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.
Lorry
Guest
I never saw the comp because I was o/s at the time, but yeah what a lack of foresight by JON... Those jerseys would be collector's items now... Where can I get one?!
RG
Guest
Rugby is JOC’s job and salary. As i am currently studying sports i can tell you that sport is one of the biggest businesses in the world atm. For O'Connor to refer to rugby as a business is spot on, and for him to progress in said business he needs to be aware of this. Your comment is a typical anti gen-y argument, they haven’t had long hours in hard labour, they don’t care about the value of money ect.. but to say the JOC lacks passion, pride and love of the game seems an unfounded accusation. How do you know his motives? How are you aware of his passion or pride? For you to judge any of the wallabies players values or believes is ridiculous simply because you feel you know better than they do. Sport is a business, O’Connor ‘works’ in this business and therefore at times must treat it as such.
Mister Football
Guest
It's the goal umpires that wear hats. The boundary umpires do not.
jeremy
Guest
Hey Kicker, I actually hate AFL :o) The players keep losing it forward, the ball carrier never releases, the touch judges wear hats, everyone's always offside, and the poor buggers can't afford to rent a rectangular field. Just holding it up as an example not as a preferred sport. The AFL seems to want to push the 'culture' ideal forward constantly, treating players as players and teams as teams. Look at the backlash against Andrew 'I didn't realise that you being unconscious doesn't constitute consent' Lovett by his teammates - it was about the club rather than the player. p.Tah's remarks above actually sum up the professional / career / passion part really well and have given me a bit of perspective.
p.Tah
Guest
They are great. Perfect way to connect with the community. I could imagine one of the kids at school the next day: Johnny: no serious Ritchie McCaw did knock on my door and have a cup of tea with my mum Teacher: Stop lying Johnny and go and see the headmaster. I've always thought it would be great at a test match if those players not involved in the game went and sat in the cheap seats and cheered with the fans or if the Wallabies (in tracksuits) turned up to kids suburban matches and cheered them on. I remember when I was young player on the wing I had just bombed a try and was feeling pretty dejected, as I walked passed the small crowd one of the spectators said "don't worry mate, you'll be back down there shortly and this time you'll score". It was 1992 and it was Bob Edgerton. It made my year and I've been following rugby passionately ever since.
jeremy
Guest
I think this is actually partly the strength of the NZ side as it fosters player stocks in NZ itself. If you're a prop in one of the NPC or S15 marquee teams and know that Hayman's just going to come back down south and snaffle your potential spot in the team, there's little incentive to keep developing. But when he heads up north to practice his trade, then there's the opportunity for his spot. The agreed cycle for many of these players is: Club > Rep > NPC > S15 > bridging team* > ABs > $$$$ overseas. I would imagine that some of the best rugby is played in the bridging team and the ABs - whilst ex-ABs do go on to chase the money overseas they often are under pretty intense competition for a spot in the ABs. South Africa is a different beast, there is far more politics involved in the selection of players, and more personality conflicts (just look at the coach!) *Bridging team can be Sevens, NZ Maori, NZA, age representative etc.
jeremy
Guest
Excellent, very valid points - thank you for this post. I spotted a couple of videos on youtube recently that highlight what can be potentially be done to reconnect players with the community and fanbase (done in NZ). Admittedly they are carefully orchestrated marketing events by major sponsors but check these out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrzcMagsWUM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpTDvavTCUI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3J7kUveDUg
macavity
Guest
EP, he has embraced the long established Newcastle Knights values - you better hope he carries them with him.
Even looser
Guest
Hit the nail on the head. IMHO Robbie needs a bigger pool to select from and we need it filtered.
Kicker
Guest
Professional rugby IS a career, regardless. The amount of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears they put into the game (all be it sometimes its hard to notice)... but obviously its not a career thats going to last for ever. They need to weigh up the benifits and costs of each decision (for whom and where) they play their rugby. And "Jeremy", above, has just picked out the positives from his beloved AFL. The reality is that atheletes, whether from the AFL, A League, NRL or the ARU are all in the same boat. It is a combination of Passion, Pride, Loyalty and Money (and any other number of factors) that influence the player. Not just one or the other.
JTM
Guest
But look how many ABs and SBs head off to Europe! It has got to the stage where South Africa has had to allow the selection of overseas based players.
Rockin Rod
Guest
hahahaha, Pocock takes it so serious, and so he should
sixo_clock
Roar Guru
There's the rub Jeremy. They do have Rock Star lifestyles with all the distractions and just like the popular music industry they really don't have to do a heck of a lot to earn it. But people still pay a lot for the seats the guernseys, Fox, etc. What can be done? Not a lot really, amateurism in sport is very much for the junior ranks and those on the periphery. The issue with QC really is the ARU should have locked him up when he was vulnerable, someone took their eye off the ball and didn't do a bit of what-if hard thinking. For the others they too are aware of the earning potential and what is required to stay in the squad and they will do that and not a lot more. Remember the June tests, they had shots of the bench, and those there were having a party while play was going on with their electronic toys. As for Bam Bam. Mate he emigrated to the wrong country. Where he comes from there is still a great emphasis on personal excellence and a powerful self discipline which equates into that incredible work ethic. He couldn't go south and join the Saffies because of his strong commitment to all the people of Zimbabwe. Like the Rhodesians before him he holds nothing but contempt for Apartheid and those that fostered it. His only other choice was NZ but who knows why he didn't go there, maybe not enough options for supporting his charity work.
Redb
Roar Guru
Certainly got a good outside bar or two. :-)
p.Tah
Guest
Last year I blasted the Wallabies for the wanting to be paid for the Probables vs Possibles 'trial' match. I lamented the greedy side that came with the commercialisation of rugby, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and defend the young guys. They do love Rugby and have said as much in the article "'We all play rugby because we love it but it's our job, too". That is fair enough. They are not saying I only play for money, they are saying I play because I love it but I want to be paid as much as I can get. These two concepts are not diametrically opposite and can work hand in hand. Who doesn't want to be paid more? To question their passion because they speak of money is off the mark. There is no way you would go through the pain of training and playing if you didn't enjoy what you did. Not even for the money. You wouldn't happily run at Nonu knowing he's going to try and belt you 2 feet into the ground, and then have McCaw, Kaino, Thorn and the Franks brothers following up for good measure. The Cooper situation is interesting. All players have egos and good coaches and administrators need to be able to handle these correctly within the context of the 'greater team good'. All players have different personalities, different life goals, different life experiences, the only thing that links them is they play on the same team. They need to be shown they are worthwhile, that all the effort they put into training and playing is appreciated. If its not, they go down the Lachie Turner path where he lost his desire (thankfully he is back). For the players, the only way to measure the 'appreciation' of the coach and admin is by being picked in the team and by what contract they offer. Vickerman didn't get that appreciation and left to study. In reality, Cooper's initial offer was poor. We all say he has to pay his dues and should be appreciative of what everyone has done for him, but that doesn't mean he should be paid such a low salary. It basically said to him we don't think you're worth a great deal. On the other side of the ledger we (the fans), past players, the media and the coach were all saying that Cooper is the second coming. If you are constantly told how good you are, you believe it and expect to be rewarded accordingly. If you are not, you're disappointed. You question why you have been doing everything for such little reward. Along come the Eels, who tell Cooper how great he is, massage his ego, offer him a truck load of cash and essentially make him feel appreciated.. Who wouldn't be interested in switching to a better life? Note to Cooper: the grass is always greener because its fertilised with bullsh*t. I believe all the young guys are passionate about rugby and being a Wallaby. Without showing them undue favouritism and pandering to their every whim, they just need to be appreciated and shown their worth. I think the 'human side' is where the ARU falls short. They are business men who think in monetary terms but lack a human touch. Make the players feel more appreciated… if you do that they will give it everything they have because they know that what they are doing actually matters.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
half with you Brucy, but if you just go through the motions because there is nobody else in the frame to take your job then the business goes to hell in a hand basket. No business (that works on profit) can survive without people who believe in the company and what they are trying to achieve, I think the point of the article is to question whether these guys believe in their employer and its customers or are just holding down a seat until something better comes up.
Brett McKay
Guest
JF, don't you fall for that one too!! Nowhere in that article does anyone from the Rebels make any statement about having any interest in Pritchard, never mind launching any belated bids for his services. Player manager shenanigans....
JF
Guest
Frank Pritchard at the Rebels? http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/rebels-launch-bid-for-panther-pritchard/story-e6frg7mf-1225909103131
Elisha Pearce
Expert
I watched Cooper Vuna play well for Newcastle this last weekend and came to the conclusion that he is a great player in a fairly average team. He is easily as good as Morris bros as a winger. I went from fairly happy about his switch as it filled a need at Rebels to being quite intrigued as to how he could go in a year or so. He could turn out to be a great player. He also seems to have bought in to the 'values' in the Rebels culture and that is admirable and will work well for rugby. Family, ownership and performance seem to come first before money to him./
Brucy B
Guest
I do not see the issue with players treating rugby like a business.. The ARU and John O does it. The whole loyaltyand busines argument is used to often, by the players and the administrators. When the ARU poached Sailor, Rogers, Tiquiri from league it was all business, bums on seats, winning the RWC. A wininng team brings in more revenue, it is all about business. And it is no different for the players.