There are occasionally rugby ‘code war’ outbreaks. Maybe we can put a end to it with a reasoned argument. The two versions of rugby are now so dissimilar that they operate in different environments.
For a start, league has become a made-for-television product with all the marketing, hoopla and jazz, which is precisely where rugby will never venture without a great deal of thought beforehand.
We do not want the side effects of being in the entertainment industry. We would rather be an enjoyable process where youngsters can use our sport as a valuable tool in the process of self discovery on the journey towards adulthood.
Professional sports tend to drive the less-than-perfect juniors away from all sport because the ultimate goal of selection to the senior levels being denied means they will seek other pursuits. All youngsters should play sport and continue from school to club participation.
Of the winter codes, union can be played for fun and a level can be found for anyone. As their confidence and strength grows they may then dream of selection to higher levels.
It is a deeply held principle of union that it is a sport for all shapes and sizes for the qualities of manhood are held and made manifest between the ears.
Rugby union is technically difficult to master. That is part of the reasoning behind the game. We challenge people to be able to think on their feet accurately and quickly whilst tired, pressured, somewhat dehydrated, bruised and with many other voices calling out around them.
Those are qualities found in every leader. These adults go on to other pursuits with a very clear sense of self and purpose helping them to meet the various challenges and rise as high as their other attributes allow in those fields.
Rugby is also designed to be relatively safe to play. We do not allow tackling or actions which are calculated to injure. Though it is rough, bones and skin occasionally will be broken, it still is a place to test a young persons willingness to put his body on the line and come to the realisation that pain is temporary and bearable.
The above argument is understood by many other leaders. It is why Union is expanding throughout the globe and finds sponsors amongst those seeking executives and team builders.
Being entertained is ephemeral, extracts money from the punters and is soon forgotten by the majority. Being prepared for life at the sharp end lasts a lifetime.
So before you try to insist this is an attack on the NRL, AFL et al, reflect on the above.
Union has become professional unwillingly: it took some serious human frailties in the home counties, a panic attack in the southern hemisphere for it to occur.
The founding raison d’etre for league was to compensate injured players who played rugby. Had our early administrators not been so short-sighted we would not be having these tedious code wars.
Rugby union can, and does, co-exist with all other sports. We know we add value to those who join us – that altruistic goal is our biggest strength.
We would like to be more popular but as most would readily admit, rugby is better as a player than as an observer, that is precisely as it should be.
There will always be some who do not ‘get’ other sports, yours truly included, but my lack of appreciation for basketball, soccer, league and Aussie Rules does not mean I dislike them.
I just don’t enjoy them, so I don’t bother to watch.
Leo
Guest
Why would I avoid todays Wallaby bashing? Its what they deserve after that performances now you leaguies weren't talking wallabies you were talking Australian rugby. Two different things.
Steve
Guest
Fair enough: if you say the Wallabies and Waratahs are firing on all cylinders and the only people who see problems in Australian Rugby are jealous League fans, then that's good enough for me. I didn't realise David Campese, Spiro Zavos, David Lord and just about every other writer who's posted anything in the Rugby section in the past month were all such one-eyed NRL tragics, but if you say so, I'll take your word for it. Oh, just a word: you might like to avoid the Rugby section today- there are 16 Rugby stories: 13 are about the ineptitude of the Wallabies, 1 is about the ineptitude of the Boks, one is about a Wallabies player being injured, 1 is about how the Wallabies are so bad the ARU should recruit League players for the Olympics. You'd better get on to those guys and explain how the problems they're talking about don't exist, and they're just blinded by their love of the NRL. You'll need some Duracell yourself if you're going to convince them all before a fresh batch of 'negative' articles appears tomorrow!
Leo
Guest
There is only a crisis in Australian rugby if your a league fan. The thing is in rugby because of its strong international calendar and global brand every union like the ARU, SARU, WRU or NZRU don't have time to think crisis because just as one tournament or international competition finish another one comes so quick like a bullet. We won't be talking crisis when the Wallabies return from Europe in the end of the year unbeaten and even if they don't all will be forgotten when they win the three match series against the might of the British and Irish Lions next year. And it keeps going and going like a duracell.
Leo
Guest
You can rest assure that most people have heard of rugby and it won't be league or AFL they are thinking but don't worry Steve come 2016 those who haven't will certainly knows now. lol
Leo
Guest
It will survive and in some years the Wallabies will win the RWC or an Olympic medal and do well and some years will struggle like they are now and some years the Reds or another franchise will win and some years will struggle but it will always be there.
BigAl
Guest
you just made this lot up !
kovana
Roar Pro
Lol, i know.. Some people cant help themselves i suppose! Wait a minute... NF.. Did you just step on my code!? Watch it mister! Im itching for a fistcuffs!
Tui
Guest
Another magic part of Rugby is its 100+ year traditions. Playing the Springboks at Kings Park, or the Welsh at Millennium Stadium, England at Twickenham , The French at the Stade de France, The Lions Series and then the Rugby World Cup. League has the State or Origin but it can only dream about this sort of pedigree.
A
Guest
All of a sudden league gets a new TV deal (more or less the same as the last one) and people are jumping up and down in ecstasy about it. Just happens that the Wallabies bomb a couple of tests at the same time. Union just got a new deal recently and they will reap a windfall from the Lions tour next year. Ignoring all the provocative and unfounded statements in these columns (from league and AFL tragics) and despite all the recency affects of the media Union will always have a foothold in the market and will probably fluctuate like all other codes. Its becoming more apparent that kids are both playing league and union more so - and so they should in terms of developing the required skills in order to become an aspiring sportsmen. If professionals want to chase the dollars they could easily follow the pathway to Japan and Europe who will always have bigger pockets than us. If you like your football its in everyones best interest to get behind both codes, forget the stigma of being a private school kid or likewise a bogan from the west - you will learn to appreciate both codes all the more.
NF
Guest
'Rugby code wars are mindless' is the name of the article yet a code war happened who would of thought?
p.Tah
Guest
Kovana it was a great game. Fast and brutal.
Australian Rules
Guest
oh dear...not the PNG argument again. Does PNG play rugby in earnest?
clipper
Guest
I wasn't implying the bigger, the better - more so what a well known brand the All Blacks are. I'm quite aware many people are geographically challenged, but if you asked people what you associate NZ with, a fair few would mention All Blacks along with Kiwis and Sheep, but the only Kangaroos they would mention in relation to Australia would be the BBQ kind.
cos789
Guest
Yet even so it will remain on the fringes of Australian society. It will survive, but in what form?
cos789
Guest
Union in France operates off Millionares forking out Millions every year to supliment wages. That is not a sustainable business model. If the French union had to operate within its own media revenue it would struggle. Thats not to say it can't increase its revenue from non billionare backers. But expecting European Rugby Union to kill off the NRL is LOL. The NRL remains the most watched and most attended "Rugby" league of either code in the world. That won't change any time soon.
Steve
Guest
No, but you'd get a blank look if you asked them where 'New Zealand' is. Well either that or 'it's in Australia, isn't it?' Just because people are ignorant about something doesn't mean it's inferior! Rest assured, the vast majority of people in the world have either never heard of, or barely heard of, Union, League or AFL. Of those who have, an even tinier percentage care. If we're going to follow the 'more people are interested in it therefore it's better' routine, we may as well all pull on our Man U shirts and buy tickets for the Justin Bieber concert.
cos789
Guest
Exactly Pete.
cos789
Guest
True. What was that comment from 2003? John O'Neil : "Rugby Union will be bigger than League" or something to that effect? Just because Union is now struggling it doesnt mean the competition for market share/dollars/fans will ease off. In fact, thats when the crows start circling, as RL saw after Super League (until now).
Steve
Guest
No, I got the gag- it was actually decent, it's just he's made the exact same point about the PLA before on another thread, so I wanted to take a quick look at that part.
cos789
Guest
But as i said, basketball and soccer are huge in a lot of foreign markets, and they are here due to their shear size overseas - whereas Union struggles to be second or third string in most countries its played in, and Australia is ranked 2nd in the world! Soccer/Basketball are "internationally controlled sports" as Dasher would have it. Yet they are top tier sports in most markets. The international standard rules can not be blamed for Rugby Unions troubles in Australia. What I'm saying is there is something inherrantly "wrong" with Union in Australia that its market share is shrinking. Mark Ella said as much today.