Post by rus on Jan 24, 2007 7:19:41 GMT -5
Here are two recent articles on the subject:
The first is from a Scottish journalist. Here is the nub of his argument
www.theherald.co.uk/sport/rugby/display.var.1137441.0.0.php
...What is quite appalling is the culture that has been created. It cannot be right that involvement with a club which is representative of only part of our country's community and which has, rightly or wrongly, been associated with some rather unpleasant aspects of our society, is more important than guiding the fortunes of the team who represent the entire nation, but that is how it is.
The day that sort of tribal thinking dominates rugby is the day many of us turn away from the sport, but Celtic solidarity can prevent that from ever becoming the case.
Well it seems many have turned away from the sport of union over the years. From all accounts rugby & soccer were level pegging at the time of the rugby split in England in 1895.
Today first division soccer get crowds of around 13 million to its matches for the 2006 while union got 1,355,820.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_league_attendances
(note the points to consider especially the one that say,' ...No-shows for paid seats may be included in some cases, but not in others.' You know 16,815 & all that.)
I can't help but feel the author is just reflecting his upbringing. He lives in a small country that couldn't sustain a pro-rugby union competition at club level.
IMO his only outlet is his national team. This is 'reason-to-be' for union in south Wales, NZ & amongst the minority white population in South Africa. These small populations never had the infrastructure let alone players for a pro competition on a regular basis.
Anyway here is different view from Shaun Edwards:
blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/01/19/being_in_heineken_cup_was_why.html
The World Cup - and with it the restriction that no rugby can be played in the host nation for the duration of the competition - threatens the credibility of their beloved championship, the Top 14, and the television revenues it brings.
However, seen through English eyes, and particularly those of a man who came from rugby league, it's about as damaging as attempting to do away with Leicester, Gloucester, Sale, Northampton, Wasps, and London Irish - the heartlands of rugby in this country - in a plan no one who understood the game would ever contemplate. But let's concentrate on the place the Heineken Cup holds in our season.
My feelings were crystallised when Andy Farrell was considering switching codes. We talked about the pros and cons of the move from league to union - the journey I made back in 2001 after playing 35 Tests and 573 first-class matches in league. Top of my list of memories was playing in the Heineken Cup - travelling across Europe, taking part in a competition that, at its best, could be as special as playing for your country. Two examples stood out - both from 2004.
The first was the semi-final against Munster before 48,000 - mostly Irish -fans at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, when two late tries - one in the corner by our remarkable hooker Trevor Leota - brought us back from the dead to reach the final. The second was the final itself and Rob Howley's cheeky try in the last minute to beat Toulouse.
The semi-final had everything. We were 32-22 down after an hour but scored five tries to Munster's two to win 37-32. As someone wrote, it was a game that ticked all the right boxes and was an absolute cliff-hanger. It was probably the best union game I'd ever seen, but an equally vivid memory is the morning of the match. We usually take a walk at 10.30 on match days, throwing a rugby ball about. That day we were accompanied by about 3,000 fans
There are some good blogs at the end of the article. Have a read.
The first is from a Scottish journalist. Here is the nub of his argument
www.theherald.co.uk/sport/rugby/display.var.1137441.0.0.php
...What is quite appalling is the culture that has been created. It cannot be right that involvement with a club which is representative of only part of our country's community and which has, rightly or wrongly, been associated with some rather unpleasant aspects of our society, is more important than guiding the fortunes of the team who represent the entire nation, but that is how it is.
The day that sort of tribal thinking dominates rugby is the day many of us turn away from the sport, but Celtic solidarity can prevent that from ever becoming the case.
Well it seems many have turned away from the sport of union over the years. From all accounts rugby & soccer were level pegging at the time of the rugby split in England in 1895.
Today first division soccer get crowds of around 13 million to its matches for the 2006 while union got 1,355,820.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_league_attendances
(note the points to consider especially the one that say,' ...No-shows for paid seats may be included in some cases, but not in others.' You know 16,815 & all that.)
I can't help but feel the author is just reflecting his upbringing. He lives in a small country that couldn't sustain a pro-rugby union competition at club level.
IMO his only outlet is his national team. This is 'reason-to-be' for union in south Wales, NZ & amongst the minority white population in South Africa. These small populations never had the infrastructure let alone players for a pro competition on a regular basis.
Anyway here is different view from Shaun Edwards:
blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/01/19/being_in_heineken_cup_was_why.html
The World Cup - and with it the restriction that no rugby can be played in the host nation for the duration of the competition - threatens the credibility of their beloved championship, the Top 14, and the television revenues it brings.
However, seen through English eyes, and particularly those of a man who came from rugby league, it's about as damaging as attempting to do away with Leicester, Gloucester, Sale, Northampton, Wasps, and London Irish - the heartlands of rugby in this country - in a plan no one who understood the game would ever contemplate. But let's concentrate on the place the Heineken Cup holds in our season.
My feelings were crystallised when Andy Farrell was considering switching codes. We talked about the pros and cons of the move from league to union - the journey I made back in 2001 after playing 35 Tests and 573 first-class matches in league. Top of my list of memories was playing in the Heineken Cup - travelling across Europe, taking part in a competition that, at its best, could be as special as playing for your country. Two examples stood out - both from 2004.
The first was the semi-final against Munster before 48,000 - mostly Irish -fans at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, when two late tries - one in the corner by our remarkable hooker Trevor Leota - brought us back from the dead to reach the final. The second was the final itself and Rob Howley's cheeky try in the last minute to beat Toulouse.
The semi-final had everything. We were 32-22 down after an hour but scored five tries to Munster's two to win 37-32. As someone wrote, it was a game that ticked all the right boxes and was an absolute cliff-hanger. It was probably the best union game I'd ever seen, but an equally vivid memory is the morning of the match. We usually take a walk at 10.30 on match days, throwing a rugby ball about. That day we were accompanied by about 3,000 fans
There are some good blogs at the end of the article. Have a read.
