Rugby growing rapidly in the Asian region

actually, the government screwed them over coz they are all mungoball supporters. This comment is in contrast to the previous comments you had about "the dragon is waking" and how chinese don't want a white collar game in their country. i could just as easily laugh at african, lebanon and malta league and your comments about RL becoming bigger than Rugby in the states. I've also heard there are a number more clubs in RL who arent sustainable without money spent on pokies.

I am just sitting back being amused by all the remarks about Asian Rugby. I was going to comment but it will only be deleted, i heard the reds are now struggling, there government funds have dried up. :) Maybe if they stopped playing touch rugby.

Only two players eligible for Pacific Islands rugby are currently playing Super 14. The rules says two each but most franchise have opt out of choosing them for rear of them leaving for international duties and NZ players from NPC missing out. It would make sense for struggling NPC teams like Counties Manukau and Northland to have arrangemnet with Samoa and Tonga to help them competitive.

The NZRU havn't closed the door on island players? I thought they were still exempt from the All Blacks eligibility rule required to play in the Super 14?

He's harder than Matt Pudding.

The standard of rugby has drop since all our top player are all away playing overseas, 7's commitments, rep games (Pacific Cup) and international games (Pacific Nations Cup). Before rugby went professional rugby had the top players playing in one major competitions (Apia Union) while the rest played in their own district, country and provincial comps. Apia West is now another major union comp and the clubs are trying to work their season in betweens all this reps, 7's and international matches. The IRB has invested heavily in Samoa with most of the 7's, under 20 ans 15's elite players in the Samoa High Performance Unit now earning more money than most goverment workers. The IRB also fund all the tournaments Samoa takes part in it and built the HPU as well.

the site was cleared three years ago but is still overgrown with weeds..don't know what's come of it..in saying that, looking forward to seeing how russia n georgia does next year..it's good for international rugby..

Alders Nine new Rugby Stadiums and the backing of three very influential men in Russia. Not a bad start. Liked the comments from the Russian Sports Minister who see's Rugby as 'Football's borther'.

Ricardo Correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't the IRB invested in setting up an elite training centre in Samoa?

Jack Been away for a couple of days so sorry for the late reply. First of all, I never actually spruiked Japan as the 'Next Big Thing' out of Asia. The extent of my article regarding Japan was to point out that they are the dominate Nations in the region. I acknowledged that at least IMO that many if not all of the Asian Nations would struggle to compete against the physically larger European counterparts. However, regardless of that there is not reason why Asia within itself can be a competitive region. Using Soccer as an example. The game is huge on the continent yet how many Asian Nations are truly competitive on a World stage. Three that's if you include Australia. There's absolutely no reason Rugby could not become a popular and fiercely competitive sport in Asia. Regarding the USA. Over the past decade the general focus of USA Rugby from purely club Rugby on to grassroots. Why'll many American rugger's will willingling regale you with tales of the incompetencies of their current administration when you look at what is happening in terms of growing the game even the most negative of the bunch would have to concede they are about 100 times better than the idiots that did run our game in the US. Personally, I cannot see Rugby competing with the Big 4 in the near future. However, there are moves to finally establish truly competitive College structures, greatly expand High School Rugby including making it a Varsity sport ( a major High School Sports Org in NY will be of next year) and most importantly they have introduced programs such as Rookie Rugby and Camps to develop a larger junior base. And its working. The High School level is where it is really booming but junior Rugby is where the game will be made or broken in the States. So far its all moving in the right direction thanks not only to the USA Rugby or organisations such as Play Rugby USA but by dedicated Rugby people. Perhaps the best example of this is California where statewide Clubs arew now running mulitple teams in multiple age divisions. Another good one is Miami. Two years ago there was no junior Rugby in the Miami area. Today there are 4 clubs running teams from U18's down to U8's. As for the 8 competitive Nations. Once upon a time there were only 7. And Argentina were the next big thing. Many thought it imnpossible but the managed to get for the best part on their own. Never say never especially given the warchest the RWC delievers the IRB on a four year cycle. This money gets pumped back into developing Nations more specifically the 'Performance' (Tier 2) and 'Targeted' (Tier3) Unions. I'd expect to see greater progress from many of these Unions in the coming years.

Congradulation Alders and to all Russian rugby fans. Im looking forward to the Russian match against USA in the Churchchill and Rugby World Cup . I heard many Russin rugby league teams and players are all switching back to rugby union. The same will happen in the Middle East once the IRB move into and fund that region.

That's a shame. Perhaps if talk of future Super rugby expansion goes ahead that will be rectified. I wouldn't be surprised if the ARU had to change its foreign player quota in the next few years. I really don't think we have the playing depth to support 5 teams. We are just starting to cover four barely. It's even more of a shame because they have provided us with so much entertainment at recent world cup. I saw Samoa play South Africa at the last WC. An amazing game. I think Russia has some way to go yet though.

i think the russians would beat samoa..rugby 15s is dying here in the islands..the std of rugby is very poor at club level..no career paths for players to play pro when the nzru and aru shut the super rugby door on island players..things are not helped when a-ssholes like graham henry goes over to europe and urges pro clubs there to stop recruiting foreign players..we now only have access to less than 20 eligible players in europe n most of them are crap..mostly second division bench players..our rugby players in the islands now are only interested in sevens..good way to travel the world and get paid- pittance as it is..it's sad because we gave the rugby world so much in the past..

Sound like things are kicking along nicely in Russia. No world power yet but there is certainly movement. "Back in October rugby won the Olympic vote and that has been massive for us. Already the Ministry of Sport has promised us nine new rugby stadiums around the country. Now this weekend we have qualified for our first ever World Cup and finally with the support of Yuri Luzhkov there is every possibility of Moscow being awarded the 2013 World Cup Sevens". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/7347154/Sale-old-boys-putting-Russia-on-world-stage.html

rugbyfuture - nice work! You'd have to be an old bugger, for sure, if you can remember that one!

Yes, not to get too political, but rumblings are coming from china, and i can see it splitting in 4 or 5 in the next 10-20 years of regimes don't change, sorry roarers, i just got the roar put on the chinese blacklist, but still. You got tibet, uighurstan, the rest of mongolia, Manchuria and the remaining Han influenced china, as well as the industrious south who get nothing in terms of the civil liberties the people of the trophy cities do.

good point RF, I think we all need to be wary of how we think China is our greatest investment. China comes with a lot issues attached with it. I don't think we should really invest to much there. Investing money into "evilly" run places always comes with consequences. Look at the USSR and its collapse, along with Eastern Germany. May be look at the other Asian countries that are soaking up Union, like Kazakhstan and Japan. If you get Japan you get a lot of money.

The reason I prefer union to that other game is that most of the supporters and players can read and write. I do watch the other game and the AFL which are broadcast here by the Oz Network through Manilla.

tell that to oikee who thinks the next big thing in RL is china...

lol, that's got to be the funniest thing ever posted at the roar Aucksivpoldav