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I read with interest an article in the SMH the other day, where James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale both talk about Quade Cooper’s intentions as to what code he chooses in the immediate future. The point of view was fascinating.
Both Beale and O’Connor talk of rugby as being ‘a business’, make note of the older generation who don’t understand the business component of sports today, and inform that they’re not really that bothered about the media hype around Cooper’s business manager’s negotiation tactics.
To them, they say, football is a business.
They let their business managers do the talking, they say, but at the end of the day rugby is a job so – they infer – they’ll make a commercial decision before they make an emotional one.
Listening to AFL commentators in the wonderful state of Victoria, they talk of great things – loyalty, passion, respect, emotion, love for the club, values, culture. All things I’ve dismissed in the past, noting the actions of the few AFL boneheads who assault women, wee on windows and try to rival Keith Richards for drug use.
But, they have a point.
AFL indisputably belongs to the fans. It’s ‘our’ code, ‘our’ game, they say. The umpires are ruining ‘our’ spectacle. The head of the AFL doesn’t respect ‘our’ culture.
And so on.
Compare and contrast to the young men of Australian rugby, where the underlying message is that rugby belongs to them. It’s ‘my’ career, it’s ‘my’ business, it’s ‘my’ job, it’s ‘my’ salary.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Notwithstanding their obvious natural talent, these rugby careers have been formed, developed, trained and brought forward by a massive network of people passionate about the game.
From the parents to the schools to the fans to the doctors to the medics to the coaches to the bloody van driver, people have given their time, money and attention to making these players who they are.
Aside from the almost dismissive approach they take to the passion side of rugby,
I have an issue with the commercial arrangement at the upper echelons, namely that there is no consequence for sub-par performances. Regardless of what happens on-field against an opponent, the likes of Cooper, Beale and O’Connor only need to be slightly better than their next best competitor, and they’ll collect a paycheck and renegotiate for another six figures in six months time.
This seems counter-intuitive; if the core driver for their talent is money, I’d rather see them on extended risk and reward packages which seems them earn big bonuses for game wins.
I get that these men have a limited opportunity of time to earn their life’s investments, and that many of them are unlikely to go on to achieve stellar heights of success in later careers. I understand that they’re not representative of every current, past or aspiring Wallaby.
I don’t bemoan them their trade or their reward or belittle their own efforts to get to the top. But I do think it’s cynical to stand there with your hand out waiting for a pile of cash when you also claim to love the game!
Writers on the Roar and across the media landscape of Australia have bemoaned the lack of fire, passion, and lil’ battler spirit that the Wallabies demonstrate.
Perhaps it’s because, win or lose, the payout’s still the same.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.