International Rugby Board's (IRB) first medical officer, writes Johnny Watterson.

The 27-times capped player and a medical adviser to the IRFU qualified in medicine at University College Galway in 1968 and completed an 11-year training programme in London at the Royal London Hospital and King's College Hospital.

He is currently a consultant physician rheumatologist at Cork University Hospital and a lecturer at the faculty of medicine.

As part of a strategic plan, the IRB have committed to fund player-welfare projects with the major unions and recently announced £30 million (€44 million) in strategic plan high-performance investment initiatives.

"It's a very challenging but important role, which will help to ensure the highest standard of care for all rugby players," said Molloy.

"The provision of best-practice medicine is critical to the health and well-being of all players. As sport and exercise medicine has now become a high-profile speciality, accepted academically, all this expertise and medical technology will be available to assist us in achieving this ultimate goal."

The appointment comes in the wake of the findings of the injury audit carried out for the RFU and Premier Rugby Ltd by John Brooks, PhD, of the University of Leicester.

One of the findings of the study showed that in the 1990s, as the game became professional, forwards became an average of 9kg heavier and backs 7kg heavier.

It also showed that players are playing 30 per cent more rugby because the ball is now being kept in play for longer periods of time.

The IRB have become particularly interested in the mechanics of the tackle, which has become a part of the game where most injuries occur.

The former South Africa cricket board head Ali Bacher has been appointed to the board of the South African Rugby Union.

Bacher (63), who captained South Africa in their last series against Australia in 1969-'70 before the years of apartheid isolation, was also a director of the 2003 World Cup.

Scotland coach Frank Hadden has added Australia-born centre Ben MacDougall to his squad for the November internationals against Argentina, Samoa and New Zealand.

MacDougall, a former rugby league player, moved to Border Reivers from Edinburgh this season.

Rob Dewey, who has scored four tries in five starts for Edinburgh, has also been called up to increase Hadden's options at centre.