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The move by Sam Burgess to switch codes in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup is a massive coup for English rugby union and rugby union in general; a PR win heading into one of the make or break Rugby World Cups of the modern era.
It doesn’t matter whether Sam Burgess does well or flops, this battle has already been won. This move really wasn’t made to secure Sam Burgess the player, but Sam Burgess the name.
Despite the NRL and Super League slipping in attendances in 2013, there were several key positives.
The NRL turned over a bumper profit which gives the organisation assurances and options for the future. The code has been able to back all of its teams financially, creating a solid platform to attempt the largest membership drive in the code’s history.
In the Super League, the emergence of the walking headline Marwan Koukash has to be seen as a net positive, taking responsibility for the league’s second leakiest club.
His well documented recruitment drive and elaborate attempted purchases have managed to bring eyeballs and hope back to Salford, causing a stir among the established hierarchy.
The Rugby League World Cup then renewed the passion for international rugby league. Its success has seen a greater push towards organisation and initiative in concern to international fixtures.
The World Cup also created a lot of buzz within England. The tournament’s attendances exceeded most expectations (especially when considering the last English edition in the year 2000) and peaked with a world record international crowd at a final involving two foreign teams.
The move to get the BBC to televise English games was a masterstroke and saw pretty decent figures for rugby league.
The game was abuzz and solidly building momentum, the NRL held the supremely successful Auckland Nines and the opening weekend of the Super League saw attendance records broken and decent viewership figures.
And then with the announcement of the Burgess switch, headlines turned from toasting the Nines and Super League success to an endless stream of press surrounding the departure of one of the game’s biggest stars.
While league was a long way from overshadowing the 15-man code, union was slowly slipping away from the public consciousness. Such a massive public move, and the hubris it was carried out with, are sure to grab attention.
And at the moment attention is what rugby union needs.
Since a peak in 2009/10, premiership rugby has seen its attendances drop every year. International rugby has remained reasonably healthy, though with a World Cup coming up there is certainly a need for hype surrounding the event.
The move to take Burgess has been expertly planned and executed. The RFU needed to generate hype and excitement for both its domestic competition and the critical 2015 World Cup.
The message that “Sam will have to earn his spot” is likely untrue, however it should drive crowds to the matches he plays as well as TV viewers.
Burgess is also doing a pretty good job selling the Rugby World Cup, pointing it out as the reason he’s leaving and reminding everyone that it’s on while giving journalists fuel to speculate and generate hype around the tournament and Sam’s spot within it.
When he is eventually picked the lure of watching a cross-coder trying to adapt should draw in a few extra league fans and the press will have a field day writing pieces on whether he’s ready, or whether others are more deserving of the buzz.
Burgess may be expensive in the short term, but the RFU will make their money back with the Rugby World Cup and Bath obviously believe they’ll make their own back in added attendances.
It is also a massive blow to one of the code’s main competitors in its ambition for international competition.
Taking the best player from England’s league World Cup campaign leaves a massive hole it what was a very promising squad.
England are pretty well stocked for front rowers, but it’s still a loss which England will have to work back from.
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