Whither Rugby - So where will it all end up?
By BrianC
June 14 2004
Professionalism in our sport is still in its infancy. Perhaps the biggest changes we will see in the years to come will revolve around the fact that clubs will become profitable in their own right and cease being dependent on the unions for subsidy.
June 14 2004
Professionalism in our sport is still in its infancy. Perhaps the biggest changes we will see in the years to come will revolve around the fact that clubs will become profitable in their own right and cease being dependent on the unions for subsidy.
Rugby has long been a sport dominated by international games. The various national unions hold the purse strings and dispense largesse to the clubs who in turn provide them with players to meet their international commitments. Things started to change in the southern hemisphere some fifteen years ago. After two particularly SH-dominated world cups, these changes migrated to the northern hemisphere in the mid-nineties.
Gone are the days when the RFU would simply announce an International and expect clubs to give up their players. Their last attempt to do this without proper consultation ended in the embarrassing cancellation of a NH/SH 'challenge' during the 2002/3 season, as the clubs refused to release players.
As with football, there will always be tensions - but a balance will be achieved. As with football, playing for your country in major international tournaments will always be what any rugby player aspires to. The major international tournaments will always be the high points of our sport. Having said that, the club/country balance is changing, and the tide is flowing in the direction of the clubs.
Football seems to be moving towards a European super league. Will rugby do the same? My guess is yes. We’ve already seen the Heineken cup moving to a pool-based tournament in the initial stages, rather than a knockout one. Before long I would expect to see a second pool stage, just as there is with the Champions’ League in soccer.
The top clubs will seek to maximise their revenues. They are business after all. Again I can see our game following the path football has taken. This will probably mean that a small number of clubs will become wealthy and known to every rugby supporter on the continent. This small number of clubs will regularly compete for the top European honours. They will attract the biggest stars, the most media coverage, the biggest crowds and the most money. How many of these clubs will there be? My guess is about twelve in total, and only three or four of them will be English.
All of this is conjecture and speculation - some of it perhaps right and some certainly wrong. The truth is that it will never end, it’s a journey. It will be an interesting one to watch unfold in the years to come.
This now completes the ‘Whither Rugby’ series of articles, nineteen of them in total. Little did I realise what a task I had taken on way back in February, when I started to look at the statistics, in response to a post on the Craic message board. Along the way there have been many fellow supporters who have helped me in various ways. I will not name names. You know who you are and you have my sincerest thanks.
Health and sanity permitting I’m planning to use the work I have done this year as a baseline. Each season we’ll look at every club, compare progress and project five years into the future.
Among other things, this will give you a chance to see just how far out my projections have been this time around. Or not? We’ll see next year, won’t we?
Gone are the days when the RFU would simply announce an International and expect clubs to give up their players. Their last attempt to do this without proper consultation ended in the embarrassing cancellation of a NH/SH 'challenge' during the 2002/3 season, as the clubs refused to release players.
As with football, there will always be tensions - but a balance will be achieved. As with football, playing for your country in major international tournaments will always be what any rugby player aspires to. The major international tournaments will always be the high points of our sport. Having said that, the club/country balance is changing, and the tide is flowing in the direction of the clubs.
Football seems to be moving towards a European super league. Will rugby do the same? My guess is yes. We’ve already seen the Heineken cup moving to a pool-based tournament in the initial stages, rather than a knockout one. Before long I would expect to see a second pool stage, just as there is with the Champions’ League in soccer.
The top clubs will seek to maximise their revenues. They are business after all. Again I can see our game following the path football has taken. This will probably mean that a small number of clubs will become wealthy and known to every rugby supporter on the continent. This small number of clubs will regularly compete for the top European honours. They will attract the biggest stars, the most media coverage, the biggest crowds and the most money. How many of these clubs will there be? My guess is about twelve in total, and only three or four of them will be English.
All of this is conjecture and speculation - some of it perhaps right and some certainly wrong. The truth is that it will never end, it’s a journey. It will be an interesting one to watch unfold in the years to come.
This now completes the ‘Whither Rugby’ series of articles, nineteen of them in total. Little did I realise what a task I had taken on way back in February, when I started to look at the statistics, in response to a post on the Craic message board. Along the way there have been many fellow supporters who have helped me in various ways. I will not name names. You know who you are and you have my sincerest thanks.
Health and sanity permitting I’m planning to use the work I have done this year as a baseline. Each season we’ll look at every club, compare progress and project five years into the future.
Among other things, this will give you a chance to see just how far out my projections have been this time around. Or not? We’ll see next year, won’t we?
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