I was invited to Zimbabwe by the IRB to help them prepare for the Under 20s World Championship B division in the USA. When I arrived at Harare, it was inspiring to see that, despite their financial challenges, the team was motivated, enthusiastic and genuinely proud to be there.
The IRB have identified a need in Zimbabwe as the talent and popularity of rugby is here, but the infrastructure and resources are seriously lacking.
The bigger picture is that they’re trying to come into contention for the Rugby World Cup, and to do that, it’s vital to improve the standard of the grassroots and stop players going overseas – Pocock, the Beast, Tiechman, Skinstad, and others.
The potential of the players that I worked with is plentiful, but they are raw and need a long-term program. Currently lacking this, the more talented players now play in South Africa.
But it really emphasised just how chalk and cheese it is between a developing country like Zimbabwe and a powerhouse of rugby such as Australia, and how at the top, we have forgotten some of the basics.
Zimbabwe just haven’t got the finances to be competitive on the world stage.
Australian rugby, by contrast, has the financial windfall from generous sponsors, huge crowds and hosting two Rugby World Cups.
We’ve got players galore, and some of the best infrastructure in the world. Yet we’re in a situation where we still struggle, even at Under 20s level.
Why?
Is it because we’ve had the same coach for last couple of years? Is it time to move away from that same style of rugby we’ve been playing?
Or is it that the majority of the resources go to the top end of the game at the expense of the grassroots?
One of the biggest factors counting against us right now is that we aren’t encouraging the natural flair of our players. Deans is trying to play rugby with two wingers who can score tries but two centers who can’t create.
Then there’s the emphasis on rugby league-style hit ups, which doesn’t make sense.
The All Blacks are way ahead of us with their style of rugby and their ability to execute the basic skills of the game. We have Beale, O’Connor, Cooper, and Pocock, but, really, who else?
If I was in charge of running Australian rugby, the first thing I’d do is get the rugby league influence out of our thinking and far away from our training grounds.
I’d appoint a good Australian coaching director and have them implement a style of rugby for all teams to work toward, from the national teams to the U7s. I’d then go out to the schools and work with the kids and the coaches to implement it.
Nurturing the grassroots would be a major focus.
I’d also use former Wallaby stars to meet with the kids, so kids could talk to, touch, and interact with some of the real legends of the game.
It’s sad to think that our young players don’t really understand or appreciate the history of Australian rugby. There has been almost no effort from the current administration to school the stars of tomorrow on the great feats of the past.
The emphasis is almost entirely on the modern day Wallabies. And that’s not smart.
You’ve got to understand and appreciate the history of the game. We’ve also got to tell kids about Rugby 7s being an Olympic sport. What kid woud not want to win an Olympic medal? They now can in rugby, and we don’t do enough to promote that.
We need to instill the values of vision, flair and basic skills to the kids. And the enjoyment factor needs to come back.
This week I’m at a Rugby Academy in South Africa. All the kids there are wearing Springbok jumpers. They all want to play for the Boks.
Have we got that same determination amongst the youth in Australia? I don’t think so.
Australian rugby doesn’t get out to the areas where we are not known. We’ve got to compete more vigorously with the rival codes to entice talented kids to take up the game.
Off the field, it’s a case of setting the structure: everyone has a role to do. Get the sponsors to inject more money into the grassroots game.
Club rugby is the breeding ground for the next generation of internationals to come through, but it’s been tragically neglected. We tried to get an Australian Shield going a few years back, but John O’Neill killed it.
But we’ve got to persist.
There are three tiers of top-class rugby in South Africa. We need the same in Australia to remain competitive.
We also must get all the unions together so we can all work together with the kids and all players. We need to unite together and look to the future so that rugby can regain its popularity as one of the top sports in the country.
We need people on the board who have a passion for the game and add value to the game. The key for a board and its members is impartiality. There should be no allegiance to anyone. Australian rugby needs to move forward and it is is crying out for the right people to lead us there.
On a final note, it was refreshing to see that Paddy O’Brien is now finished as Referees Chairman, and the former Scottish breakaway, John Jeffries, is the new boss.
Let’s hope this sees a change in the refereeing of international rugby, for the better.
This is the Second in a four-part Rugby Solutions series running this week on The Roar. Our rugby experts will be answering the question: If you were in charge of Australian rugby, how would you fix the problems you see and make us the number one rugby country in the world, again?
Kevin
Guest
Yes it is time for a change. We desperately need a domestic competition like the ITM and Currie cups. I know there are alot of talented players away from the capitals that aren''t getting a sniff because rugby isn't getting promoted properly. Here on the Darling Downs, we have 13 teams from 11 locations around the Downs. ranging from div 1 to div 5. yet the reds only pick players from the brisbane comp and brisbane and GC private schools. what needs to be done is that the ARU needs to introduce Rugby to all public schools, get them interested in the game. I've been thinking about this since watching the Wallabies get their arses flogged last weekend, and we need a domestic comp ASAP. possible teams i would include in comp would be. 1 Brisbane 2 Southern Queensland 3 Northern Queensland 4 Eastern Sydney 5 Western Sydney 6 Northern NSW 7 Central NSW 8 Southern NSW 9 ACT 10 Melbourne 11 Country Victoria 12 Greater Tasmania 13 Perth 14 Country WA Now i know i may get criticised for it, but if Rugby was introduced in EVERY high school in the country, and the ARU had the determination to make it work, it could work. There would be plenty of sponsor around the country. Also they need to start picking players on current form and not proven form, also, stop all this player loyalty crap if the players aren't performing, it's ridiculious. we really need to do this before rugby dies in Australia
klippies101
Guest
campo your a legend jsut wish you could have had more impact with the natal sharks backline aussie rugby is fine it doesnt need fixing bro
Jock M
Guest
I think that Rugby has just about 'had it ' in Australia. AFL is a tough opponent but Rugby has suffered because its value as a player's game or a spectacle has been shattered by ridiculous law changes and a total disrespect for the game and its core values. Campo and his Test playing colleagues should accept some of the blame for Rugby's demise-they have either shown a complete ignorance of the basics of the game or they have become comprimised by jumping onto the professional gravey train that will eventually dry up. What Campo fails to understand is that today's game does not allow for the magic that players of his calibre were able to produce. Fortuneately I am one of the lucky ones who saw it all happen and I will always be gratefull.
soapit
Guest
see what the brumbies are doing for a team without stars. and its not like we are winning everything under the sun at the moment. worth risking losing some stars to get a long term system in place
Old Rugby Boy
Guest
G'day p.Tah, the problem on the North Shore is that guys who played RU at school are now playing AFL. I played RU at school. I sent my kids to the same school and they all played football. When they left school one went and played RU the othe stayed with football. I still keep stating the same point RU is starting to lose out to AFL in it heartland. What will this mean in 5 to 10 years for the Tahs and potentially the Wallabies?
soapit
Guest
i dare say the travel involved in rep footy had a fair bit to do with them being tired.
Lats
Guest
Good points all round. Growing up in Perth, we had one Maori kid playing for us who was a gun full back in AFL... he only played AFL because there weren't any RU clubs in the northern suburbs of Perth back then.. Im sure there are lots of kids in Adelaide for example who would like to play union if there was a club available to them.
Johnno there is no need to deal in absolutes. Thats unwise. Youngsters can live in the now and still have pride in their jersey and country. Don't let old fuddies like campo convince you that our youth are any different from when they themselves were young, dumb and etc etc. This article is about campo wanting the attention placed back on when he was king. Its okay to look backward from time to time but you gotta keep your attention fixed on where you are and where you are going. Of course Bradman was all for the Australian cricket board when he was dealing with Ian Chappell and the move into greater player payments. That was his job at the time.
Johnno
Guest
Well maybe werewolf there are 2 types of youngsters. Some who do live in the now and others who do take great pride in there country. -Just look at the socceroos in 2005 beating urugay in sydney werwolf and the 2006 soccer's world cup. -Many got told about 1974 and johnny warren's name was heard out all the time. -micheal Jordan still his shadow hovers over world basketball. warnes shadow still hovers over aussy cricket. Some youngsters do live in the now and wont be history experts but a bit of marketing like i think cricket in Australia has done with Don Bradman and dennis lillee has worked well. With Don your right he has never bemoaned youngsters how ever he was against young players breaking away from the establishment when he world at the old Australian cricket board, Just ask the chappel brothers and Bradman's defiant opposition to world series cricket. Yet he himself in his cricket career was really the 1st aussy cricket player to make a living out of the game via endorsements. Indian cricket though has been critticed for not recognising some of the past champions and living in the now too much. But in Pakistan and west indies Imran Khan and Viv richards and Brian Lara get iconic status.
Don Bradman had the decency to bow out and never bemoaned youngsters from supporting the aussie team once he retired nor did he harp on about how better players were in his day. in fact he rresented the spotlight once he retired. And he helped Barry richards and Tendulkar gain notoriety by saying they were as good as players as him. has campo ever had anything good to say about anyone or anything other than himself? Campo's article and suggestions are just examples of his self indulgent tripe. If youngsters want to take an interest in the past so be it but ramming it down their throats will not work. Not if you understand the psyche of youngsters who live in the now.
murph73
Roar Rookie
sluuuuuuurp
Damo
Guest
Correction soccer does have free to air on SBS I don't know why soccer has blanket coverage there across its sport bulletins yet international rugby with expats from nz SA and Europe gets barely a sound bite.
Bobo
Guest
Bless you Campo. After several posts I thought were absolute tosh, I agree with most of what you say here, wholeheartedly. One thing I should say, though- the lack of passing is not copying league per se, although it happens for the same reasons. It's more lazy and uncommitted play. Lazy runners who don't take the ball at pace, and forwards and centres who don't pass in the tackle. NZ, for decades, have looked to pass pass pass. We have two centre threequarters who don't seem to realise that hitting the line and passing the ball are not mutually exclusive. Add that to forwards who take the ball on their heels, this is the result. The grassroots is the key, of course: train good behaviour in the u/12s, and you don't need to teach a 23 year old millionaire how and when to pass the ball or take the ball at a gallop.
Etienne
Guest
Johnno, Ireland ARE doing well, you're 100% correct, but Australia's doing better. Ireland came close to beating NZ... Australia beats NZ quite regularly.
Nick
Guest
I dont give a toss about rankings, I just wanna see running rugby again
Nick
Guest
If only the ARU would abandon the private schools and put their resources into clubs.
Nick
Guest
18-20? In a whole year? f my kids played that few games they would be unbearable to live with.
Nick
Guest
Its to keep the kids exclusively for their own use.
D Maaga
Guest
in regards to queensland high schools there are more rugby union teams in rugby league schools than the other way around.
Johnno
Guest
Werewollf but hearing about history of the past does inspire. Aussy cricket has done that amazingly well with Don Bradman, dennis lillee, shane warne in the future. Every aussy grew up hearing about don bradman, or dennis lillee, a little bit of basic archive footage is good. USA rugby is now doing it with a clip of promoting USA rugby tradition being Olympic champions, int he 1920's, and saying a new rugby tradition like our heroes of the past is being created and that works well and inspires the next generation. USA does it with politics too with george washington, and lincoln, and the founding fathers to develop national pride. We need to do that to in aussy rugby have ads to celebrate our rugby history so quick 20 second clips of the 91 and 99 world cup wins or bledsiloe wins in 2001 or british lions wins too. Look at how cricket has embodied and marketed the baggy green in test cricket as iconic, and the All blacks with the Haka and the black jersey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBLvQhEBHU4 the cricket ad go aussy go so grass roots and with boy wearing a baggy green playing backyard cricket. and the USA rugby ad just come out promoting the next chapter of USA rugby and showing who they were once Olympic champions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqEOQJNLyRE So recognising the past is a greta marketing tool to develop history and pride in the jersey something the wallaby seems to lack right now pride in our past.