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When rugby turned pro in 1995, the International Rugby Board, the code’s governing body, had no idea how to react.
And because they didn’t assume control from the start, wealthy club owners took over and told their national bodies when their better footballers could play for their country.
Intolerable, but entirely the IRB’s own fault.
It’s time to revisit the IRB’s historic media release on professionalism that is too pathetic to be true.
But true it is, to the very word:
The Council, at a Special Meeting re Amateurism, has advised the following:
1. A revised set of Regulations, to be known as “Participants of the Game” Regulations, will be put in place following the Interim Meeting of the Council in September 1995.
2. The Regulation as Relative to Amateurism should then be repealed following the adoption of the new Regulations.
3. Subsequent to the repeal of the Amateur Regulations, Rugby will become on open Game, and there will be no prohibition on payment or the provision of other material benefit to any person involved in the Game. It was also agreed that:
(i) payment may be made at any level or participation.
(ii) there should be no pay ceiling imposed by the Council.
(iii) payment for result is not prohibited.
4. The Regulation will be permissive in nature and not mandatory. Any Union in Membership may put in place domestic regulations which can be more restrictive.
Have Roarers ever read a more puerile, childish, and out of touch statement from the governing body of a worldwide sport?
Little wonder the IRB lost control of rugby from the get-go.
But enough is enough.
The relatively newly-named governing body, World Rugby, must not only be the international boss in name, but start cracking whips.
International rugby is the benchmark and lifeblood of the code – nothing should interfere with every country being a full strength for every Test home and away.
That demands World Rugby to be aware of every country’s Test schedule two years in advance, and the next level to slot their tournaments around those dates.
So the Six Nations, June window, Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup, Pacific Nations Cup, and Spring tours to Britain and Ireland will always be at full strength.
So the UK, Europe, and southern hemisphere Super Rugby must schedule their tournaments around the internationals.
And if there’s an unavoidable clash, every club must make their internationals available with no argument, no dummy-spitting, and no tantrums – the availability to be automatic.
Obviously, World Rugby must have the bottle as the only possible prime mover to right a wrong and make up for the last 21 years.
Rugby deserves nothing less.