What about the rest of the rugby world?
Roar Guru By rugbyfuture, 18 Dec 2009 rugbyfuture is a Roar Guru
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With so much time and money put into the “great hopes” of rugby, such as Japan, Canada and Argentina, I can’t help but think that some of the places that could use help are being ignored.
The States and Canada are developing well, but what about Spain and Germany?
If Spain and Germany where able to develop in the same manner as the US and Canada are doing, that would practically be the entirety of Western Europe. Or at least the part that matters.
A strengthening Canada and America will have an effect on Mexico and the West Indies; while having top tier rugby in Britain, Italy, France, Germany and Spain, would have an effect, as the influential black of Europe, on Poland, Scandinavia, the old Soviet bloc, Greece and Turkey, and every other country in between.
It’s not so far-fetched.
Germany and Spain have a long history in rugby, dating back to the 1900s. And both share borders with France, and are right near Italy.
I look towards a day when we’ll be hearing of the ten nations, with Georgia and Russia included as well.
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December 22nd 2009 @ 11:06am
Harry Kimble said | December 22nd 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
It was only when FIRA went to the IOC in an attempt to get Rugby into the Olympic Games that things started to move.
FIRA told the IOC they were the controlling body of Rugby because they had 52 members whilst the IRB only had 8. This made the IRB choke on their gin and tonics ans saw that their power could slip away from them. The IRB then admitted more members and gave a seat to FIRA on condition they no longer called themselves the controlling body, Fira agreed to this and is why we have the current set-up.
By the way, voting power in FIRA used to be based on playing numbers. This meant FIRA was controlled by France as there were more players in France than the rest of the members combined. This did not sit well because France was also a mrmber of the IRB by then after its exile. France could not undermine the IRB and still be amember hence the compromise of FIRA gaining a seat on the IRB.