Laporte No1 in latest top 50 most influential people in rugby list
Nineteen people from England have been named in the latest Rugby World magazine biennial list of the 50 most influential people in the game – but Bernard Laporte, the controversial World Rugby vice-chairman from France, was chosen at No1 on the basis that “he’s moody, tough, controversial, but he gets things done”.
Further explaining their choice of Laporte as rugby’s most influential person, Rugby World suggested: “Let’s build the profile of the man we believe to be the most influential person in world rugby right now; a tagline, incidentally, that all of those we spoke to in the highest corridors of power in the game would tend to agree with… If Bernard puts a tick in the box, then things get done quickly. If there is no tick from him, then you’re struggling.”
Laporte was one of the seven French people named in the top 50 – 2021 world player of the year, Antoine Dupont, was chosen at number four – a representation that gave France the second highest total behind England in a list in which eleven countries were represented.
Administrators accounted for just under half of the top 50, its 46 per cent representation way ahead of the 14 per cent of players and twelve per cent of coaches that made the cut in a debate that included 28 per cent of people from other areas of the game.
The 50 most influential people in rugby: find out how we compile this list and who makes the cut in the latest issue – OUT NOW! https://t.co/FL3r77l1dL pic.twitter.com/qzoIvaVqYW
— Rugby World (@Rugbyworldmag) August 3, 2022
This included the No2 pick, Nick Clarry, the CVC managing partner who was listed as the sixth most important person when the Rugby World list was last published in 2020. The magazine wrote: “There is no denying that Clarry et al are very good at what they do or that they have a seat at rugby’s very top table… Shining a light on the world of CVC is not exactly high in the venture capitalists’ list of desires, but the business they do is undeniable. And Clarry is a vitally important figure for their sports folio.”
The highest new entrant to feature on the list was Ben Morel, the Six Nations CEO, who checked in at No3. The most influential current coach was Fabien Galthie of France, who was listed at No7, eleven places ahead of England boss Eddie Jones, who was in 18th, and Ireland’s Andy Farrell, a new entry in 25th place.
One of the biggest fallers was Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks director of rugby was listed as the sixth most influential person two years ago but his halo has since slipped, according to Rugby World, who on this occasion included him in 31st – a fall of 25 places. “Erasmus’ standing has been dented by the infamous 62-minute video lambasting Aussie ref Nic Berry for his officiating during 2021’s SA-Lions series,” read the verdict.
Perhaps it’s a sign of the times for men’s rugby in South Africa since the giddy heights of their 2019 World Cup win as skipper Siya Kolisi, the No1 pick in the magazine’s 2020 list, dropped back ten places to eleventh. Counteracting that, Lynne Cantwell, the South African women’s high-performance manager, was a new entrant at No42, one place ahead of her fellow Irish person, Brian O’Driscoll.
The first woman to make the cut was Sally Horrox, the World Rugby director of women’s rugby. This new entrant was listed at No9, five places ahead of another new entrant, Sue Day, the RFU CFO and COO, who was the next woman included at No14.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments