The future All Black may only have time to play for his country in the new international game
We might as well look forward to it, then.
The romantics among us might yearn for yesteryear. To see club and provincial rugby play a meaningful part in New Zealand’s rugby pathway and to see tours replace multi-nation tournaments.
But we’re not the ones paying the bills and while a return to some of those things might be lovely, they’re not financially sustainable. The proposed Nations Cup very well might be, though.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) are an organisation looking for a fiscal silver bullet and an opportunity to maximise the All Blacks’ commercial value. Spending two months of the year in home and away battles with the best Northern Hemisphere sides would be an avenue to do that and something many fans should relish.
One clash between New Zealand and England in the last world cup cycle was much too few and a Nations Cup would remedy that.
Brent Impey, the quotable chairman of NZR, has said the Southern Hemisphere sides need the test model to change if they’re to stay afloat. That was a large part of why NZR supported the candidacy of Agustin Pichot in the just-completed World Rugby chairmanship campaign.
Incumbent Bill Beaumont may have been returned for a final four-year term, but he’s begun that by making encouraging noises about the Nations Cup actually getting off the ground.
Among the impediments, when the tournament was first mooted, was a lack of enthusiasm from the Six Nations sides as well complaints from players in various countries that the travel and playing loads might be too great.
But with Beaumont suggesting the Six Nations competition won’t be impacted by a Nations Cup and New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina all eager to get earning again, the stage is set.
How soon this tournament might be played is anyone’s guess. Without a vaccine to combat COVID-19, it could be a while.
Then there’s the impact a Nations Cup might have on the rest of rugby in New Zealand.
A time will come when All Blacks are simply that. Not Hurricanes or Crusaders or Chiefs, but blokes whose sole responsibility is being an All Black.
Beaumont has talked about a potential window of October and November for the Nations Cup, leaving plenty of time for the SANZAAR teams to stage Super Rugby and whatever version of The Rugby Championship exists in years to come.
But, if we assume that the back-end of each season is where the games of greatest consequence will lie, then New Zealand’s best players surely won’t exert themselves fully in the months prior.
A global rugby season is overdue and it appears that this coronavirus pandemic might be the thing to finally prompt it.
Again, there will be traditionalists who bemoan it all, who want NZR’s resources to prop up the bottom of the pyramid and not be spent on those lucky players at the top. But the counter is that there will be no game in New Zealand without the big bucks generated by the All Blacks.
There’s no way NZR can fund the lower levels if the All Blacks are playing six or eight times a year. Yes, it might be heartwarming to have the Springboks make a full tour of this country and then watch the All Blacks go off in search of the Grand Slam, but it won’t pay the bills.
New Zealand Rugby have instead set their stall on a Nations Cup, so let’s hope it’s a raging success.
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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 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