Sport used to be about competition. It was based around a tough contest when the whistle, siren or gun sounded and the forming of friendships once the contest was over.
This was the case not only at the highest level where stories of players from opposite teams going out on the town have entertained many an after dinner audience, but also in club land. Here no team would think of leaving an away club without having a beer or two and discussing the day’s proceedings. The proliferation of cars and the increase in accidents saw the drink driving laws tightened, and suddenly a great deal of the post-match “bonding” disappeared; with it also went the profits from the bar.
What is sad to see nowadays is the exclusivity being sought by the top countries and club sides across the globe. No longer is there that desire to help each other, to try and improve the competition or the game as a whole. Now it is all about gaining a bigger slice of the monetary pie.
We have seen Europe’s top Football clubs at times make a mockery of their domestic cup competitions as they focus on the “Big One,” the European Champions League. A competition that is clearly prestigious, but is no longer about just the Champion teams competing. Most of Europe’s national leagues can still only enter their champion side, while those countries whose competition is deemed the strongest now provide up to five teams!
Understandably for a competition to attract sponsorship and viewers you need to have the big name teams participating. Therefore to have more teams from the more popular leagues playing makes sense from a commercial level.
One question that has to be asked is whether it actually helps grow the game in those other countries? A question that will fall on deaf ears, as few in the “Big Leagues” give a damn about the clubs in the lesser leagues unless they produce a superstar or knock them out of the competition.
The trouble with the Champions League expansion was it made those running the big clubs lose perspective, and become greedier for a bigger slice of the pie. It came as no surprise that there was talk of actually breaking over a century of tradition in numerous countries and setting up a European League featuring the best teams in a number of countries.
The truth is this has little or no appeal to most fans. They want to watch their sides play against teams that they have a history against, teams that they have seen rivalries built up with over many, many years, and often for the most obscure reasons that have nothing to do with geography or proximity.
Now we are seeing the International arena looking to try to move into this space with Global competitions. Hockey has already started, with its FIH Pro League featuring once again only featuring the top nations. Rugby Union now is going the down the path of a World League and Cricket continues to talk about it but remains extremely cautious.
Once again this has nothing about developing these sports Globally, it is all about – except in Hockey’s case – bringing in more money for the top teams and nations.
It is good to see people getting upset that the Pacific Island nations are going to be left out of Rugby’s proposed World League, but where were these same people as SANZAAR repeatedly excluded them from the expansion of Super Rugby, despite regular assurances that they would be included the next time the competition expanded?
Of course there was a time when the nations of Samoa, Fiji and Tonga merged to form a Pacific Islands team. When they played against New Zealand, Australia, England, Wales, Ireland and South Africa the crowds certainly came. Yet some of their opponent’s coaches were none too keen on the physicality of the encounters.
There were always going to be issues, as three very proud rugby nations were being asked to play as one. Many a British and Irish Lions coach has found out how hard it is to pull together four nations every four years, but here there were so many aspects that were never considered.
Money, is of course an issue. These nations have vast amounts of talent but limited resources and opportunities to showcase that talent. So not surprisingly that talent heads to Europe to earn good money. It heads to New Zealand and Australia to play Super Rugby, and players have to make a decision as to whether they play for their homeland or the country paying their wages. As one former Wallaby player stated, he would never have played for Australia had he been allowed to play Super Rugby and still represent his Island nation.
No doubt when considering the format of the World League, the governing body World Rugby looked at the Pacific Islands and thought first of all how few first tier nations would welcome playing there, and secondly televising these matches could be an issue to the broadcasters as well as the timing of games. Then there would be the issue as to whether the Island nations could afford to be a part of such a competition. Hockey had a similar issue with Pakistan and was looking to have them play all their “home” games away, that was until they pulled out fater game one of the FIH Pro League due to a lack of money.
It is hard to believe that despite being located closest to the Island Nations New Zealand has incredibly only played two Tests against Pacific Island opposition – outside of World Cups – in the past ten years!
The test match in 2015 against Samoa reportedly cost the host nation close to $1million flying home the players based in Europe and other countries. The latest figures claim that there are over 500 Pacific Islanders playing in Europe.
So to have these nations play in the World League would be a costly exercise flying them back home for games. The clubs, that pay their salaries would not be happy, with them being away for long periods. This was the case at the 2003 Rugby World Cup where European clubs refused to release Island nation players to represent their Country. The World League with Island Nations included could hurt the clubs and club competition. Suddenly the players would be forced to choose between a massive drop in salary, lose the security of a long term contract in order to play for their country.
For years many have been saying that World Rugby needed to spread the money around more. The paltry GBP1.5million given as an annual grant to the Island Nations is simply not adequate to grow the game. World Rugby needed to find a way to build up the second tier nations and make them more competitive, but it would appear that they missed that opportunity.
Rugby is not in a good space at the moment. Crowds from Super Rugby are disasterous. Australian Rugby is cash-strapped and in a very tight spot. New Zealand and South Africa are also struggling to retain players due to the wages being offered by Clubs in Europe. At the last Rugby World Cup South Africa had another 15 South African-born players playing for other nations!
So should Europe lend a financial hand? Some say they should seeing as their clubs are benefitting from having so many Island Players playing in their competitions. As one writer pointed out England has not played a Test match in the Pacific Islands since the start of the professional era in 1996!
Former England Coach Sir Clive Woodward has advocated that a profit sharing, as used in England’s FA Cup should be introduced, so that when these Nations play in the Northern Hemisphere they benefit with a percentage of the gate money.
This is nothing new, The England Test and County Cricket Board for years would split receipts with the lesser Test playing nations to help them fund development and pay bills, sadly with the evolving of the ICC that has gone by the wayside. Why? Once again it would appear to be to ensure that the stronger nations of Australia, England and India stay at the top of World Cricket.
The Pacific Islands have been requesting for years that they receive a cut of the television revenue, a share of gate receipts or even the commercial deals brokered. Their requests have fallen on deaf ears.
A World League in Rugby will only strengthen the top nations and make the gap between them and the nations below bigger. A situation that will suit the top nations as it will ensure they progress to the knockout stages at World Cups, and receive the Lion’s share of the prize money on offer. However, as many are predicting that may suit them, but it will ultimately weaken the sport as whole.
Competitions contested by the same teams and with those same teams winning year-in- year-out will soon lose their appeal to the masses, unless there is a basis on which those nations that have been excluded can earn promotion to join the party. A Protected League will ultimately fail. Why? That is simple, because sport has and always will be about competition, and may the best man, woman or team win. It is not may the richest team win. That is why the underdog is loved in sport, because they win against all odds. Everyone loves to see an upset. It is not about money, it is about so much more.
