In 1995, the rugby world as we knew it undertook arguably the greatest transformation it had seen since its creation in 1823 by sporting genius William Webb Ellis when the game finally went publicly professional.
The brief war between the Kerry Packer-backed World Rugby Corporation and the forces of Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited eventually found common ground and rugby appeared to seamlessly get on with game.
Four World Cups later, however, is the game of rugby really in union with itself, or are the winds of rebellion stirring again?
If you were to look at the game internationally, the rugby world appears somewhat calm above the surface.
The current world champions are arguably one of the greatest sides ever to play the game, the British and Irish Lions had a successful tour of Australia and each hemisphere enjoys a regional international competition that enjoys support globally.
All is well, right?
Perhaps not. The scab on the knee of global rugby that is relentlessly picked at and refuses to heal is the professional game at the provincial or elite club level and its current disparity between countries.
Unless this sore is cured the infection may spread to rebellion yet again, and the signs are there that provincially, rugby is anything but in union. The IRB should sit up and pay attention.
Presently in the southern hemisphere the SANZAR-administered Super Rugby tournament largely enjoys support and participation by local talent as it remains the pathway to Test caps, the childhood dream.
The same can’t be said for Northern Hemisphere rugby at present, which appears in turmoil over the structure of elite competition and the manner in which clubs qualify.
It is no secret that when it comes to money and rugby, France is your destination.
The elite players in Europe are drawn by the pay cheque, which has already been shown to affect international selection. In the November tests of 2013, Perpignan did not release Welsh internationals Luke Charteris and James Hook, while Bath withheld Paul James for the Test against Australia due to it being outside the ‘window’.
Here is another ‘window’ to look through– the Queensland Reds will not release Quade Cooper for the Wallaby Tests against France in 2014.
Now that is not going to happen for a raft of reasons, yet that is essentially what we are seeing in the Northern Hemisphere.
Clearly, when it comes to the two hemispheres and how they each administer their elite provincial rugby, they are hemispheres apart in every sense of the word.
It that a rugby world in union?
In an interview with The Telegraph on 5 January, former English and British Lions hooker Brian Moore said, “It would also open up the possibility of a dominant league like football’s English Premier League. Despite contrary claims, the reality is that the French clubs, without an effective restraining salary cap, pay the biggest money.
“This is clearly evidenced by the fact that the Aviva Premiership and Pro12 have lost leading players to the Top 14. The only way to counter it would be for other Unions to decree that any players playing in the Top 14 would be considered less favourably than those playing domestically.”
What happens when the lure of the almighty Dollar, Euro, Pound or Yen exceeds the desire to sing your national anthem, grab your nation’s crest, shed a tear and thank Mum and Dad for taking you to junior rugby?
Elite provincial or club rugby becomes more powerful than the international game because they can pay more if their TV deals and sponsorship’s are negotiated well.
Furthermore, selection is less competitive, perhaps enabling a longer playing career or earning capacity to ensue.
Players will eventually resent unions who disqualify them from international selection if they are playing abroad and not staying at home to get paid less in the domestic competition, thus hurting some domestic competitions.
While I don’t think rugby has reached that stage yet, there is evidence that clubs are starting to influence too much power.
It appears that rugby has arguably botched professionalism considering such issues; issues that arguably would not have arisen if the World Rugby Corporation was entirely successful in their goals.
Now that the fog of the rugby war has cleared I ponder the question: “What if WRC won?”
In considering this I am convinced there would not be the elite club provincial issues that I have mentioned. It has been reported to me that the WRC was not interested in breaking away from the unions, more so getting the unions to embrace professionalism under their (WRC’s) corporate governance.
The Unions would still ‘run the game’, with the WRC owning the television rights to a global provincial rugby competition.
There simply would not be a disparity in one domestic competition dominating another by the ability to pay more money. Eligibility windows would not exist.
Finally countries like Scotland and Wales would not see a drain of elite players moving abroad to play rugby. Local fans could see their stars perform at home.
Rugby players are starting to flock to France and Japan for the pay cheque. How is that so and how is that sustainable when France is ranked fifth and Japan fourteenth on the IRB world rankings?
It’s because their clubs appear to be getting more powerful than their unions and can attract bigger salaries than the domestic or even national unions of non-French and Japanese players.
Is this a sustainable vacuum that is being created? I tend to think not. How does this benefit the growth of the game?
The professional players have every right to ply their trade where they can, but where where is this taking rugby?
How long can the lure of a Test cap compete with serious money and why is the serious money provincially centered on two markets where one really is a tier one side (who I might say has never won a World Cup) and the other a minnow?
It’s illogical if you took money out of the equation.
There is an argument that the Test cap adds an extra zero onto you pay packet. For now perhaps, but what about schoolboy rugby stars being groomed by Japanese and French clubs as opposed to their home unions?
There are some warning signs on the horizon for rugby. The IRB should be advised that it is anything but professional to allow domestic markets to potentially threaten the international game.
Jock M
Guest
TREX, There are none so blind than those who refuse to see.
TREX
Guest
Can someone please post a article on the new French top 14 rugby tv rights deal please.
TREX
Guest
I'm watching plenty of contest for the ball in rugby. I don't know why you keep mentioning rugby league because I don't see any resembling of league in the current game. But if you like rugby league then good on you and MAJB.
TREX
Guest
Watch rugby league then. Rugby is still rugby and league is league.
TREX
Guest
When did rugby turned into a minority sport in Wales?
Intotouch
Guest
The salary cap in France is €9.2million. This year this will be strictly enforced. The FFR want fewer foreign players in France and have so far been successful in negotiating a quota in each club. The future may see strong French sides but they won't be pumping all their new revenue into salaries. What would be really helpful would be a salary cap that is international.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
I'm an English football supporter, don't tar us all with the same brush, we're not all like this bloke.
Scrumpoacher
Guest
Private school toffs? Not where I come from pal. You english football supporters really have a inferiority complex don't you?
Jock M
Guest
MAJB, the flat attack and flat defence is a consequence of removing the contest for the ball. Your comments are spot on-you would not know where the corporates who run the game would take it but uncontested scrums are a possibility.I wouldn't be surprised if they have a five or ten metre rule either. We will then see whether people agree that the game is a League lookalike or not! Watch some old videos-watch the nimble footed players run like hares-also watch the speed and urgency at the breakdown.
JB
Guest
What a dumb comment. You obviously have not been following the latest development in rugby world since the game has gone professional. Private school toffs are not the norm any longer unless you consider all the players of polynesian heritage overly privileged (most had parents who migrated to Australia to get a better life). So go back to your cave and stay there watching arial ping pong and the massively popular international game of Rugby League (what a fascinating world cup they offered us!)
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
Oh, the irony of someone called Gooner complaining of a sport being boring... Too young to remember the days of "Boring, boring Arsenal" (sung by the club's own fans) and that interminable flat back four with their infuriating offside trap, eh?
Wal
Roar Guru
2 Major issues there either the RU would go broke paying all its players 700k(it already is) or Top players like Genia, Cooper and Folau would be the ones leaving because they were only earning $200k
Wal
Roar Guru
Aaron Cruden, Jason Robinson, James O'Connor, Bryan Habana Rugby is awash with exciting players of smaller stature. Or Quade Cooper, the 2 Isreals, SBW bigger blokes with skills as well Campese and Ella may have been a bit stronger and heavier if they played today with full time training and dieticians but absolutely they would have played and they would be very rich doing it.
Wal
Roar Guru
It is probably a little more common, but don't forget George Nepia, John Kirwan, John Gallagher, "Inga" Tuigamala. Where as now atleast we are getting the occasional SBW's back. Also guys like Kaino, etc are sometimes returning. I agree eventually Rugby will mirror Football with clubs ruling the game but the longer we put it off the better.
Jock M
Guest
Tane Mahata, There is very little contest for the ball and the laws are designed that way. The people in charge are trying to make a spectacle of the game for TV and they have tried to give the game continuity-in the process they have changed Rugby to Rugby League. Proof that there is little contest-a high number of phases-18 in some cases-pre law changes-three maximum. Players go to ground instead of remaining on their feet Defence forwards keep out of contest. No urgency at breakdown-static.Little pressure on half backs-game slows down-flat footed backs. Little contest at line out-players lift the jumper- It is tragic-but who cares? Even the private schools are losing interest-Rugby is no longer the prestigious character building team sport that it was.
RobC
Guest
Someone feeling a bit threatened by Rugby development? In my opinion it is a smarter, stronger, speedier synchronised game. Rugby is behind other Oz winter sports because it's a laggard (100 years) as a professional code. It was too exclusive in Australia because the "toffs" who controlled it, thought Rugby belonged to selected "gentlemen". That's history, with the possible exception of some in NSW. The Kiwis are no "toffs" and they have shown the way. Rugby will start to tip other winter codes once it starts to adapt and mature.The more people know about its true nature, the more it will captivate its audience - as it is destined to.
pim
Guest
Sure you will be a "gooner" by the time Rugby Union dies!
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
You're making the mistake of treating as fact anything Johnno says - remember, Johnno Facts (tm) arent
Tane Mahuta
Guest
We have no right to tell others what to do but we should be trying to prevent our players leaving. Why? Because when they leave they end up playing in comps overseas instead of here in our comps which devalues our comps and I for 1 will follow the French league when it is the best comp more closely than a 2nd rate super comp and also because if you look at Argentina and understand that they very seldom get all of their first choice players together you will know that the ABs and Wallabies will greatly suffer, internationals will lose importance and the dreaded "friendly" will become a rugby term.
RobC
Guest
Good topic. Thanks for raising it UA. I believe its more about economics, than IRB/club interplay. EU is a rich market, with a GDP of $13T . SANZAR = $1.7T economy. . $1T from Oz, w/Rugby as a 4th rank sport, for now. SA is $0.6T but with 10% minority (white) demographic . UK + France + Ireland = US$5.3T economy Players in EU are compensated for the value of the market they play in, and will only worsen (increase) when more EU clubs join. So it will become even more difficult for a club to justify releasing a player considering their investments. The potential solution is also financial - release the EU players in exchange for lost income. This means there needs to be a way for international games to be more lucrative (for broadcasters and advertisers) than EU club games. Alternatively IRB can try to move test schedule to maximise player availability. But it may increase risk of injury and game weariness. And btw, Japan is a $5T economy.