1
Pacific players unite in outrage over 'World League' freeze out
World Rugby’s new proposal of a 12-team World League has been met by a myriad of condemnation by players, fans and pundits.
ADVERTISEMENT
Already, leading players such as Johnny Sexton, Owen Farrell and Kieran Read have lampooned the new proposal, claiming that player welfare has been ignored with an increased international calendar.
However, the biggest losers in this proposed system will be Tier Two nations, as teams like Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Georgia and Romania will miss out on this league, and will be frozen out for 10 years. In light of this, former and current Pacific Island players have taken to Twitter to show their vehement disapproval of the potential system, highlighting the neglect of these countries.
Fiji, perhaps have the most to be aggrieved about, as they currently sit in ninth in the world rankings (and were eighth), ahead of the USA, Japan and Italy, all of whom are part of the 12-team league.
Continue reading below…
Former Bath, Gloucester and Samoa centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has been very vocal in the wake of the proposal, calling for the Pacific Islands to boycott the upcoming World Cup in protest.
Pacific players unions now have to seriously and I mean fucking SERIOUSLY push Pacific teams to boycott the Rugby World Cup. Today's announcement is absolutely fucked up
— fuimaono-sapolu (@Eliota_Sapolu) February 28, 2019
Former Wasps, Perpignan and Samoa lock Dan Leo also took to Twitter to show his outrage, suggesting that it is no surprise that Pacific Island nations are being overlooked by World Rugby.
Surprise surprise… 😩😡. Really hope this is being misreported.
“There will be no promotion or relegation from either the 6 Nations or Rugby Championship which means the likes of Fiji, Samoa &Tonga have been left out in the cold for at least 10 years”https://t.co/8TzHYkMEuE
— Daniel Leo (@danleo82) February 28, 2019
All Black Lima Sopoaga and former Fiji sevens captain Osea Kolinisau commented on Leo’s post, also showing their disapproval of this league.
ADVERTISEMENT
https://twitter.com/LimaSopoaga/status/1101054654429974528
Always giving us islanders the runaround !!! Make us believe in false promises and https://t.co/iPndmH5h8k inclusion into superugby and now this …
— Osea Kolinisau (@oseakolinisau) February 28, 2019
Fijian sevens legend Waisale Serevi also joined in, underlining the contribution that Pacific Island nations have provided to world rugby over the years, and that they deserve a place. This is undeniable, as not only have those nations produced some of the leading players in the world currently, but it was only last Autumn that Fiji beat France, proving that they can compete with the best.
Phil4:13 I’m suprised to see that none of @fijirugby @officialTongaRU @manusamoarugby We have contributed a lot to rugby all these years and I believe one should be in the competition. Hope it’s not late. #13 🏉🌏🇫🇯🇹🇴🇼🇸❤️
https://t.co/a8bv6YJoiR— Waisale_Serevi (@Waisale_Serevi) February 28, 2019
Fuimaono-Sapolu was also critical of fellow players in Tier One nations, who have not shown enough concern for Pacific ‘exclusion’, rather only looking out for themselves and their own welfare.
ADVERTISEMENT
See even the players are not concerned with Pacific exclusion. We really need Pacific players and unions to exclusively think of ourselves and our Pacific countries. No one is going to look after our interests but ourselves. https://t.co/3sigLXsUiA
— fuimaono-sapolu (@Eliota_Sapolu) February 28, 2019
Meanwhile, Bath winger Cooper Vuna, who has represented both Australia and Tonga, alluded to the fact that the Tongan board have done nothing regarding this.
Tonga board. 🤦🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/tunzwJN78F
— Cooper Vuna (@CVUNA) February 28, 2019
A raft of journalists have displayed their opprobrium for this concept, as well as many accounts on Twitter, which are indicative of the widespread criticism this project is receiving. ‘PacificRugbyWelfare’ commented how the earning potential in America is being made at the expense of the Pacific nations, something that was shared by Leo, Toulouse and Samoa prop Census Johnston and Clermont Auvergne and Fiji flanker Peceli Yato.
A kick in the teeth on the horizon for Pacific rugby?
If true, A clear move to maximise earning potential In America, at the expense of the far more worthy & higher ranking @fijirugby https://t.co/Bi0EBLMkMy
— PacificRugbyWelfare (@pacificwelfare) February 28, 2019
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks 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?
4 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.
4 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.
26 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 🤐
13 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….
26 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….
13 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….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments