When I last wrote a Blog I was still in New Zealand enjoying what I can only describe as the best World Cup to have ever been played out! I will never forget my time in there, I watched top class rugby, met some interesting people and had a fantastic time seeing what the people and the country of New Zealand had to offer!
Since I have got back I have only had the chance to see one match and that was the Leicester Ulster match at Welford Rd in the Heineken Cup, it was a nice weekend away but the result did not go Ulsters way unfortunately. I suppose we cannot win them all.
This Blog is not about the domestic leagues, European competitions or club rugby per-say but about International rugby and it's effect on the Northern Hemisphere season.
I read the following article yesterday and felt pretty annoyed: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2011-12/rugby/story/157226.html. The reason behind this is that I believe playing Internationals during the normal season when the clubs are still playing in their leagues is one more thing that sets rugby apart from some other sports, like soccer.
Since I can remember the 6 Nations and the Autumn Internationals have been to me an intricate part of the season. Those teams which have more International players than others have their squad's stretched allowing for fringe players to come in and experience the action at 1st XV level and maybe even give the coach a bit of a nightmare when the regular starting player returns. For the teams with fewer Internationals it is a chance to go up against the bigger teams and maybe get the vital win that they need to stay up. In the days before professionalism it was a chance for International teams to meet and bound, players who would normally be spread out across the country back together, with the introduction of professionalism and regular training weekends for International squads this is no longer a big issue but it also means there should be even less complaining about International players being away from their clubs.
With squad sizes now on average around 35/40 players there are more than enough players to cover when International players are away, even taking into account a bad run of luck with injuries clubs do have other teams 2nd XV etc. that they can call from.
In short I cannot see any reason why a club chairman should come out and criticise what has been the "norm" now for a long time. I can understand his frustration in the way that a normal business owner would not like 5/6 of his best employees all disappearing for over a month together but we need to remember that at the heart of it rugby is a sport with a long tradition behind it and not just a vehicle in which to make money.
The Southern Hemisphere has gone around it differently but look at the problems that cause's when complaints about the Super Rugby season starting to soon and being played is extremely warm conditions and then in a World Cup year the Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) is changed and fixtures dropped. We have none of this in the NH
I am all for embracing new technologies and new ways to improve a sport but when it comes to changing something which I see as institutional then leave it alone! It is part of the sports heritage!
Since I have got back I have only had the chance to see one match and that was the Leicester Ulster match at Welford Rd in the Heineken Cup, it was a nice weekend away but the result did not go Ulsters way unfortunately. I suppose we cannot win them all.
This Blog is not about the domestic leagues, European competitions or club rugby per-say but about International rugby and it's effect on the Northern Hemisphere season.
I read the following article yesterday and felt pretty annoyed: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2011-12/rugby/story/157226.html. The reason behind this is that I believe playing Internationals during the normal season when the clubs are still playing in their leagues is one more thing that sets rugby apart from some other sports, like soccer.
Since I can remember the 6 Nations and the Autumn Internationals have been to me an intricate part of the season. Those teams which have more International players than others have their squad's stretched allowing for fringe players to come in and experience the action at 1st XV level and maybe even give the coach a bit of a nightmare when the regular starting player returns. For the teams with fewer Internationals it is a chance to go up against the bigger teams and maybe get the vital win that they need to stay up. In the days before professionalism it was a chance for International teams to meet and bound, players who would normally be spread out across the country back together, with the introduction of professionalism and regular training weekends for International squads this is no longer a big issue but it also means there should be even less complaining about International players being away from their clubs.
With squad sizes now on average around 35/40 players there are more than enough players to cover when International players are away, even taking into account a bad run of luck with injuries clubs do have other teams 2nd XV etc. that they can call from.
In short I cannot see any reason why a club chairman should come out and criticise what has been the "norm" now for a long time. I can understand his frustration in the way that a normal business owner would not like 5/6 of his best employees all disappearing for over a month together but we need to remember that at the heart of it rugby is a sport with a long tradition behind it and not just a vehicle in which to make money.
The Southern Hemisphere has gone around it differently but look at the problems that cause's when complaints about the Super Rugby season starting to soon and being played is extremely warm conditions and then in a World Cup year the Tri-Nations (now The Rugby Championship) is changed and fixtures dropped. We have none of this in the NH
I am all for embracing new technologies and new ways to improve a sport but when it comes to changing something which I see as institutional then leave it alone! It is part of the sports heritage!
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