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How much does the national badge mean to you? Really, sit down and think about what lengths you would go to to protect and represent your badge or emblem.
There are countless fans around the world that live and die by their chosen crest, from football fans to AFL fans to racing fans. No matter what sport is examined there are fans that will have their team’s crest and colours burnt or tattooed across their chests.
Obviously, their badge means enough to them that they’ll die with it and defend it until their last breath.
I have my badges that I support and will until I die as I’m sure many others out there, but how much does the honour of representing a badge mean to the athletes?
There are some athletes that will sign lifetime contracts to a club and remain loyal to their last days. Some names include Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard in football and Alex Rodriguez of the NY Yankees in baseball.
Granted that these contracts were backed by huge financial windfalls and these sports don’t have restricted salary caps. It can be said that these athletes were ‘bought’ to defend the respective badges, but there are some athletes that don’t concern themselves with money. In these times though, a club is reluctant to sign a contract over two or three years, so lifetime loyalty is rare.
Athletes that don’t concern themselves with money are becoming a rare commodity. The professional arena now lures big names into different arenas and the athlete cashes in on their skills before they aren’t good enough to command the big dollars.
A badge is merely a psuedo-ATM that pays for fringe benefits and doesn’t command any loyalty. So the question that I propose is: do these athletes deserve to represent your national crest? The crest that you have tattooed on your skin, your heart or labeled on almost everything you own?
At club level, I can see why athletes would chase the bigger, better deal, but when it comes to national pride, is there room for mercenaries? To stand in front of 50,000 people and tearfully recite the national anthem, you must be committed.
I personally don’t think that these occasions have room for mercenaries and gold diggers.
The policy that New Zealand, England and Australia have at a rugby union level is not to select players based in international clubs. Whether this is the right move or not in a professional era is up for debate, but it’s the reality of things now. The countries do this to keep the top talent available and in the clubs to draw in crowds and create a market with residual financial effects.
It has worked to some degree with the All Blacks retaining a large majority of their talent and as Australia keeping most of theirs. But this only seems to work for a short period as the players remain in the country until they reach a milestone, such the Rugby World Cup.
If they achieve this, there is an exile of players looking for the big bucks.
Since the Southern Hemisphere clubs cannot compete on a financial level against the Northern Hemisphere, the only thing that keeps talent in the South is pride and the loss of a chance at national representation. Is this enough to keep talent around?
There are mercenaries of the sport and there always will be. If an athlete is good enough, then the athlete can ask for any amount of money. This is a fact of international, professional sportspeople. These type of stories make the headlines and bring the associated club into the press which otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
The Japanese clubs use a big carrot and stick to lure ex-players on long term contracts and employ current players on shorter, modified contracts. Many South Africans play or have played for a Japanese club on various contracts with some allowing for the player to return to their home club in the off-season. Since South Africa doesn’t share the same policy of excluding non-domestic players, a lot of clubs find it easier to ‘hire’ them to try and win the respective tournaments.
There is a lot of money on offer for the best players so it isn’t much of a surprise when the big names take up the offer. Toulon are famous for fielding a star studded team which has helped them to the Heineken Cup Championship twice. They are bound to sell jerseys with the heroes names on them, which adds to the coffers.
A certain player’s presence can be priceless both on the field and in the financial books.
There are players that will draw in the crowds and promote the club beyond the usual commercials. Sonny Bill Williams did a short, injury-affected season in Japan and the crowds turned up.
This raised attendance by a bankable difference and he isn’t the only one with that type of pull power. The French clubs have backed a number of recruits and have seen dividends from these investments, so it shouldn’t be anything new that they are making a play for some of the biggest names.
This has created the rugby mercenary. There have been some major fall outs due to money. The recent walk out from Frans Steyn from the Springbok squad is based on money as well as some other factors. Papers have quoted that he would have been wealthier in France and SARU couldn’t deliver on a financial agreement which seemingly prompted him to leave.
He is a mercenary that required some extra cash but it fell through and the crest didn’t matter. A similar problem affected Matt Giteau when he played for the Force. A badge is no more than a source of cash and these men honour no loyalty to said badge.
This problem isn’t new and it won’t end. Players will chase the bigger deal and another controversial signing is brewing with talk of one of Australia’s greatest assets ready to sign for Toulon after 2015. Israel Folau has made some immeasurable differences to the reputation of the Waratahs and the Wallabies. It’s difficult to put a financial amount on what he brings to the game.
His skill is sublime and he is able to draw and avoid defenders and leads the try scoring list for this year’s Super Rugby competition. I couldn’t take a guess on what his influence is on the ticket sales but I am sure that his presence has a positive contribution.
I’m sure that any club in the world will pay a handsome amount for his name to be on the roster, but this argument isn’t about the money that some can earn, rather about the badge or crest that they play for.
Will Folau leave Australian shores to cash in on a big payday? Maybe, but he’ll give up the chance to represent Australia as long he is based overseas. The ARU are trying to convince him to stay and compete in the Olympics in 2016.
I don’t know how much of a pull the Olympics will have over the amount of money that Toulon are prepared to offer.
For players in his position, money trumps pride. It’s a simple equation. Some players want the pride and others want the cash. There are policies that deter players from leaving but some do leave.
This brings the question again: How much does the crest mean to you? To them? It’s valuable and sacred but money is more fluid and is sacred in all parts of the world. I may be cynical in this assessment but the facts are there.
The gifted players have a chance to play for a larger paycheque than they are playing for now and will take what’s on offer – some stay loyal and build the supporters’ faith in the brand but others jump codes and clubs and never have the true faith of the entrenched supporter.
Loyalty is priceless but in the end, anything can be bought in the professional era.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.