Ex-New Zealand and Wales chief: 'Do fans want to watch that rubbish?'
The ex-CEO of the both New Zealand and Wales rugby unions has called on the major northern hemisphere nations to start sharing Test match income to help the game avoid a world-wide financial meltdown.
One of the chief architects of SANZAR before Argentina joined New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, David Moffett established Welsh regional rugby, dealt with massive WRU debts, fought to keep the Six Nations on free-to-air TV and took decisions that attracted plenty of flak from fans and fellow officials during his career.
With rugby now facing unprecedented financial pressures due to the coronavirus pandemic, unions are struggling to remain solvent and it has put the spotlight on the thorny subject of revenue sharing. With a home England international generating up to £12million a game for the Rugby Football Union, it is natural that teams like New Zealand want to a significant slice of the action while the Pacific Islands nations would be happy with just 10 per cent.
However, England matches at Twickenham deliver 85 per cent of the RFU’s finances and the idea of spreading the wealth to aid the southern hemisphere nations is an anathema to many, particularly with the RFU facing eye0-watering losses this year.
It cost hundreds of millions of pounds to create a major stadia like Twickenham and the RFU question why, for example, New Zealand don’t have a similarly large arena with state of the art hospitality facilities. To increase revenue the All Blacks have to become a travelling attraction, getting a share of the gate wherever they appear. World Cup winners South Africa are in a similar position.
Before any rugby restart happens, Moffett expects the major southern hemisphere unions to play hardball over the issue, telling RugbyPass that the looming presence of private equity company CVC – which is buying a share of European rugby – should act as a warning.
He explained: “Because of this virus the southern hemisphere unions are bleeding to death and how are they going to replenish their coffers if it’s not through some kind of agreement with the wealthy unions? I can absolutely see that happening and the only role for World Rugby in this is as a broker because they cannot dictate to an individual union what happens to their gate money.
“The southern hemisphere nations are going to be agitating more and more for a share of the gates when they play in the north and that will be resisted. The equalisation of income has to be on the table and the major southern hemisphere countries may have to play hardball to get a change.
“For the Pacific Islands nations, it’s a double whammy because they get nothing for playing the top northern hemisphere teams who don’t tour in the Islands. That has to be looked at. It won’t be easy but the current crisis can be a catalyst for change involving the big twelve unions because if we get another of these viruses next year the game will just disappear.
“The sport has to come up with solutions rather than let outside organisations come in and take control by way of ownership. There will be posturing and veiled threats but the game has to work out how rugby is going to survive. CVC are circling around the top of the sport and will they be good for rugby in the long term? I don’t think so. When I was on the Six Nations I fought to keep the tournament on free-to-air because there are some things you don’t stuff around with – and one of them is the best competition in the world.
“I’m not sure that CVC understand what the fans want. The English Premiership and the French Top 14 knock Super Rugby for six because they are tribal, authentic and have promotion and relegation, and England would be crazy to ever do away with that.
“Super Rugby has been a disaster. We started with twelve teams but chased quantity not quality and it’s a lop-sided competition. Crowds and viewership are down and what sport transports its players around the southern hemisphere every year – it’s crazy. Japan is attracting more players because it’s not as competitive has fewer matches and they can earn a lot of money.”
Moffett also delivered a withering verdict on World Rugby just days after Bill Beaumont was given another four years as chairman of the sport’s governing body. The administrator, who has also held the roles of CEO with Australia’s NRL and Sport England, remains passionate about the sport and is demanding clarity of purpose from the governing body.
“A lot of the time, decisions are made that are not best for South African rugby”
– @fsteyn12 tells @JLyall93 ??? why things must change for @Springboks rugby to fully realise its value. Also beers with Prince Harry and coming home from @MHR_officiel https://t.co/yOXy255JCn— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 5, 2020
“The solution for the international game is to get World Rugby to tell us what their purpose is and to be honest about it” he added. “What do they mean by a global season? It’s a global season for the twelve best teams in the world and it’s not about anything else.
“It’s all about the money and World Rugby have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to the laws of the game and the mode of play. Everything we hear about is centred on the professional game, but where are those players going to come from? They don’t just knock on your door. They come from a school or a club and there needs to be a balance struck, but I don’t see that happening.
“The laws are absolutely atrocious because they have fiddled around with them to encompass the way some coaches want to play the game. The game used to be played by players on their feet and now we have guys wrestling on the ground and endless time spent on resetting scrums. Do fans want to watch that rubbish?
The confirmation that Sir Bill Beaumont will complete a second-term as World Rugby chairman came as no surprise, but the former England captain will need all his might to save rugby from crisis.
Is he the man for the job?
– asks @OwainJTJones https://t.co/uuMvrnzTxz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 3, 2020
“Unfortunately, what we have got is a massive disconnect between the professional game and the community game and I didn’t care who got the job of chairman of World Rugby because I don’t have faith that either of them actually understands what the role and purpose of World Rugby is.
“They like the sexy end where all the money is and they have forgotten about the 99 per cent of people playing the game because of the pursuit of money. They will say they are concerned about the grassroots of the game but none of their actions proves that is true.
“The majority of fans I speak to would prefer longer tours and watch a three-Test series between New Zealand and England and the success of the British and Irish Lions tours prove this. I firmly believe that the professional game should be primarily aimed at promoting the amateur game and provide financial support because they are not separate entities. We are losing this.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe 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….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 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
14 Go to comments