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
Steve Borthwick deserves credit for releasing the shackles on his England side and letting them play in a manner that somewhat resembles the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership. Will they revert to type in New Zealand in July.?
27 Go to commentsJames Lowe wouldn't get in any other 6N team. He's a great example of Farrell’s brilliance, and the Irish system. He is slow. His footwork is poor. But he fits perfectly in that Irish system, and has a superb impact. But put him in another team, and he'll look bang average.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
2 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
3 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
3 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
4 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
27 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
19 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
16 Go to commentsOutstanding article, Graham. Agree with all of it. And enjoy the style of writing too (particularly Grand Slap!).
3 Go to commentsI wouldn't pay a cent for that loafer. He just stands around, waiting for play to come his way. He won't make the Wallabies.
3 Go to commentsGood bit of te reo maori Nic. Or is that Niko or Nikora? On the theme of trees the Oaks v Totara. Game plan would be key. I have one but it would cost you.
27 Go to comments> Shaun Edwards’ You should not have to score 30 points to win a game, as exciting as it is. This statement was surprising to me. It is nonsensical .I guess it is a defence coach speaking. But head coach, defence and attacking coaches all work together. They are inseparable. You score more than the opposition to win. It only needs to be one score. You score whatever the game demands, whatever the opposition demand. You defend whatever it takes. The attack coach needs to be able to clock up 30pts if need be.
27 Go to commentsWho’d have thought, not having Farrell & Youngs kicking the ball at every possible opportunity and playing flat and allowing your centres to run and pass would pay off? No one could possibly have seen this coming. FML. It took a LONG time coming but at least that time has finally come. England need to find a backup to Lawrence. Freeman is the best candidate for me, I see no reason why he can't play 12. He's big, strong, fast and has great hands.
27 Go to commentsLove Manu but he's not the player he was and I imagine Bayonne have paid too much money for him.
3 Go to comments