Mass-Spectator Or Mass-Participation, Rugby's Big Dilemma

IT HAS taken almost a quarter of a century, but, I am glad to see, the world of rugby is finally getting to grips with professionalism, and its insidious effect on what was once the world's greatest team game.

I will most-likely not be around to see it, but, I hope, if the Health and Safety Police have been kept at bay, and we still have rugby as a participation sport in another quarter of a century, ordinary clubmen around the world raise a glass to toast Augustin Pichot.

Augustin Pichot - his World League plan is shaking things up

Because, the Argentinian's support for this new-fangled World League of Rugby just might focus minds sufficiently on what its introduction could see us lose.

I know the professional sports administrators and leaders, TCD and the other guys he has on speed dial, will welcome its introduction. They are dazzled by the possibility of pound sterling, Euro, Dollar and Rand signs – the additional income which might accrue, if they can get the correct TV deal signed-up. However, they don't always get it right, as witness the story which broke from left field last week, about how the greed and misreading of the market by TCD and his Welsh counterpart managed to fuck-up negotiations with RBS and ultimately cost the 6 Nations a fair wedge.

Some fear, top-level rugby's chasing of broadcast money just might be a huge mistake. For the loss-making English and French clubs, they need additional income, to help balance the books – however, as we have seen with football any additional income is usually spent on ever-bigger salaries to players who, back in the bad old days of the maximum wage, would have been journeymen at best.

The World League is seen, in the southern hemisphere as additional income which just might help their unions stem the flood of players turning their backs on All Black, Wallaby and Springbok jerseys to chase the cash in Europe.

What I wonder will happen to those heading for England, if Brexit is even half as big a shit storm as many fear it will be?

The World League might make it easier for the SRU to balance the books. Now, I am not TCD's biggest fan, but, I have to admit, he has done a good job in balancing the books in difficult times – extra money from the new venture, if it happens, will make his job a wee bit easier.

But, I fear, few of these hypothetical additional riches will find their way to where they are badly needed – in the lower levels of the game. I fear, rugby is going down the football route of trying to become a mass-spectator sport, rather than a mass-participation one.

John Hart is not a fan of the new competition, however

And I am not alone in having this fear. Former All Blacks coach John Hart hit out at the new concept, in an interview with the New Zealand website Stuff, published over the weekend.

He believes the new competition will mean more money going into the same pockets, with little of the new riches going where it is needed – at the grass-roots.

He said: “I'm really worried about where we are with the game when you see the numbers dropping off in secondary schools. It's not because of professionalism, it's the game itself that is struggling.

"The physicality of the game is turning people away. It's a really difficult game to play and what people see at the top is what they see through the age-groups.

"We need a step change to say let's build participation, and have a participation stream and a high performance stream, and make sure we broaden our horizons."

Hart believes the modern game is too complicated and too physical to have broad appeal in the junior ranks and that schools should look closer at the abbreviated form of the sport.

"We've got to take the physicality down, bring in skill and let kids enjoy it. If our schools are really keen on participation they should be looking at sevens," he added.

Hart is widely seen as one of the game's deepest thinkers – if he's seeing troubles ahead, maybe we should be paying attention.

THE SRU media department's chronic inability to know a good story when it surfaces was shown last week, with the following item – which I found hidden away in the Glasgow Warriors' weekly #We Are Warriors supporters' newsletter.

The final item was a piece on the 2019 SP Energy Networks Championship, the second edition of which was launched on Friday, at SP Energy's huge Whitelee Windfarm on the Fenwick Moor.

The Whitelee Wind Farm photo-call for the new schools tournament

This competition is a schools event, featuring around 1000 kids, from 25 schools across Central, Southern and the West of Scotland, with the final being played as a warm-up, prior to the third leg of the 1872 Cup match, at Scotstoun.

Few of the participating schools have a strong rugby heritage, with the all the matches taking place, on Wednesday afternoons, at Scotstoun, starting this Wednesday, 6 February. Each school will enter S1 and S2 boys teams, and an Under-15 girls team.

Participating schools and qualification dates:

 

Q1 - Wednesday 6 February:

Annan Academy, Stonelaw High School, Loudoun Academy, Smithycroft Secondary School, Eastwood High School.

Q2 - Wednesday 20 February:

Lenzie Academy, Maxwelltown High School, Falkirk High School, Cumnock Academy, Oban High School.

Q3 - Wednesday 27 February:

Balfron High School, Auchinleck Academy, Queen Margaret Academy, Kirkcudbright Academy, St Andrew's RC Secondary School (Glasgow).

Q4- Wednesday 6 March:

Kyle Academy, Coatbridge High School, Largs Academy, Ayr Academy, St Paul's High School.

Q5 - Wednesday 13 March:

Marr College, St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, Jordanhill School, Boclair Academy, Wallace High School.

Semi-finals: Wednesday 27 March:

Finals day: Saturday 27 April:

Prior to Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh

I look forward to seeing how this competition unfolds. If it helps re-establish rugby in state schools, then it is a win-win initiative.