Scottish rugby bosses face a mounting backlash after Ruth Davidson was appointed to the board of the sport's opertational body.
An online petition demanding the Tory peer is removed from her non-executive director role has now attracted more than 10,000 signatures.
Some fans have even claimed they will boycott matches at Murrayfield until Davidson is removed the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) board.
Davidson was leader of the Scottish Conservatives until 2019 and was a fierce opponent of independence throughout her time at Holyrood.
The SRU claimed last week that she would bring "significant experience" to the board and hailed her "absolute love for the game".
Scott McCarthy, who launched a petition on Change.org calling for the decision to be reversed, said: "Ruth Davidson's appointment as a non-executive director raises concerns regarding conflicts of interest.
"As a prominent politician affiliated with the Conservative party, she holds strong political biases that may influence decision-making within the SRU."
He added: "The presence of a politically polarising figure like Ruth Davidson within the SRU can lead to public skepticism about its independence from external influences or agendas unrelated to rugby development itself."
Stuart Hood, who was among those to sign the petition, said: "I'm a Glasgow Warriors season ticket holder and regular at Scotland games.
"If you're going to make rugby political, so will those of us that want Scotland to be an independent country, but have left politics at home during games."
Davidson was made a member of the House of Lords in 2021 after she stood down from Holyrood.
We revealed earlier this year how the Tory peer spent nearly £25,000 in House of Lords expenses in one year, despite only making four speeches and asking two questions throughout that time.
SNP MP Gavin Newlands said: "I'm not sure what the upside of this appointment is, but it must be huge if it's to outweigh the horrendous PR and ill-feeling it has generated.
"It also tends to confirm a stereotype that I've spent years trying to convince folk was massively exaggerated."
A Scottish Conservatives spokesman said: "This is the latest example of nationalists once again struggling to accept someone in public life that does not share their views.
"Ruth has been a lifelong fan of Scottish rugby and we have no doubt that she’ll promote the game positively now that she’s on the board of Scottish rugby."
The Record has asked the SRU for comment.
