One of the wonderful things about sport is that every so often we get an athlete who is so good at what he does that he re-writes the book on what it means to be a champion. Sonny Bill Williams is one of those athletes.
He is on a magical journey to sports immortality. Let’s put away the mundane rows about the merits of one rugby code over another.
Let’s also look beyond the affronts that he and his manager have inflicted on the notion of the sanctity of binding contracts with employees and lock ourselves into the thrills and spills of this journey.
From the point of view of an athlete who believes in his own special capacities what Sonny Bill is doing makes a lot of sense. It also makes financial sense, too. And let’s remember, athletes have a short career in terms of the normal working life of mere mortals. Sonny Bill is already 26.
At the most he has about 10 more years in which to convert his special athletic qualities and abilities into money and triumphs on the rugby fields of the field and, possibly, the boxing rings of the world.
Going to Japan to play 12 matches for $1.2 million dollars is a win-win for him, for the Panasonic Wild Knights franchise and for rugby generally in Japan. Japan is aiming at becoming an Asian rugby powerhouse. The Rugby World Cup will be played there in 2019.
Having Sonny Bill playing in Japan in 2012/2013 will elevate the image of the game, especially to young people there, to a sort of celebrity cult status. Like Jonah Lomu, the first modern world-wide rugby superstar, Williams has that special charisma that attracts young people and with this celebrity, the attraction of the media.
And like Jonah, too, on his best days Williams delivers. Before his break with the rugby league code, The Daily Telegraph was given to describing him as the best league player in the world and one of the best to ever have graced the field playing the code. There was a justifiable reaction against the way he covertly broke his contract with the Bulldogs.
But it needs to be realised and accepted that in his dealings with the organisation the NZRU has said repeatedly that he and his manager have been models of probity and reliability. They have bargained hard and fair. And, as with rugby league where he won a Premiership, Sonny Bill has delivered.
But I have no doubt that when he comes back to Sydney and plays for the Roosters, it will be a case of ‘all is forgiven’ from the journalists who formerly (and correctly, I suppose) were bitter in their criticism of his contract-breaking behaviour.
This has already started, in fact. Chris Rattue, the rugby league tragic and columnist on the New Zealand Herald (who also writes absolute nonsense about rugby in New Zealand), wrote a piece today in which he describes Williams as a free spirit who is out to squeeze every ounce of the juice of life experiences from his sporting career.
This analysis of Sonny Bill makes sense to me. The life of the athlete reflects in its way the myth of Achilles.
Achilles was given the choice by the gods of a long, boring life or a short but brilliant existence. He chose the short but brilliant life. Athletes don’t really have a choice.
In the grand scheme of things their careers are short. And if they are touched by the gods, as Williams is, it can be brilliant, exciting and always challenging as well.
My guess is that after his year with the Roosters, Sonny Bill will come back to rugby in New Zealand to win back a place in the All Blacks for the 2015 RWC tournament in England.
The marketing possibilities for Sonny Bill in the iconic All Blacks colours in Europe before and after the tournament are mind-boggling.
Then presumably he will mix and match a rugby career in Europe (or Japan for 12 weeks in the year for a pay out of well over $1 million) with a renewed emphasis on a boxing career.
I have only seen clips of him as a boxer. He certainly has the physique and fitness and fast feet. At this stage he doesn’t appear to have the punch to match his build but this could come. He certainly seems to have more ring craft and technique than someone like Joe Bugner, for instance, who went the distance with Mohammed Ali.
Williams does all the right things in the ring. And what he needs, for someone who never boxed as a amateur even, is time in the ring to get the feel of ‘the sweet science’ that it becomes a natural instinct to him.
Knowing what he has achieved so far in his rugby (both codes) career and with his occasional fights in the ring, I would say that a world title is a long shot proposition for Sonny Bill. But this is only speculation on my part.
What we do know is that this season, particularly, Sonny Bill has progressed to the stage where he is one of the best rugby union players in the world. He has picked up the nuances of a difficult and intricate game brilliantly.
He is one of the few players in the history of rugby (Jonah Lomu is another) with his combination of bulk, power and pace as a winger rather than a loose forward, who has changed the perceptions of the game.
The Sonny Bill unloading of passes of tackles has added a new and exciting dimension to rugby attacking play.
Youngsters around the rugby union world are imitating it and the back-hand flick, the round-the-corner pass as the player falls to ground and the basket-ball overhead pass will become standard features of the rugby union game, thanks to Sonny Bill.
He would have been a long term All Black if he had stayed in the code. His progress from the talented player of last season who could only be trusted for a few seconds on the field in the final of RWC 2011 to the master blaster of this season for the Chiefs and the All Blacks has been phenomenal.
This could still happen. But for now it’s Sonny Bill the Rooster and heavyweight boxing contender. Bon voyage, Sonny Bill …
guinness14
Guest
Well said. In my book I do not see him being great at any thing for he does not stay long enough to earn it. A flash in the pan, on night wonder. Brad Thorn, Colin Meades, David Campeeze to name a few, have earned their greatness over many years.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
There'll be no issue on the pitch: he'll wear what he usually wears. Gyms and bathing facilities generally refuse entry to anyone with tattoos but many will allow you in if you cover up. When Tokyo hosted a Bledisloe match, the players did cover up in the gyms but I'm not sure whether that was out of respect for local sensibilities, or if it was required. Japan is getting used to seeing tattooed overseas sports stars and celebrities so Sony Bill won't be breaking any new ground there. However, it's still not something people are comfortable with. The Mayor of Osaka hit the headlines recently when he asked all council workers to reveal whether they had tattoos, and suggested that they shouldn't be working for the council if they did. When the MMA circuit was big business, fighters made no special effort to hide their tattoos during events but they wouldn't be shown in any tie-up marketing campaigns. I suspect it will be the same for SBW.
kevin mac
Guest
I've got a question: Since the public display of tattoos is taboo in Japanese culture, how will SBW be kitted-out on the field? Will he have to wear long-sleeve under-garments to cover his arms? He also has a large tattoo covering his right calf!!! Are we going to see only his head, neck and hands?! That sight alone will probably amuse the Japanese (media and public) enough to take interest in his exploits on the field and by extension to attract attention to Japanese rugby. Funny that!
Seriously, Who says Oi?
Guest
"Jonah is known throughout the non-rugby world." No, he isn't. Just had to put that out there.
mark
Guest
how old are you? when you were a kid... i feel old
Joshua Wells
Roar Rookie
Sonny Bill really does have a knack of creating things for children to imitate. As a kid, whenever we put on a big shot or saw a big shot in Rugby League, we would call it a 'Sonny Bill'. Now over at union he is making all sorts of trends that will stick and I hope that when he comes back to League, he brings back his shoulder charge.
all7days
Roar Guru
HELL YES!!!
Jacko
Guest
Fitness does not equal toughness. His body will not stand up to the NRL. He will play in the backrow , he will need to make 35 tackles plus a game and he will shoulder charge ( he cant resist it). He will watch a lot of games from the stands .
Jacko
Guest
D Maaga , my point is he is a poor buy for the roosters , spending so much on one player who will not play most of the season is poor decision making. I like watching him play but his body isnt up to it. I doubt he has taken one decent punch yet in boxing and they will make sure he doesnt fight anyone who is likely to land one either
D Maaga
Guest
sports in schools are just sports some have been around for over 100 years some are new and some have disappeared al together. as some one who attended a well know rugby school not all teachers were into rugby union and most of them all spread out to different sports. what separate traditional sports like rugby, rowing, hockey, cricket, netball, soccer and athletics to the rest was the support they receive from their local clubs and national body to fund outside coaches or even parents to help out. rugby league is nowhere near rugby union in auckland in regards to numbers Ra, we all know auckland in rugby league means auckland, north habour and part of counties manukau and northland in rugby union. there are more kids playing high school rugby in auckland alone than there are rugby league players in nz. i also played both games at school and at junior level and no one from our school was punish for playing club league. it was either you play rugby union for school or club for rugby league and the same goes for many rugby schools in central auckland. this myth about players been ban from schools was brought up by graham lowe but according to one former classmate of lowe he always use that excuse because he fail to make the cut in the 1st xv squad. for a couple of years in the 80's the auckland school rugby league was lucky to have a teacher from mags and a couple of parents who help organise the competition because nobody from auckland rugby league or local clubs wanted to know or touch school rugby league at the time. the sad thing about this victim mentality that rugby league seem to play in nz for over 100 years has cost them dearly when you witness new sports like samoan cricket (kirikiti), waka ama, cycling. orienteering, squash, waterpolo, lacrosse, baseball, touch rugby, underwater hockey and many others have a large presents at schools all over nz than rugby league. and all this new sports did it on their own and they didn't cry about it because they did something like changing their season or weekly activiteis so it doesn't clash with with the major codes. here is an examble of another play the victim in school rugby league style. http://www.rlcm.com.au/latest-news/17308-rugby-league
Ra
Guest
Maagas bro, it's about capability and capacity. Sports played in schools have been driven for years by teachers who had a high interest in that particular sport. Auckland had been the only province in the country that competed favourably with its union counterparts in terms of numbers. Auckland has always been rugby leagues flag ship, before professional rugby arrived. But back to schools and sports. Many of us played both codes as kids. many were castigated by their own communities for choosing league over union. Infact, many who chose to play league were barred from representing their schools in any other winter sport. But back to where I started from - league in schools. More teachers over the past 100 years have had a strong leaning to rugby union. Everywhere in the country where there was a school, there was a teacher to take rugby or netball as their major winter sports - for years it's been about teachers and principals choices - its only just in the last 20 years that large numbers of teachers have been coming through who have interests other than rugby and netball, and student choices have expanded as a result - and you know it eh mate.
Ra
Guest
No Maagas, they were and are All Blacks in their time, and good on them, but GREATs are talked about for all time - remember Nicky Allen; I thought he was merely gifted, but he was touted recently on tv by an All Black of his era as being a GREAT - the same guys were talking of SBW in the same breath
stillmatic1
Guest
do you not understand, KPM? if the auckland area cannot currently fill up eden park with one team (irrespective of winning or losing), then how would they manage it with 3 teams? how does sydney go with all the teams they have in rugby league? once again, population means little in this regard. it would also pay to mention that the nrl teams in sydney are not travelling that well at all on a functional level, so again, this refutes your simplistic views.
D Maaga
Guest
you get the odd internet warriors in rugby league forums who blame everything on rugby union in nz instead of blaming the nzrl who wasted money and funds. the fact is rugby league has been played in schools in auckland since the 70's but hasve never got the backing of the auckland rugby league or its clubs. the local rugby league clubs have never wanted league at schools fearing the kids will pick school sports over the clubs. now that league has a comp on wednesday nights the clubs were right as most league kids now choose to play school league during the week and school rugby on saturdays and most clubs are struggling for numbers. like american football in american high schools in cities and local towns high school rugby union also as that hold in towns and provinces through out nz.
D Maaga
Guest
sbw is not a rugby great, playing one good game against ireland out of 17 test matches don't make you a great otherwise scott mcleod, pita alatini, piri weepu, mark booke cowden will be consider greats as well.
Ra
Guest
Get ova it Ago bro, u bulldogs have got to move on. Remember whe sonny boy walked your club was in turmoil. What about all that other rubbish that was going on there at the time, sex scandals; drunken lout players, resignations here and there, big Willie going nuts all over the place, what a shocker club. So don't go around blaming sonny boy for wanting out of that mess - and remember in today's article; he bought his way out - and don't forget - your mob did the dirty on Manly eh -short memories you doggies - Woof !!!
Ra
Guest
who said it's the pinnacle ? Wally Lewis did, just after Ozi kicked the Kiwis in the opening game of the World Cup - remember??? He has gone down in history as saying something about Queensland should be in the world cup because they were better than the Kiwis - remember who won the world cup tommy. in 10 years time there will be more Pacific Islanders and Kiwis playing State of Origin than tru blu's, stone the crows eh
Ra
Guest
SBW is already touted by players all over the world including All Black Greats as one of the Greats of the game. You don't have to play lots of games to be recognised by your peers - a book of All Blacks rugby greats put out in early 1970s mentioned a few who played only a handful of games for the All Blacks, Stan Meads; Bert Cooke who went on to play league and a Maori guynamed Smith who played for the Kiwis rugby team during WWII(I think) was regarded as the greatest centre in the world till Bruce Robertson came along in 1970. I always thought the Irishman Gibson was way up there too, but what would I know - I like some rugby greats think SBW is way up there
Ra
Guest
yep Col, a lot of great kids came out of our teams in the horowhenua-manawatu to make their mark on the national and internation scene recently as part of the inter schools competiton = league did that for them, gave them the opportunity to be seen, several are playing NSW Cup level, Super league and NRL, and good on them all. howie tamati was a big player in getting league into schools in Wellington back in the 1980s, schools around the country still gave/give union higher priority in general, havr bigger numbers playing, regular weekend andmid week fixtures etc, but they do support any student who makes it at representative level, regardless of the code
Ra
Guest
one of my uncles once said: if people are talking about you - you must be important - it's when they stop talking about you, that's when you've got a problem. SBW is the most important man in Ozi and Kiwi sport at the moment judging by this blog - good on him - we haven't begun yet, to see the greatness that IS Sonny boy Williams - I always enjoy watching him play, and so do millions of other - so good on him. I'm sure uncle would think he's important !!!!!!!