World cup America

Rugby union is a great game, a game I love it is the ultimate team game that brings out all sorts of exceptional qualities in the people of all shapes and sizes that play it. It is a game in a healthy state in the six nations countries witness the European cup semi-finals and the emergence of Italy as a six nations side. There are challenges for the game worldwide and the administrators are not always correct in their decisions.

The reason for this blog is that England today announced that they would be bidding for the 2015 rugby world cup. I personally hope they don't get it. An emerging nation or group of nations should get it. As much as I want to see the best rugby players in the world the growth of the game is more important.

Football is leading the way in this respect with tournaments in the USA and Japan this has led over time to the establishing of successful leagues with the j league and  major league soccer. Rugby union could go for the safe option as it has by staging the next world cup in New Zealand or it could expand the game further afield. Why should it do this? Because rugby union has taken root itself all over the world but the administrators have forgotten this. Contrast this with the experience of rugby league. It is a game that has its heartland in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and Cumbria in England. In Australia it is mainly played in New South Wales and Queensland. A little bit is played in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. It has been desperately trying to spread its boarders but really failed.The reaso is that they are trying to spread to epople who have never played it. Rugby Union does not have this problem it has taken root all over the world. The evidence for this is the IRB world seven championship which sells out all over the world including San Diego on the West Coast of America.

Rugby Union has done the opposite to rugby league and neglected parts of the world. There are three outstanding cases where the administrators of the game have got it wrong. The first are the pacific island states of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. There can be no doubt that the two big players in that region are Australia and New Zealand. These countries farm the talent from the pacific island countries and the IRB does nothing. There was the opportunity to fix this by allowing these countries individually or combined into the tri-nations but did not. The tri-nations then did not help by expanding their super fourteen competition with an Australian and South African teams when they could have got a Pacific Island team or team the expansion teams in super 14 have added nothing other than being cannon fodder for the more established sides. 

European administrators are not blameless because they have made their mistakes the most obvious one is Romania. In the eighties Romanian rugby was better than Italian rugby. After the fall of communism Romanian rugby died. The powers of Europe neglected Romania to the detriment of the game in central Europe. An active financing package for rugby in Romania would have saved the game. Instead the European administrators kept the money themselves.

The final example is Canada where the game is played by enthusiasts and the best players go to Europe if possible to earn a living. Canada have got worse since professionalism and often struggles for funding. Yet along with America has tremendous potential as it has a huge population used to physical sports. The IRB does not seem to realise the enthusiasm for the game and the excitement a world cup could generate if it was in North America. It has been up to England with its Saxons tours to keep international rugby going.

 

So world cup America is where the game should be, I want to see England versus New Zealand at the Toronto skydome. Or France versus Ireland in Giants stadium.

Hatton a tragedy in the making

The tragedy of the boxing game. This weekend Ricky Hatton was thrashed by Manny Pacquiao . Nothing particularly unusual about that. What is happening now is not unusual either, Hatton is considering his future. The tragedy of this will be if Hatton decides to come back.

Hatton has been to the top of the fight profession. He has sold out arenas throughout the world and is a hero to the people of Manchester. Here in lies the problem. Is Hatton on the verge of making a comeback to flatter his ego? Does he need to compete in front of thousands to feel normal?

Hatton has fought against the best in Mayweather and Pacquiao. He has been found wanting on both occasions. Boxing has a history of fighters going on that one fight to far and this leading to tragic consequences. Hatton is heading this way. Boxing is not like other sports veterans in boxing end up in hospital with parkinson's. There is no dignified way for a boxer to retire after a loss in most other sports a sportsman can wean them self off by playing a lower level in boxing it is not possible as the nature of the sport is hurting your opponent.

It is also a time for British professional boxing to take a long hard look at itself. Currently there is a crop of British boxers going through the transition from successful Olympic amateur to professional. The people that handle them need to consider that the only British boxer to make it to the very top has been Joe Calzaghe. He was an exceptional fighter who chose to retire at the right time(for the moment). Nobody else has made it to the top. The reason is parochialism. Boxing does not help at the this time with so many world titles around many British boxers can be world champions and sell out home town arenas. Fighters are looked after by the promoters and this means that they become hyped into thinking they are the the greatest boxer in their division. In the case of Hatton he fought the best and was found badly wanting. The question has to be asked if Frank Warren had not protected him would he have been a better fighter?

British boxers have traditionally stayed close to their roots and have trained in the towns where they are from. The British boxer remains a big fish in a small pond. The boxers need to go to the States and fight in the toughest gyms in the world. Although the US is having a tough time world champ wise it still trains the best fighters. To make it in a US gym and through the ranks of boxers a boxer really has to be good. If a boxer makes it here maybe he deserves to sell out the big arena and become a household name.

English man in France

Professional rugby has only been around for fifteen years. It is still feeling its way. The current crisis is in the conflict between club and country. The situation at the moment is that English rugby has a number of internationals both past, present and fringe on their way to France to play rugby. The England management team has issued a strong statement of the order that any player going to France to play will be seriously compromising their international future. Really saying that you go to France to play and you will not play for England.

I think the England management team have got this wrong. The consequences of this are that the England management may be losing some of there best players or even players that could be vital as squad members. England management are also being unfair.

The life of a professional rugby player is short and not profitable. Compared to a professional football player in the English premier league a rugby player is remunerated poorly. They are subject to a salary cap, which I agree with as the game would go bust without it. A rugby player should have the right to earn and earn well they are a long time retired. France will always have the earning power ten times that of England because clubs do not pay for the grounds they play in they in. Many are Stade Municipal and free for rugby clubs. Money only goes on wages. In England the game does not work that way and thank god for the salary cap otherwise the game would be dominated by the richest clubs.

England rugby management will pick the French based players it is a matter of need. If Jonny Wilkinson goes to Toulon and has a great season he will be selected as any country not even England with the biggest player base in the game have enough quality to play international rugby or more importantly win the would cup. French rugby maybe beneficial for some players it is tough and uncompromising based in the regionalism of France. The club is the king of the town and that means any player playing for the club must be totally committed to the club over and above country.

There is a tremendous furore that players are playing too much. A strike was narrowly avoided between the England management and the clubs over allowing players to play what they forgot was that players have the right to earn and if a player want to earn and earn well why not? Players know if they are playing too much and know if a move is wrong the French experience maybe exactly what the England teams need a different style of play and coaching maybe the stimulus that drives the England team to success. Why? French rugby is known for the excitement for its back play English rugby is not in fact it is mainly known for solid play and no flair. If English players are exposed to the French style of play surely it will benefit the game, There will be no mass exodus of players from England as in the history professional sport this has never happened.