Bullies in the Rugby Union playground

Katipo, I agree, 100 per cent.

That must be a great memory, though, Cardiffboy.

And rugby isn't really in the entertainment industry either. Rugby has elements that are entertaining for sure but it's better described as a sport. Rugby is a sport first and foremost. So we participants don't like being treated as 'customers'. We are actually participants and stakeholders in the sport. So there!

Pretty sure it was a local (Auckland) radio station.

Great story! The dude who organised that sizzle should be sainted immediately. Anyone know who it was? Sausages for justice!!!

Poor, little people paying a corporate fine for one of their players, their national representatives. That's the true heart of rugby right there, to my way of thinking. It's wonderful. But I am wrong. Rugby is an "industry" as Robbie Deans keeps saying, to educate us amateurs, us fans, we who foot the bill. But for many of us, it's not an industry. We work in industry and we play rugby. Professional rugby is not an industry, it is an entertainment business. Like show business, the business is the show, not the business. Just as many of us watch the players, not the referees. In reality, though, the referees are the prima donnas, who seem to carry grudges and a big stick. The inequities that this world cup has thrown up are worrying...I could go on, but Michael Warren said it all, "We don't mind so it doesn't matter."

All European players are available to participate in the PNC as it is played in the June Test window. Have a look at the team sheets over the past three years and you will it is full of European-based players. It is easy to be angry at the IRB and much of it is justified - but please use accurate information in your arguments. The IRB is pumping huge money into the Pacific Islands as well as Japan, USA, Georgia and Canada and as Katipo points out, I think we are seeing the benefits of this at this RWC. So credit where it is due. However, decisions like the scheduling of matches undermine the good work that is being done and needs to be reviewed. I think Damo is right - the governance model of the IRB, which is rubbish, is going to change and the Olympic games will change this. Countries like USA, Russia and China are going to become more important to the IRB and they will demand a seat around the table and the sooner this happens the better!

But who would these men truly prefer to represent if they had the choice if the pacific islands could pay as much money as aussies or NZ. Aust or NZ, or there small but intimatly close pacific island nation, with there very own unique and speical culture. Totaui kefu land Isatola mika looked so proud today on the coaching panel for Tonga even though they have both played for All Blacks and Wallabies. And jonah Lomu would of been proud today to for Tonga. But they could not represent these nations because they had to think about the almighty dollar$$, which is a realit yof life. Im sure they would get more pride representing these nations or equal amount as representing Australia or NZ. You can't compare lebanon to australia, or cratia ot australia eg (mark viduka had the chance to represent croatia). The pacific islands ar ein Australiasia/oceania. Croatia and Lebanon for example are on the other side of the world. So less connection then. And the relationship is different unlike any other pacific island nations people in Australia and NZ because of geography feel a closer connection to the pacific islands nations than say Fijian indians. A fijian indian would not get as much pride in my opinion playing test cricket for India which is a large geographic distance away form Fiji as opposed to say Samo or Rockocko representing Fiji. Or SBW or tana usage playing for Samoa, or Jonah Lomu or Tautui Kefu playing for Tonga.

A lot of those players were born in nz or Australia . Did Lebanon produce Robbie farah or Australia?

Katipo pacific Nations cup when none of the pacific stars are available as on Euro club duty, a waste of money. The IRB are worse than FIFIA in my mind. It is the euro and Japan and super 15 clubs to thank for the pacific island development.And even then there best players there squads ar poached by Australia,NZ, and now england and wales.Not fair i feel for the pacific islands. imagine a tongan bacjkline, Jonah lomu, isreal foloau, francis meli, lseley vainakolo, john nd will hopoate, who mind you wanted to play for tonga but rib would not let him ply for both england and tonga, just some names. Imagien the great forwards and backs tonga have produced. Toutaui Kefu, Palu,TPN,KEPU, Timani, brothers the Mika brothers, Big manly Tony T-rex williams and big warriors Manu vatuvei just to name a few. Plus Falei Mateo. and big willie offangohue and daniel manna. Samao . SBW, umaga, Nonu, muliana, tuilagi borthers, mealumu, the chripractor brian lima Fiji, Rupeni thau thau,samo,serevi, noa nadruku, Human skewer Illie Tabua aquila uate, Raulini brothers, Jarryd the Hayne Train hayneAnd we could go on and on with grew players of pacific island and melanasian and polynesian heritage.

I think you will find the irb fund the Pacific Nations Cup. Is that not something?

Rubbish. IRB are doing nothing to help minnows. The minnows can thank EU and UK club comps for their exposure to top level rugby. IRB are a bunch of expensive lunch jokers.

Some nations have 1 seat at the irb, some nations have 2 seats. Great Britain has 8 seats. The irb should consider becoming a meritocracy or a democracy; with 1 seat per member or give 8 nations two seats (as they do now) but put those seats up for grabs at each RWC tournament. The 8 countries who qualify for RWC quarter finals get 2 seats on the irb for the following 4 years. In fairness to the irb they are doing a pretty good job developing rugby globally and the minnow performance reflects this. And Kingplaymker, sanzar are no friend of the minnows especially the islanders. Sanzar have had many opportunities to invite island teams to their tournaments but they are too selfish. aRU and nzru count island players as foreign excluding them from franchises unless they declare allegiance to wallabies or nz. France is a much larger employer of foreign talent. Hundreds of international players getting a taste of pro rugby in France. Sanzar no. They are on side with the home nations in most things. Look at the end of year nh tours. The all blacks never play the minnows. They'd rather do nothing mid week than help the minnows. That's the truth.

Agree Damo ..... The IRB are making FIFA look honest

Yes this is the last world cup as we have known them. The Olympics will bring the Yanks, The Chinese and the Russians out of the woodwork and onto rugby centre stage. Coupled with the rising anarchy that this site is giving air to, the days of IRB control centred in UK may be over. I predict that Samoa and the USA will be finalists by 2019 if not earlier, the pacific islands will dominate more and more and European unions (and possibly the Tri nation unions) will continue to employ off field tactics to undermine the emerging unions. It is an historical fact that no-one surrenders power without resistance. So we can call the Brits whatever we like but we down under may end up being caught in the same purge. In any event, Blind Freddy can see that a big change is coming. It will ask for compromises from everyone in power now including the big three down under.

Can't wait to the big so called minnows or developing nations get stronger over the next 25 years. USA, Canada,Japan, South korea,Russia,Argentina, chile,uruguay,brazil,gemrany,spain,porutugal,italy, china,india will not take any more nonsense for much longer, or they will form there own breakaway rugby union administration. And these countries have the financial power, and population size and political power to not take any crap form the UK dominated IRB.

Yes bring up the Ruchie's headbut on poor Quades knee again. You completely ignore the fact that it was a tri-nations matter and not decided by whoever runs the judiciary at the RWC. Lazy lazy writing.

Can still remember the fuss over Gareth Edwards' adidas boots back in the amateur days!

Oh Please! Just Love when you and Spiro try to play the defenders of the minnow nations vs Big Brother NH. If you really want to develop Islander rugby instead of just pillaging them for players, then let them have a 'Super' franchise. Instead of which you ruthlessly cut them out to avoid giving them a slice of your TV $$$s.

So are the highly coloured, branded boots approved by the IRB?