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'Not to take a stab at Super Rugby... but it seems to me the best players in the world are playing in Europe'
As a kid growing up in Cape Town, Edinburgh was always on Nic Groom’s bucket list – its beauty, its history, its quaint, cobbled streets and closes weaving a mesh in the shadow of the castle.
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The fire-eaters and human statues and bagpipe players that pack the city every summer, the thronging festival-goers and the explosion of colour and culture. All of it transfixed him.
Not only will Edinburgh soon be his home and the place he plays his rugby, but Scotland’s capital will also be where the little scrum-half and wife Erin start their family.
“We’re expecting our first child in October, a baby boy,” explained Groom, who is due to fly out on July 15. “You never know, he could be in a kilt one day. It’s going to be mad, and we’re moving on top of everything.
“I’ve wanted to go to the Edinburgh Fringe for years since school, so it’s going to be quite surreal having it on my doorstep.
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“I enjoy comedy, I love live music… I really appreciate the arts. I’ve got a lot of time for those street performers, someone banging out covers singing their heart out. That’s really cool to watch. I dabble in the guitar, but very much self-taught. It probably won’t leave my house… and I hear Edinburgh’s a really good place to bring up children.”
In one of the worst-kept secrets in Scottish rugby’s long history of leakiness, Groom will soon rekindle his love for northern hemisphere rugby and all the tumult that goes along with it. He actually agreed what is initially a two-year contract, with the option of an additional season, many months ago.
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Richard Cockerill, the Edinburgh head coach, told reporters in April he’d signed “a senior nine”. But Groom’s soon-to-be-former franchise, the Lions of Johannesburg, wanted the deal kept quiet until June 27 for fear of further disrupting a team that has had its troubles.
Welcome to the capital, Nic! ???
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— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) June 27, 2019
“There was a bit of confusion as to when I could leave,” explained Groom. “With the baby and stuff, that was quite stressful because Erin can’t fly any later than September.
“It was hard to leave because I felt like I invested a lot in the place in the short time I was there. But they understood my reasons for going, where I’m at in my career and what I still want to achieve in the game.”
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Two months ago, with the Lions on tour New Zealand, their coach Swys de Bruin abruptly vanished on the eve of a match, his sudden exit later explained as the result of the sheer strain the job had taken on him.
2/2. Catch me in real life, I'm much more interesting, I promise. Take it easy ..
— nic groom (@nicgroom) March 20, 2015
The same week, defence coach Joey Mongalo was found guilty in Australia of indecent assault. Later in the season, play-maker Elton Jantjies was dropped for breaching team protocol, and their captain and totem Warren Whiteley managed only four appearances amid a hopelessly injury-wrecked campaign.
The Lions, beaten finalists three years running, finished ninth. “In the coach’s defence, it takes balls to do what he did,” said Groom. “We’ve been challenged massively as a group. The team has really lost a bit of an edge – some real key guys who were very influential have left some gaps that are busy being filled.
“As a player, it was frustrating at times that we just couldn’t get it right; we struggled to get over the line. We tried a few things; some worked and some didn’t. But if I’m a bit more philosophical, rugby works in cycles sometimes.
“As a group, we were maybe in the process of finding new ways to win and new ways to play. They’re an extremely innovative group, not scared to experiment, and yeah, we didn’t get as far as we’d hoped, but I think going forward, they’re in a good place.”
At 29, now is a good time to leave. Groom’s infatuation with European rugby is palpable. It was stoked at Northampton Saints, as bruising as much of his two years at Franklin’s Gardens turned out to be.
By the end of his second season in April 2018, Saints were a sorry lot, a pale shadow of the storied old giant of English rugby he had joined. The ending was bitter, but what he experienced in England left him thirsting for more northern hemisphere rugby.
There is more pressure than in Super Rugby, he suggests, more at stake and more fervour frothing in the stands. “As a product, it’s probably much more attractive than Super Rugby. There’s literally something on the line every game. That was something that I found to be very challenging at first, but something I actually miss.
“And that brings some really big plays that can swing a game and in some instances change a whole campaign. That, along with the real passion for the game, the stadiums, how it’s followed and supported, to be a player in that environment is really exciting.”
This yearning for Europe speaks to a wider malaise across the old SANZAAR nations, the festering disinterest in Super Rugby’s failed format and the northwards flitting of some of its biggest names.
South Africa alone will haemorrhage a flood of talent this autumn. Handre Pollard, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Coenie Oosthuizen, Stephan Lewies and Groom himself are among the heaviest hitters bound for Europe. More still, including several front-line Springboks, will take up eye-watering short-term contracts in Japan.
“It seems to me that the best players in the world are playing in Europe so immediately, things are somewhat diluted in Super Rugby,” reckoned Groom.
“Not to take a stab at Super Rugby, but possibly just a lack of innovation around keeping it exciting has taken its toll and people are leaving. The lifespan of a rugby player also puts a lot of pressure on people to go where it’s exciting or where they can make a proper future.
“It just seems like it is game after game, it’s hard to follow as a spectator. As a player, teams are just ebbing and flowing, things become far too familiar. To me, it seems like everyone in Super Rugby has got one eye on what’s going on in Europe.”
South Africa, of course, has neither the money nor the competitions to keep all of its galacticos and it has acknowledged as much by removing the 30-cap threshold for overseas-based players to win Springboks selection.
“With the exchange rate, in a lot of instances SARU are going to a gunfight with a knife,” continued Groom. “I would think they need to somehow merge with the northern hemisphere and streamline the whole competition. That’s the only way, in my opinion.
“It’s about looking after the players too. Giving them that opportunity would possibly keep some – the fact they could play around Europe, the doors would open to something they have never had.
“From a South African perspective, I guess it is concerning that your best players aren’t in the country, but I always say, if your son was in that position, what would you want him to do? And I don’t think you can blame them.
“I’m more concerned that one day when I look back on my career, I have some great friends from all over the world, incredible memories, and a taste of rugby in different countries. Personally, that would be a crime to miss out on.”
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— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) June 15, 2019
And so to Edinburgh, and a club reborn under Cockerill. In 2017, the bull-headed former hooker inherited a desolate place, a team of talented but weak-willed underperformers and a disaffected support.
He gave them a fitter, meaner, snarling team the city could get behind, a team underpinned by Scots. They got to the Guinness PRO14 quarter-finals and should have gone further. The place was transformed.
But last year, Edinburgh fell short. Not enough ruthlessness, too much inconsistency. They were brilliant in Europe but flaky in the PRO14, and they paid for it. It’s the Challenge Cup this season.
The brutal truth, a truth Cockerill is wont to stress, is that Edinburgh are not yet good enough or savvy enough to get away with off days. There’s a serious project in the offing here and Groom is enthused by the part he can play in it.
“I’ve been part of some really successful, established teams, so it’s going to be exciting to join a team that is maybe just scratching the surface of how far they can go. It just seems like there’s a lot of promise in the place, a lot of ambition. You want to be joining a place like that.
“You kind of get the sense it’s got a lot more to do with rugby, which is cool. There’s an opportunity to be part of something a lot bigger than rugby.”
Groom will compete with the canny Henry Pyrgos and the burgeoning Charlie Shiel this season, his task to add more zip and direction to an attack that could do with finding extra gears.
“My biggest strength is the ability to make good decisions in games,” he said. “I’m an experienced scrum-half and I back myself to make big calls and make sure the guys around me are put in the right positions, and able to really express themselves.
“Speed of ball is something that I’ve really worked on. I love running with the ball, I love speeding the game up.
“The thing I miss about the northern hemisphere is that as a scrum-half, there’s a lot of responsibility on you, not only from an attacking perspective but defensively, relieving pressure, applying pressure. A huge responsibility compared to the southern hemisphere. That is something I really enjoy.”
Responsibility will come and in spades. On the pitch, Cockerill will make sure of that. And off it, so too, no doubt, will Baby Groom.
WATCH: Jim Hamilton explores South Africa in episode three of the RugbyPass Rugby Explorer series
Comments on RugbyPass
Exciting 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.
11 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.
3 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?
3 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!
3 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.
11 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 commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments