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'If foreign talent is the way to reignite the passion for rugby in Australia, then the sport is already lost'
Rugby Australia might have just had their most impactful month in years, only for this to have been effectively been undone by their latest attempt at innovation. Drafting surplus New Zealand players may stunt the growth of Australia’s promising young talent, so Finn Morton asks why jeopardise a system that’s already starting to work?
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After months of debate, speculation and financial frustration, Rugby Australia might have just had their most impactful month in years, only for this to have effectively been tarnished with their latest attempt at innovation.
Earlier in the week, RA unveiled a broadcast package proposal that looked to clear up all uncertainty about the future of Australian rugby, giving New Zealand the deadline of September 4 to join their plans.
The proposal for 2021 and beyond includes a Champions League-esque series featuring the best sides from the southern hemisphere, a National Club Championship and the ambitious inclusion of a three-game ‘State of Union’ series, which is seemingly identical to rival code rugby league’s State of Origin.
RA also outlined plans for either a 10-team trans-Tasman or an Australian orientated competition.
Either way, five Australian teams is their expectation, so breathe easy Western Force fans.
Interim CEO Rob Clarke clarified that Australia needs a competition that “has integrity to it”, so that the game could grow Down Under.
Players and fans alike were impressed with their stance on the matter and the pressure put on New Zealand. Wallabies hooker Jordan Uelese was a notable player to publicly praise the governing body as they look to address the financial state of the game.
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But on Thursday, all their good work – all their examples of revolution, progress and passion – have effectively been undone by the latest idea of what Australia could do differently.
It was reported that RA chairman Hamish McLennan will look to include a draft in whatever format Super Rugby is played in from next year. McLennan believes that Australian teams being able to draft surplus New Zealand players would be a solution to the apparent gap in quality between the trans-Tasman rivals.
His idea could also lead to the creation of rugby’s Big Bash, which has proved so successful in cricket over the last decade with players on short contracts.
This comes nearly a month after New Zealand Rugby invited Australia to join their proposed Super Rugby competition from next year, even though that might have seen them field as few as two teams.
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“Not interested,” was partly how McLennan responded to NZR’s plans.
RA stood their ground in saying that it was either five teams or Australia would go at it alone. But now, by even suggesting the draft concept, the chairman is all but acknowledging that there might not be enough talent to field five competitive franchises next year.
Super Rugby AU has been highly competitive up until this point, with the most recent round seeing two underdogs record famous victories by significant margins. Despite their winless record, even the Force have impressed, coming close against the Reds at Suncorp, and pushed the Rebels to Super Time.
Young players have stood up in these games as well, showing in breakout campaigns that the future for Dave Rennie and the Wallabies could well and truly be something special.
2019 Junior Wallaby Will Harrison has scored the most points in the competition so far, while his 22-year-old teammate James Ramm has the most clean breaks. 20-year-olds Harry Wilson and Byron Ralston have also been standouts.
But the draft would see players from New Zealand cross the Tasman and potentially take the places of lesser known up-and-coming players before they even get their chance to shine. Younger players coming through the ranks may be left to ply their trade in the National Rugby Championship and park rugby depending on the talent coming from abroad.
These remarks from the chairman comes just a year after the Junior Wallabies equalled their best ever record at a World Rugby U20 Championship, finishing runners-up to France. In the same year, Australia recorded a historic 24-0 win over New Zealand’s Baby Blacks on the Gold Coast, and the Australian Schools and U18s also beat their Kiwi counterparts 18-14 in Hamilton.
As RA try and usher in a golden generation, stunting their progression doesn’t seem logical, especially with the lure of league facing prospects as they come through the ranks.
While competition for places is healthy, Super Rugby AU is a product that works and the quality is only getting better. The Australian talent on display is energetic, youthful and exciting, with a number of players already putting their hands up for higher honours.
So why jeopardise a system that appears to be working?
But let’s not forget why RA may be considering a draft in the first place: while the loss of talent to league is a factor, players staying in Australia and not heading overseas is arguably more significant.
RA are addressing the financial issues with the broadcast proposal, but Samu Kerevi, Liam Gill and Will Skelton are just some of the players to have gone overseas in their prime.
That’s a problem that needs to be solved, and it looks like RA are doing some of the right things at the moment.
It’s not going to be a quick fix, but if foreign talent is the way to reignite the passion for rugby Down Under, then the sport is already lost.
So, if RA have to bring in talent from abroad just to compete, then they owe the Australian rugby community an apology and explanation on why they’re the ones who’ve surrendered their integrity.
Comments on RugbyPass
I wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to comments