New Zealand Rugby Playing a Short Game By Refusing To Let All Blacks Play a Shorter Game
Today’s announcement that there will be no current All Blacks playing in the Brisbane 10s is both a shocking blow and entirely predictable, writes Duncan Greive.
Update! In an exciting and mystifying development, Duco have countered the story suggesting the All Blacks “were never” likely to play with a release suggesting that 10 members of the end of year squad will in fact play in Brisbane. Two big and belligerent organisations saying contradictory things, with no way of them both being right? It’s the best Southern Hemisphere rugby clash we’re likely to see until at least June.
Despite the manifest importance of Brisbane to Super Rugby and the region’s fortunes beyond the international game – as well as the embarrassment of the men’s Sevens team’s Rio Olympics campaign – New Zealand Rugby seemingly remains indifferent to all games and teams that don’t involve the All Blacks fifteens’ side.
It’s predictable in some respects, to the point that their absence is hardly news at all – a 12-week stand-down following the end-of-year tour is part of the All Blacks’ collective agreement, and thus Brisbane would have required an exemption to get around it. And if one of the All Blacks’ sub-brands (as Sevens must be considered) was unable to find flexibility, it’s no surprise that a tournament owned and run by the upstarts at Duco met a similar fate.
Yet it points to a continuing lack of interest in growing the game beyond its most elite level, one which contrasts markedly with that of other codes. The NRL Nines, by comparison, were dripping with stars when they debuted, and have managed to retain much of their drawing power despite powerful coaches questioning the timing, and key players suffering serious injuries at the tournament.
By contrast, the absence of any All Blacks – despite a number being strongly rumoured to find the tournament a compelling proposition – will inevitably dim the wattage of the event significantly in its first year. This comes against a backdrop of Super Rugby facing falling ratings and decreasing crowds, despite its expansion into new markets last year.
[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473723660″]
Where the NRL appears to be heavily focused on growing and modernising the game, NZR is doing so haltingly and without much enthusiasm. 2016 should be remembered as a fairly ordinary year for the game – the loss in Rio, the woefully inadequate response to the Chiefs’ stripper scandal and a very public dressing down from a key sponsor at their big night out, offset by a debut Super title for the Hurricanes, another (now routine) excellent year for the All Blacks and the appointment, long overdue, of Farah Palmer as the first female board member in the 124-year history of the Union.
These were all good things, some historic – yet the sense is that the game’s centre of gravity is starting to shift. Last week we heard Aaron Cruden would be heading north to join the ever-growing selection of former All Blacks playing in France. And overnight came news that Dan Carter and Ali Williams might be part of a consortium assembling to save London Welsh, a a venerable club fallen on hard times. It’s not hard to imagine that the pair, who appear to be very much enjoying all that Europe offers, might look to establish a New Zealand bulwark in the English club competition, a further headache to a union which is already facing severe pressure on player salaries.
The problem for New Zealand Rugby is that their code is comparatively rare in having internationals at its pinnacle and core. From major global team sports like football and basketball, to regional powerhouses like cycling and rugby league, it’s clubs which are the dominant forces. Of major international team sports cricket is a notable exception – yet between the Big Bash and the IPL there are signs that it too might evolve into something more club-centric in the near future.
For now rugby remains secure in its structure, with the international game by far the biggest crowd and ratings draw. Yet the money sloshing about in France, and the gaudy names it is attracting, shows that this is not locked in as a scenario. The state of South African rugby shows that Northern raiders can decimate a country, while that of Australia – spread thin and struggling for crowds – suggests that this hemisphere’s dominance cannot be taken for granted.
The irony is that in protecting the All Blacks in Brisbane and elsewhere – both individual players and the supreme brand – New Zealand Rugby are yet again weakening their Super Rugby sides and the status of Southern Hemisphere club rugby more broadly. In time, that might prove a flawed strategy, one that allows the big money of France and England to eventually swallow the game whole.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen 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.
28 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….
28 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….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments