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Ex-All Blacks trio's call for return of 'vibrant' old-school international tours

By Online Editors
(Photo by Ross Land/Getty Images)

Rugby tours akin to those of the amateur days of the game could well be the future of the code, according to three former All Blacks.

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Speaking to former teammate Jeff Wilson on Sky Sport‘s The Breakdown, All Blacks greats Justin Marshall and Sir John Kirwan supported the notion of reinstating lengthy international tours that would see test teams face off against provincial and clubs sides in mid-week clashes.

The future of rugby around the globe is being assessed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, which has put significant financial pressure on organisations worldwide after the sport came to a standstill midway through last month.

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The economic implications of coronavirus has called into question the feasibility of competitions such as Super Rugby, which is one of many leagues where clubs have had to enforce redundancies and salary slashes to stay afloat.

Super Rugby had already been facing problems in terms of maintaining fan engagement prior to the suspension of the competition, but the pandemic has allowed relevant governing bodies an opportunity to evaluate their shortfalls and assess where improvements can be made once the virus is contained.

New Zealand Rugby announced earlier this week an investigation into the future of Super Rugby, where factors including hefty international travel and a monotonous schedule have contributed to its gradual downfall as the world’s premier club competition.

Wilson suggested a potential solution to help regain fan interest in the sport in the form of old-school tours, whereby the likes of the All Blacks would play in a three-match test series as well as mid-week fixtures against local outfits.

“I look at this as a massive opportunity for not just players but for everyone, fans in particular” Wilson said on Tuesday.

“Surely there would be a hunger to see South Africa come back to New Zealand and play a three-test series?

“I look at ’93, my first tour for the All Blacks. It’s an incredibly special time.

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“I think it was nine or 10 games we played together and I played all but one.”

Both Kirwan and Marshall agreed with Wilson’s sentiments, with both players having experienced tours with the All Blacks during their playing careers.

“I’m always talking about tribalism and tradition. Why is the Lions so successful? Because we look forward to it,” Kirwan told The Breakdown.

“I think the future can be about touring because we’re going too many places too often.

“So, if we toured the UK but we only toured England and Ireland, say, but we played mid-week [such as] Munster, maybe Saracens, we would fill those stadiums.

“Of course, there has to be the old moola in the middle of it, but bring back the old tours to make money, but also re-galvanise us.”

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Marshall described the current schedule for top-tier players in New Zealand as “quite repetitive for them, even the international games they’re playing.”

The 81-test former halfback said playing matches against club sides, like the All Blacks did in 2008 when they faced Munster in mid-week clash at Thomond Park in Limerick, would spruce the international calendar up for players and fans alike.

“Those sorts of things are vibrant for the current professional players who get a lot of repetition in their rugby that they play now,” he said.

“The opportunity for them to go somewhere, [to see] what it’s like to play in somewhere like Limerick, which is never an easy place to go.”

Marshall added that tours of that ilk “really brings people together, really brings the community together when they get a touring team, an international team, turning up in a local town.”

Kirwan emphasised the importance of a “less is more” approach to competitions such as Super Rugby, as that would allow room to create special occasions for fans that have been rarely seen in the professional era.

“Cut down Super Rugby, whatever the new one is going to look like,” the former 63-test wing said.

“Leave four or five weekends so you can have North v South, you can go on tour or you can play midweek.

“I think it gives us a better opportunity, not only for the young fellas.

“We always used to know that when we went on tour it was the making of guys. They might have to make nine games.

“They might have to play midweek then back up on Saturday and if they got through that it was like earning a couple of stripes.”

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J
Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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