In my Rugbytopia every city would have a Lang Park or Millennium Stadium. A hybrid of the two would be perfect; the throats of 60 odd thousand Welshmen singing to the shrine of King Wally Lewis as it triumphs over the unmarked graves of Brisbane’s pre-war dead.
When the roof is closed at Cardiff the humidity driven from the brows of a well lubricated crowd and the smoke from the pre-game fireworks creates a cloudlike haze through which light beams down like rods of redemption on a lust-touched priest.
You are in the cathedral of the Welsh Jesus who wore a number ten on his back.
On match days, all of Wales seems to descend on Cardiff, ticket holding or not, and so the pubs surrounding the stadium stay well filled even during the game.
Likewise on Brisbane’s Caxton street the pubs do a tidy trade either side of a game though probably never better than before that wonderful 2003 world cup game between England and Wales when the street was neatly divided into two white and red pub choirs.
You can’t beat the home nations for beer in hand, song in throat patriotism.
If only the Welsh hated Queenslanders, like they do the English, and the Queenslanders hated the Welsh, like they do Newly Southern namesakes.
What a home and away series that would be.
In both stadiums the game is played on your lap, so close and intimate with the action, yet in both stadiums there is a tremendous feeling of being part of something more than just a crowd. The viewing experience between spectators is easily shared, adding so much more to the enjoyment of the game.
The Twickenham experience is a wonderful occasion, too.
Playing three-coin spoof with strangers on a crowded outbound from Paddington, buying a pocketful of boerewors from a front garden braai on the way to the ground and then lingering after full time in the rib cage of the concrete cauldron singing along to karaoke Delilah.
But the problem with Twickenham is in the long commute there and the even longer wait for a train home afterwards. For the international season this isn’t so bad if you are well armed with a skinfull of your favourite but the lack of a rugby ground in the heart of London does hurt the domestic game.
Harlequins play at the Stoop, a short saunter away from Twickers. London Irish who are famously neither located in London nor populated by Irish are a good thirty quid trip train ride away in Reading. Wasps are also out in the western badlands, further from the capital’s attractions than even the most skint of working holiday antipodean flat-sharers care to end their Kontiki tours.
Saracens have thus managed something of a coup by returning to North London and taking up residence a mere half hour tube ride out of Kings Cross in Barnet Copthall Stadium.
I wonder what that will be renamed to?
Whilst falling well short of delivering London its Lang Park/Millennium Stadium hybrid it does at least go some way to bringing rugby inside London. Perhaps the move south is simply symbolic of the club’s slow decent into South African hands.
More likely it is symbolic of English rugby’s growth and improvement both on and off the field. The RFU worked hard to establish itself financially and the Premiership and European competitions are ever improving and ever more popular.
Are there good times ahead for English rugby?
The new CEO of the RFU, John Steele, has announced a change in direction for the governing body. Out is the money-making focus of his predecessor, Francis Baron, and in is a desire to see their hard earned prosperity and weight of playing numbers turned into results.
English rugby fans often remind me of Nick Cave albums: things turn from most wonderful to most terrible and back again every couple of minutes. However, there does seem to be a sustained optimism in English rugby at the moment.
Is it well founded?
djfrobinson
Guest
Rugby has no desire to take on the EPL. It only wants to build a brand and make English Rugby the best it can.
Sarant
Guest
As an aside for your information, Jerry Collins worked as a "garbo" only for pre-season training purposes. In fact, he is a university graduate.
Ian Noble
Guest
There are in excess of 2000 rugby clubs in England. As an example, rugby is strong in the West country and the Midlands where there is a wide cross section of players across the social divide. What has changed as far as the England Elite squad is concerned is better structures and scouting. Young players through the Premiership academy systems are involved from the age of 12. the drop out rate is enormous as standards are driven higher, such that at Harlequins where I am a Season Ticket Holder only 2/3, at the most, make it to the professional game. It is only now that this structure is beginning to bear fruit and perhaps 2011 will be too early for real results to be see, the likes of Youngs and Lawes are the vanguard of this new group of players coming through. The RFU have instigated an incentive scheme to encourage premiership clubs to increase the number of English qualified players. Any teams that consistently has more than 14 English qualified players in their match day squads will receive a financial reward. Quins as an example average 17/18 in their match day squads. Most clubs now achieve the standard although Saracens always seem to struggle.Tthis trend will continue as there are more players being attracted to a career in rugby as the financial rewards have increased. This will have a knock on effect as fewer players from the PIs and elsewhere will be required. There will still the need for marquee players, such as Nick Evans, as the game will still be needed to be aggressively marketed and these players create enormous interest. Further as in the case of Evans he is also mentoring Rory Clegg who has just broken into the Quins matchday and has kicked on since his performances for the U20's last year. The impact of the foreign players has been benficial to the development of young English players.
GavinH
Guest
Plugger, I kind of agree, but think your claim is too simplistic and blanket. I would infact say that rugby has historically been an upper and upper middle class sport in England, but it is experiencing its greatest growth in the lower middle class and some growth in the working class. IMO there are a couple of main reasons for this 1. Simply greater accessability to the general public with Premiership clubs marketing themselves and games such as saracens at wembley and quins at twickenham at Xmas. Much great tv and paper coverage than yesteryear (I actually think rugby gets generous newspaper coverage compared to football for a sport 1/100th of the size in the UK) 2. Some disallusionment by football fans. While fans will always support their football teams many won't take their children to a game for fear of violence and others worry about the role model being set by current players. I have heard such comments from more than one cabbie including guys that grew up going to west ham games on grandad's horse and cart with the whole family. As for the RFU not driving growth, perhaps this is a good example of an exception that proves rule http://www.premiershiprugby.com/premiership/news/24489.php Premier rugby growing their market base (and the game) in (initially) 600 schools. So easy and obvious but I am not surprised the RFU does not run growth programmes such as these.
Ben S
Roar Guru
I think that's a pretty fair comment. Agreed. I like his "Being a young side is irrelevant, we have to win." mentality. It's good to see Quins going in the right direction, especially as Wasps and Saracens don't seem to be on the up.
GavinH
Guest
I think losing Richards was a massive shock to them and O'Shea has done well to 'right the ship' and get them winning some games. They seem to have regained that great team spirit that saw them play above themselves a couple of seasons ago. They are effectively the only team based in London and have a great supporter base so I can only see Quins becoming a regular top 4 contender in years to come.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'Can you imagine a garbo like Jerry Collins playing for England?' In the past - yes. But not in the professional era. Anyhow, if we're relying on those outmoted class stereotypes then there's plenty of riff raff in the current England squad. Rugby might have upper class remnants in the higher echelons, but I've played with more builders and doormen than I have bankers.
plugger
Guest
With 2 million players (according to IRB website) England should win everything. But they don't. The reason is it's still an upper class game there and not the everymans game like in NZ and South Africa. Can you imagine a garbo like Jerry Collins playing for England?
Ben S
Roar Guru
I haven't been there in years. What do you think of O'Shea's work so far?
Ben S
Roar Guru
Foreign players playing in the AP is really no more than a media byte that is occasionally dredged up without people considering the specifics. There were more foreign players in the premiership in 2003 than there are now. If you consider the players playing regular football (and injured Test players) from the tight five of all AP clubs, then you'll note that there are more than enough players to choose from. The key issue is age, experience, injury status and ability: 1: Flatman, Catt, Barnes (Bath); Wood (Gloucester); Marler (Harlequins); Stankovich (Leicester); Payne (Wasps); Golding (Newcastle); Dreyer (Northampton); Sheridan, Croall (Sale); 2: Mears (Bath); Thompson, Titterrell (Leeds); Chuter, Hawkins (Leicester); Paice, Buckland (London Irish); Webber, Ward (Wasps); Vickers (Newcastle); Hartley (Northampton); Briggs (Sale); 3: Wilson, Bell (Bath); Doran-Jones (Gloucester); Cole (Leicester); Corbisiero (London Irish); Mercey (Northampton); 4: Grewcock, Short (Bath); Attwood (Gloucester); Slater, Deacon (Leicester); Shaw (Wasps); Lawes (Northampton); Rouse (Sale); Vyvan, Bouritz (Saracens); 5: Hooper (Bath); Brown (Gloucester); Robson (Harlequins); Skivington, Parling (Leicester); Kennedy (London Irish); Birkett, Cannon (Wasps); Hudson (Newcastle); Day (Northampton); Jones (Sale); Borthwick (Saracens) Further, from the England side that featured in the Youth World Cup last season (not the tournament that has just finished) nearly all of those players are playing regular premiership rugby. An excess of foreign talent really isn't a problem any more, and certainly nothing in line with the problems they have in France. Most clubs are more than willing to invest in young English talent.
GavinH
Guest
Not regularly unfortunately Ben, 2-3 times per season.
Ben S
Roar Guru
That's good news. Since Alred left England's kicking has been tres poor.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
MJ told a press gathering last week that Alred had joined England training sessions. It's still unclear whether he's formally replacing Jon Callard, or is on a consulting contract, but he's back in some capacity and not just sneaking around at Wilkinson's invitation.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Do you get down to the Stoop much, Gavin?
GavinH
Guest
Garth, my view is Yes... and No. Yes the professional game in England is absolutely booming. My team Harlequins regularly sell out the Stoop and that is without even trying particularly hard. In last year's Heineken cup quarterfinal vs Leicester they even turned down 80,000 seat Twickers for the 14,000 seat Stoop to give the players more of a home atmosphere. Even the 2nd division Championship is professional, can attract crowds of thousands, and has live and highlights TV coverage. Okay some Championship teams have had financial difficulties from being professional, but compare this with No. 1 ranked country NZ where there are only 5 fully professional teams. Football is the only major competitor and is reaching crowd saturation - only Spurs and West Ham are building new stadia and Spurs has a 30,000 season ticket waiting list! On the No side: a successful national team is created by a strong schoolboy level of rugby. In Sth Africa, NZ and (to a slightly lesser extent) Aus schoolboy rugby is a religion. Just look at the rugby channel's website if you don't believe me! Now look at one example from England. Wellington College is a top rugby school that has provided 29 schoolboy internationals in the past decade alone. But they no longer even compete in the national competition. Why? Because they play 'traditional fixtures' and playing the RBS cup would mean two games a week. Also rugby is only a one term sport to better allow a well rounded young gentleman to emerge from the school. Playing the cup would mean "that hockey, football and academics are put under unnecessary strain." Can you imagine that quote coming from a Sth African or NZ rugby head?!!! I do not believe the RFU is willing to fully pursue sporting excellence at the cost of tradition and culture. Personally I do not believe they need to to ensure a loyal and growing fan base. Afterall, the quails eggs I had before last Saturday's match at Twickenham WERE delicious.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Really? When RF?
jannerboyuk
Guest
London is overwhelming football territory. Arsenal alone get more people for every home game then all the 'london' rugby teams get in a normal round of the guiness premiership.
p.Tah
Guest
"When the roof is closed at Cardiff the humidity driven from the brows of a well lubricated crowd and the smoke from the pre-game fireworks creates a cloudlike haze through which light beams down like rods of redemption on a lust-touched priest. You are in the cathedral of the Welsh Jesus who wore a number ten on his back." Great stuff Garth. Makes me want to get on a plane and head straight to Cardiff.
Corey
Guest
I, as Queenslander and Welshman, find myself loving the beauty of this article. It would be great to have all the voices of Australians have some similarity to the Welsh choir that fills the hallowed turf of Millennium Stadium. Alas, we, even I as a Welshman, are not gifted with such beauty, but we make up for it with our passionate chants that make people remember that Lang Park is not just a stadium, it is a sacred place, a place where all Queenslanders are united under a light polluted sky and for that night we are brothers in arms for eternity (or at least till the game's buzz fades away in a week or two). And that passion is smelt as far as the borders of this great state.
Greg
Guest
Mate, you are kidding?