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NZ Rugby World column, September 2006
Well, we're just about one year away from Rugby World Cup 2007. Coaches all around the world will be anxiously preparing players, tactics, game plans and competitive analysis for what has become one of the world's great sporting occasions. In 2003 the event netted the IRB NZ$194 MM. There was a TV audience of three billion with 1.9 MM ticket sales. The rugbyworldcup.com website had 495 MM hits over the tournament. Only the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup generate larger global audiences. Winning test matches is always important but in today's world, building for the World Cup is what really counts. Twelve months away we have New Zealand ranked #1 in the world, ahead of France, Australia and South Africa. Ireland is ranked #5 (which I believe to be a little harsh; if they can remain injury free they are probably superior to the current South African side), followed by England, Scotland, Argentina, Wales and Samoa. Fiji and Italy could upset the bottom four ranked sides, but it's hard to look for a winner outside of the top three. Rugby cannot continue to progress globally unless the game becomes more competitive and future World Cups have more depth and more potential winners, as we have in soccer. The IRB are on top of this and have recently implemented a strong investment plan to assist the seven tier two unions. These are the USA, Canada, Japan, Romania, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. I have romantic connections to the Pacific Islands who I think have been great contributors to the world game and I also have nostalgic respect for Canada where I played in Toronto in the late 80's. My efforts though are going to be focused on the US where I have recently been appointed to the newly formed nine-man board of USA Rugby. Six independents, a congress representative, and two professional athletes make up the board which will meet for the first time on September 23 and 24 in New York. As I wrote a couple of months back, the potential in the US is extraordinary. There are already 59,000 players (compared to 71,000 in Wales, 78,000 in Argentina, 86,000 in Ireland, and 87,000 in Fiji) and yet rugby does not rank in the top 50 participation sports in the US. 30 MM people play basketball, 14.5 MM play baseball and a staggering 14 MM play soccer. Soccer has built up to this level over the past 20 years and the US, of course, are now an international force. To put it into perspective, there are 3 MM participants in cheerleading (a sport in the US!). So the potential to grow is enormous. The US Eagles are ranked 14 in the world and the women are top five. And, as you can see, we're currently bringing quite a bit to the women's game. (Photo of Jen Sinkler to be placed here.) USA Rugby has been developed passionately across the country by a number of committed believers and there have been a few good players over the years, such as Dan Lyle and Dave Hodges. Funding at the moment is miniscule with current revenues totalling only $3 MM. This compares to $50 MM in Ireland, $70 MM in Wales, $55 MM in Australia and a very respectable $112 MM in New Zealand. England rules the roost in revenue with $161 MM and also has the most players with 1.2 MM more than 3 x the figure in South Africa, 6 x France and 8 x New Zealand. Lucky for us, very few of them know how to pass and run. |
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England are clinging on to their 6 world ranking and October 2007 can't come soon enough for me. This will be the month when English fans finally stop harping on about Sydney 2003. Whether Robinson will still be coaching them or not is moot. The new elite director of rugby will have responsibility for the international side which will dilute Robinson's power even further. In early August the RFU admitted that Robinson no longer had sole control over selection and that his choices could be overruled by the three assistant coaches (including an old school colleague of mine, Brian Ashton) if the three are in unanimous disagreement with a Robinson choice. Charming. Not designed to inspire and motivate the head coach. The key goals for the US revolve around growing participation levels to the 1 MM mark, same as England, in the next five years, coupled with growing revenue exponentially so that the game can become fully professional. If the US can get the game established and accepted at Universities where sports facilities are unparalleled, develop a high performance academy system, transform fully into a professional sport and capture a niche position with media, athletes and communities in the US, then watch out world. The natural playing ability in the US for a fast moving, physical contact sport like rugby is second to none. A successful US would be great for the global game of rugby, which is currently played in just over 100 countries by 95 unions. 3 MM play the game globally with 3,000 playing at the professional level. Bringing the US into this fold would jump-shift the game to a new level in terms of participation, global appeal, sponsorship, revenue and competition. And the players do need someone else to play. I don't know how you feel about the current Tri-Nations format but I can't believe players or fans will continue to be excited about playing South Africa and Australia three times every year. It is sensory overload. Boredom will set in and if we have too many games like the recent South Africa / Australia kicking horror show then we will lose many of the new supporters that the original Tri-Nations and original Super Twelve brought into the game. I watched the match from my home in St Tropez and was bewildered, bored and frustrated. Nil nil would have been flattering to both sides. Inept tactics, appalling execution and an incredible lack of passion, commitment and rugby thinking from all concerned. I think the players and supporters need less Tri-Nations rugby, more flexibility and more variety. Player burnout is the biggest issue facing the Northern Hemisphere; boredom is the Southern Hemisphere's biggest issue. We need to be playing the Lions, full strength French sides, full strength Irish and English sides, and Argentina. We also need a world provincial decider between the two Hemispheres. Get Munster down to Jade Stadium and we'd pack the place out, the players would love it and Northern Hemisphere TV rights would more than pay the unions and players involved. Time for some innovation. Time for the US to step up!
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