Scotty Stevenson: 'Access to players has been weaponized'
Kiwi rugby pundit Scotty Stevenson has taken aim at New Zealand Rugby’s depersonalisation of male players and urged them to learn from the success of the 2021 Rugby World Cup to improve fans’ engagement with the sport.
Stevenson has been a rugby commentator and pundit for nearly 20 years and was part of the broadcasting panel that covered every match of last month’s World Cup.
He delivered an impassioned protest to the commercialisation of rugby in New Zealand and all of its seeping implications as he appeared on The Rugby Pod last week.
“I think that access to players has been weaponized by media managers,” Stevenson said. “And I think that is a terrible, terrible place to find yourself. It shows a lack of maturity, it shows a bone-deep concern for image.
“The flip side of that is by showing yourself – and again I go back to the women’s World Cup, which I was at all 26 games, and every single one of those games had a human story that was compelling for the fans, compelling! And they were open.
“Ruby Tui is one out of the box, right? But the class of Sarah Hunter, and the class of Ward through the pain, and the class of Amy Cokayne, and all the others who were there, who could bare their souls, and show their emotion and feel like they were in a safe space and one of the things, just adding to the issues around the men’s game; those crowds are the greatest, most friendliest, most spirited crowds I have been in for an international rugby game in my life.
“There was no focus on boos, there weren’t middle-aged men in face paint with that low-level menace that a lot of the fans of the game and the expectant fans of the men’s game have, everyone turned up on mass because they saw something in those women’s stories that they could associate with, that they could connect with.
“Going back to the original point, we’ve become so gun shy about our male players showing anything nearing themselves because that might damage the jersey you wear on Saturdays.
“We’ve got to get away from that.”
The number of male New Zealanders playing rugby is declining and many pundits, including All Blacks great Sir John Kirwin, have pointed to the emphasis on professionalisation as a major culprit; making the sport a fruitless activity for any young player who doesn’t look to have an immediate avenue to a professional contract.
“We’ve put a lot of energy into the top end, into the shop window,” Stevenson continued.
“Unfortunately we’ve got a grassroots game that’s battling, we’ve got a schools game that’s become super concentrated on just a few top schools and there is a superheated market around there – I believe an over-professionalisation of the schoolboy game.
“The enjoyment has gone away for a lot of kids who want to be involved in rugby because if you haven’t made the first XV at one of these schools now, then you feel like the game’s dead to you.
Stevenson questioned NZR’s vision for the game and warned the governing body not to follow in the footsteps of the likes of FIFA and prioritise the money, stating “this level of corporate capriciousness is not reflective of what rugby is.”
Also concerning to Stevenson was the attitude of depersonalisation extending to the fans, as he reminded the podcast’s audience of the place rugby holds in New Zealand’s DNA and shared concern that NZR was treating fans as “nothing but a ticket stub and a jersey buyer.”
“The private equity has been looked at, mulled over by the public, trying to understand ‘well what is this now? Is this just a professional sporting organisation?’ And as you know, a professional sporting organisation is one thing, it’s a property rights business.
“Is that what rugby’s going to be reduced to or can rugby still have a role to play throughout communities, for our children, for our women and right across the spectrum? And that’s where I think New Zealand Rugby is struggling a little bit, it’s moved into a hyper-commercial role, they’ve wanted to be the money of the game, that has seen them change their constitution, move away from the constituent members of New Zealand Rugby, the provincial unions and a lot of the focus now – I think too much focus – on that top end.
“Rugby Union, if it keeps going down this path, I fear it loses so much of its soul.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 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)
4 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?
5 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.
6 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.
22 Go to comments