ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday December 9, 2007
Vol. 42 - No 28
Sports

Rugby future in the world arena

A global Rugby Forum hosted by the International Rugby Board in, England, in the last week of November, at its conclusion, established measures designed to continue the growth of rugby.

Dr Syd Millar, IRB chairperson said: "The measures were formulated after 30 hours of robust and constructive debate over three days among the 90 delegates from all the major stakeholders from all over the world." When you examine the outcomes it is clear that the forum concluded, after much debate and study, that the existing calendar is still the best vehicle for the game and that with some modifications it will allow plenty of scope for the continued growth of rugby. We would expect to see further changes to the playing schedule start in 2012 at the latest."

"The issue of the playing calendar is very complex and includes the varying requirements of clubs, provinces and national unions, the fact that we have separate playing seasons in the two hemispheres, player welfare requirements and large distances between some of the senior playing countries. Finding tenable solutions that allow for growth while not potentially damaging or cannibalizing the game's existing financial structures has been a challenge”

The Forum also looked at the important issue of the development of emerging nations and felt that competitions will play a major role in this in Oceania, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.

The forum agreed that the IRB should continue its policy of developing high level domestic and cross-border competition structures and high-performance initiatives and build on the new and successful tournament structures that have been established for these nations over the past two years by the IRB.

One aspect of the statement that draws my attention is the need to not damage the existing financial structure. The game still draws most of his funds and spends most at the level of the Tri Nations as well as the Six Nations. Despite this they decided not to reduce the world cup tournament by cutting the competing nations from 20 to 16. Despite many a criticism the minnows accounted themselves well and played entertaining rugby during the pool stages of the world cup 2007. This would have been one reason to keep the numbers at twenty which would have driven by the improvements shown by the likes of Tonga and Georgia and at the recent World Cup.

Twelve teams have already claimed places at the 2011 World Cup: the four major southern hemisphere powers – yes, Argentina have earned inclusion in that category – and the Six Nations participants, plus Fiji and Tonga. The likes of Samoa, Japan, Georgia, Romania, Canada and the United States will have to take their chances in a revamped qualifying tournament, the opening rounds of which begin next year.

Yet the Argentineans, who finished third in this year's World Cup, and the only non tri or six nations team to enter the World Cup are still finding it difficult to get themselves into a major annual tournament. They made application to join the Six Nations earlier but failed. The IRB yet will compensate the pumas and help the development of Argentine rugby by guaranteeing them an increase in major Test fixtures in the future. This it is hoped will help Argentina move to professionalism and get the players back to home base as against most now playing in Europe.

The IRB while not agreeing to the entry of The Pumas to the Six Nations believe that the future lies for them in the southern hemisphere. That still will not be today or tomorrow but to be over a period of four years. A four-year transition program will lead to the full integration of Argentina into the senior international playing calendar. This would mean that Argentina will play the same number of top class Tests as the other Tier 1 Unions. When will it be? The earliest will be in 2012 as things are right now.

Yet that is not an easy task for Argentina despite them being the third in the last world cup. The majority of their top players are based in Europe which leads to many practical and player issues. Argentina has to put in place a system to get the players back to Argentina and to develop the next generation of home-grown Argentinean players. This will require a new competition structures in Argentina, the Americas and elsewhere. This program for Argentina includes increasing the number and calibre of Test matches they play between 2008 and 2010. This will require the clubs in France and England, where most of Argentineans play, to release Argentineans to play in the test matches.

Do we think that that alone will help them into the Tri-Nations tournament, financed by Rupert Murdoch who will have to be persuaded of the South Americans' potential to attract crowds and the money?

It all ends up with the attraction of the crowds and the money that flows in including the satisfaction of the sponsors. Argentina needs the money to retain its players for which they need the matches that will bring in the money. A chicken and egg situation is what they face. It's been hard to get there and now to remain they need to run twice as fast to be in the same place.

 
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