21 highs and lows as professional rugby gets set to celebrate its 25th birthday
Rugby union turned professional on August 26 1995, a landmark moment for the sport which came a couple of months after reigning champions South Africa clinched World Cup glory on home soil. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the sport’s highs and lows during the past 25 years.
High – A new era begins. The International Rugby Board declares the sport an “open game”, lifting restrictions on payments to those connected to rugby union.
High – With professionalism comes the introduction of European club rugby. The inaugural Heineken Cup is made up of twelve sides from France, Ireland, Wales, Italy and Romania and starts on the final day of October 1995. English and Scottish teams join the following season.
Low – England are kicked out of the 1997 Five Nations after selling TV rights for the tournament to BSkyB for £87.5million. A ‘Four Nations’ competition is initially formed before England are later reinstated.
High – The British and Irish Lions become only the third touring side to win a Test series in South Africa. With the scores tied at 15-15 in Durban in June 1997, Jeremy Guscott nervelessly slots a decisive drop goal to give the Lions an unassailable 2-0 lead.
It's hard to believe it's a quarter of a century on Wednesday that the late Vernon Pugh declared rugby an “open” sporthttps://t.co/5aJaCXHq8C
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 25, 2020
High – In 1998, the Women’s World Cup is officially sanctioned for the first time by the International Rugby Board. The tournament in Amsterdam follows unofficial competitions in 1991 and 1994.
Low – Lawrence Dallaglio resigns the England captaincy in May 1999 following newspaper allegations he had taken and dealt hard drugs. Dallaglio categorically denies the claims.
High – Hailed by some as rugby’s greatest game, a record crowd of 109,874 are in attendance in Sydney for New Zealand’s remarkable 39-35 win over rivals Australia. Each side runs in five tries, with the Wallabies managing to be level at half-time after trailing 24-0 inside ten minutes.
Low – South Africa’s sports minister Ngconde Balfour calls for urgent talks with rugby chiefs after reports of unorthodox Word Cup preparations in 2003. Springboks players later speak of climbing nude through tunnels dug by foxes, having cold water poured over their heads, and killing chickens with their bare hands during the military-style boot camp.
High – England secure a new generation of fans back home by becoming world champions in 2003 thanks to Jonny Wilkinson’s dramatic extra-time drop goal against Australia in Sydney. England remain the only northern hemisphere side to have won the competition.
Low – The 2005 Lions tour lasts just 45 seconds for captain Brian O’Driscoll. The Irishman is left writhing in agony with a dislocated shoulder after New Zealand pair Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu execute a controversial spear tackle. They escaped punishment for an incident which continues to be debated.
Low – Toulouse and Ireland forward Trevor Brennan receives a lifetime ban, which is reduced to five years on appeal, after jumping into the crowd and punching an Ulster fan at a Heineken Cup match in January 2007.
Low – Harlequins escape a ban from the Heineken Cup after being embroiled in a 2009 scandal dubbed ‘Bloodgate’. Tom Williams uses a fake blood capsule during the quarter-final loss to Leinster, which allowed the already-substituted Nick Evans to return as a blood replacement.
Low – Days after England are knocked out of the 2011 World Cup by France, centre Manu Tuilagi is warned by police and fined £3,000 by rugby officials after jumping from a ferry in Auckland.
High – Japan, who would go on to reach the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals as hosts, announce their arrival on the international stage in 2015 with probably the biggest upset in rugby union history. Dubbed the ‘Miracle of Brighton’, Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms shock South Africa 34-32 thanks to a late Karne Hesketh try.
Low – England are embarrassed on home soil at the 2015 World Cup, becoming the first host nation to be eliminated from the competition at the end of the group stage following Twickenham defeats to Wales and Australia.
Low – Jonah Lomu, arguably the sport’s first true global superstar, dies at the age of just 40 in November 2015. The New Zealander – pictured above in action for the Barbarians – suffered an unexpected heart attack linked to previous kidney problems.
High – Rugby Sevens appears in a summer Olympics for the first time as the men’s and women’s events get underway at the Rio Games in 2016. Fiji win gold in the men’s event, with Australia successful in the women’s.
High – The Rugby Football Union announces England Women’s first squad of full-time professional players in January 2019.
High – The 2019 World Cup in Japan, won by South Africa, becomes the most-watched rugby event in history. More than 857million people around the world tune in, an increase of 26 per cent from the previous tournament in England.
Low – In January 2020, reigning Premiership champions Saracens are condemned to relegation to the Championship after breaching salary cap rules during the 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons.
Low – Rugby union in England is suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, with the Six Nations and other tournaments across the world already halted. The pandemic casts uncertainty on the future of the game.
'It did turn sour'
Ed Griffiths' behind the scenes insight into the Springboks 1995 #RWC win ??, the back story to the Mandela moment, confronting flag-waving fans, holding clothes hangers for luck & the lost opportunity of it all
– writes @heagneyl https://t.co/XpSHESE4cF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 24, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
69 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments