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I’m a long time advocate of cross-union collaboration – particularly between countries with union-owned clubs and structures.
As some Roarers will know from my previous comments, I believe the endless Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere comparisons and drawing of hemispheric battle lines are misdirected and in the wrong place. The battle is between union and private club owner for the future direction of the game.
During the general debate in 2016 about New Zealand wanting a greater fee for playing during November internationals, I argued that greater collaboration and links should be created between Rugby AU/New Zealand Rugby Union/SARU and IRFU/SRU/WRU around player and coach development as well as financial and commercial deals.
These should happen with the deliberate exclusion or minimising of initiatives with English and French unions and privately-held clubs.
SARU must have been thinking the same thing with their announcement about joining the PRO14 Championship last year, rather than attempt some linkage with the English Premiership. They acted to suit their long-term interests.
However, it was disappointing to learn this year that the New Zealand Rugby Union then chose to create an alliance but to do it with a club that was a member of a league that was steadily draining top class resources from the SANZAAR unions.
But the New Zealand Rugby Union are not fools and I recognised that they were choosing to be properly selfish in serving their best interests above anyone else’s.
Rugby Australia now needs to apply this principle of being properly selfish to stay in the game – like the familiar airline cabin instruction in the event of an incident – put your own mask on first.
I would argue Rugby Australia’s best interests are not served by attempting to align or collaborate further with New Zealand Rugby Union. There will only ever be one winner in such a partnership, and it won’t be wearing a gold jersey.
Instead, RA should look further afield to strengthen and deepen its playing systems, talent and on-field success. It should do that with the PRO14 unions and its competitions. It is an open system that welcomes a mix of talents, players and nationalities.
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It has controlled player quotas that, properly managed and overseen, could be beneficial to exchanging and developing new talent as well as more experienced wise heads and player mentors.
If New Zealand Rugby Union want to sup with the devil in creating an alliance with Harlequins (and the English RFU), why wouldn’t Australia align itself with clubs like Glasgow, Scarlets, Leinster or Munster and their owner unions in Scotland, Wales and Ireland?
Aussie fans could be forgiven for being overly negative about the state of Aussie rugby, with recent performances at Super and Test level. But they also need to remember they have a strong pedigree in the game. Not just in their home country but also in foreign fields.
The running assumption is that Ireland has benefited recently from an influx of Kiwi coaches and helped them to grow and develop. Joe Schmidt, without doubt, heads that list as proof positive of that influence.
A closer examination of their recent success, however, shows its foundations have been built on nearly 20 years of early failure, success learning and innovation and further success at club level driven in the main by Australian coaches such as Alan Gaffney, Tony McGahan (Munster), Matt Williams, Gary Ella, Michael Cheika, Matt O’Connor (Leinster) and players such as Rocky Elsom, Owen Finegan, Justin Harrison, Chris Whitaker, Jim Williams, Paul Warwick and, more, recently Scott Fardy, nominated for European Player of the Season.
It should also be acknowledged that two more Aussies have been largely responsible for putting in place the current domestic development pathway in Irish rugby from age grade through to the provincial academies in the men and women’s game – David Nucifora and Anthony Eddy.
New Zealand is no longer the preserve of how rugby should only be played, how players should only be coached, the winning game plans that can only be developed, or the systems that should only be put in place. The longer this mistaken belief continues to hold sway, the longer New Zealand will stay ahead of the game.
New Zealand is largely a protected and protective system. Outside influences are generally not welcome and preference will nearly always be given to the domestic rather than the external. New Zealand knows best – for itself.
Their pyramid system is almost genetically conditioned to reject foreign bodies or keep them isolated. They are properly selfish in protecting their systems and structures and their IP.
Time for Rugby Australia to do the same – in their best interests. When the IRFU travel south in June for the much-anticipated series between Australia and Ireland, a few useful chats between Raelene Castle, Phillip Browne and David Nucifora mightn’t go amiss.
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.