- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The performances of the Pacific Nations during the 2011 Rugby World Cup were mixed. Tonga would have considered their campaign a success, Samoa should be satisfied with their performance but Fiji were embarrassing.
The important thing now for Pacific Rugby is that they not lose the momentum that the Rugby World Cup has given them. (Or in Fiji’s case they must take a hard look at themselves and try and learn from their disastrous campaign.)
Details of the turmoil within Manu Samoa during the Rugby World Cup come as no surprise to those who know how things are in Pacific rugby. For all the accusations about how the IRB doesn’t want Pacific rugby to progress I believe the biggest thing holding back Pacific rugby is, well, Pacific rugby.
The IRB has been an easy target for people to point the finger at but the lack of professionalism in Pacific rugby has done more to harm them than any ref’s decision.
The Fijians have the military running their Rugby Union now with the Chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga suggesting that future Fijian sides should be “made up of 70 per cent local players” as a “matter of policy.”
That’s basically what happened when Fiji played Wales which was Fiji’s most embarrassing World Cup match ever.
The Tongans had their share of off field issues with the Nili Latu selection fiasco, coupled with the drama of their Chairman Bob Tuckey resigning only weeks before the World Cup.
As for Manu Samoa, the players vs management saga has really shown how far their administration has to go in order for them to progress further in international rugby. The report given to the SRU Chairman by the Manu Samoan captain Mahonri Schwalger is more explosive than anything that Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu ever tweeted.
So what is the answer? Is there even a solution to these issues?
I believe that there is but in order for Pacific rugby to move forward we’ve got to see things through the point of view of the players and management and try to figure out where the disconnect is.
This is a very general overview and is not meant to blanket every player or rugby administrator.
– Most players who can’t play for a Tier 1 nation want to represent their country but the realities of professional sport make it financially very difficult to do so. Unlike the Tier 1 nations the professional players based in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere’s take a paycut (most of the time) to play for their country where sometimes they have to pay their own way.
– Most of the older generation players of Pacific Rugby find it hard to understand how the present generation don’t cherish the jersey like they did back in their time. Back then they had to sacrifice things to play for their country and most of the time they only got a pat on the back. Of course these are vastly different times from then but the generational misunderstanding remains.
– With the Islands being small communities, most rugby administration jobs are not given based on merit but on relationships and seniority (jobs for the boys sort of thing)
– Overseas based players come from highly professionally run teams and when they come back home that same professionalism isn’t shown in their Test team.
– Sometimes when players come back from overseas to play for their countries that time is often treated as a holiday and the same professionalism that they had overseas is not shown at home.
– It is often difficult for management to run a tight ship because the players don’t necessarily view their time playing for their countries as vital to their rugby careers. That means that its alot easier for them to say no to playing or just leave the camp.
– Politics and rugby are very closely interwoven in the islands with politicians holding various rugby posts which leads to people having hidden agendas. (Well more than the usual rugby politics anyway). A classic example is the SRU where the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman took vastly different public views on the Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu tweeting saga. The SRU Chairman is Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi who is also the Samoan PM. The Vice Chairman is Lefau Harry Schuster who is the Tautua Party MP for Vaimauga West. Lefau is a senior opposition MP to the government. So we have the SRU’s top two positions held by opposing politicians.
With all that in mind a very important cultural issue that needs to be understood is that in the islands its drummed into you at birth to be respectful of the elders no matter what. Basically even if you disagree you don’t make a fuss, just grin and bear it.
This can present problems to players who have been bought up in New Zealand and Australia as well as players who have become used to the egalitarian way of doing things during their time abroad.
My take on a way forward is that the management of the Unions need to change and become fully professional. By professional I mean their attitude more than their pay. Understandably that would be very difficult to initiate but its something that is within their circle of influence and it would be alot easier than trying to change the thinking of the IRB on issues such as the eligibility rules.
In terms of appreciation from both sides of rugby management and the players, the management believe that they are doing the players a favour by organising the players for their matches or tours. The players believe that they are doing the management a favour by showing up and busting their gut on the field.
Now if they both treat each other like they are the ones doing the favour you get a meltdown because both sides will think the other side is acting ungratefully. Then you get players breaking the team rules by sneaking out for instance or the management not really caring about the players.
If both sides treat each other like they were the ones receiving the favour and all parties have a shared vision then you get something so much different. You get both management and players putting the team above themselves and basically doing it for each other.
In order for that to happen someone in each of the Pacific Unions will need to take a real leadership role in this.
Its a very idealistic ambition I know but its something that I reckon will help Pacific rugby get in shape for a serious shot at the Tier 1 nations.
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.