ARU threatens to scrap European tours

[Flamethrower]

ARU threatens to scrap European tours
By Steve Marshall

The Australian Ruby Union is threatening to snub northern hemisphere teams if they do not send their best players.

ARU boss John O'Neill issued the warning ahead of this weekend's sell-out Bledisloe Cup match between Australian and New Zealand.

It is the International Rugby Board's responsibility to ensure counties select their best players for all matches.

However, in the past two years Wales and France have sent under-strength teams to Australia,..............

Full Story; ARU threatens to scrap European tours - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[welshrugbyfan]

Surely we can find someone more intelligent to be running the game down here.

The French still had two teams playing in the final of their club comp for one week of the test matches.

Wales was ravaged with injuries after as I have pointed out before a long and gruelling season. It is no different than that shit winger and a few other wallabies not being able to play due to injuries, does this mean the wallabies aren't sending up their best squad.

The three southern hemishpere teams play 13 or so club games and then the international teams who are at the end of a very long and grueling season are expected to come down to be cannon fodder for a warm up run for the Tri nations teams.

C'mon John extend the super 14 season to 30 plus games, then have the tri nations and bledisloe cup comp during or after that and then see how good a Wallabies team you can put together to send north to play a few nothing test matches, it will equate to the same thing.

[James]

Surely we can find someone more intelligent to be running the game down here.

The French still had two teams playing in the final of their club comp for one week of the test matches.

Wales was ravaged with injuries after as I have pointed out before a long and gruelling season. It is no different than that shit winger and a few other wallabies not being able to play due to injuries, does this mean the wallabies aren't sending up their best squad.

WRF for Wales 22 front line players is a hell of a lot more than ravaged by injuries it was entirely intentional and completely and utterly different to our touring squad. Noone is being rested and those who are injured would give an arm and a leg to be on tour and what it amounts to like 4 players? That isn't in the ball park of 22. The reason for you was that they needed to rest before the World Cup and didn't that work out well for you. And look yeah I don't think the WRU would do it again they certainly sent a strong squad to South Africa this year. As for the French they made a promise during the World Cup that they would send their best and subsequently broke it seemily without a care in the world.

The three southern hemishpere teams play 13 or so club games and then the international teams who are at the end of a very long and grueling season are expected to come down to be cannon fodder for a warm up run for the Tri nations teams.

C'mon John extend the super 14 season to 30 plus games, then have the tri nations and bledisloe cup comp during or after that and then see how good a Wallabies team you can put together to send north to play a few nothing test matches, it will equate to the same thing.

You seem to forget that both South Africa and NZ run domestic competitions as tough I'll wager as the Magners league at least. So from late January when the first preseason starts there is the Super 14 followed by the Spring/Autumn tour then into the Tri-Nations and finally for many players another few weeks of ANZC or Currie Cup only to have a few weeks off before going back to tour Europe in a 5 week tour. Leaving many players with a whole 2 months off. Sure we don't have a comp but the players would kill for one and still be keen to tour Europe. So for NZ and SA's sake don't dare suggest that you guys have it any harder than they do.

Yeah I think we should expand the Super 14 to have more games but international rugby in the form of test matches needs to be maintained to keep it an international game.

[welshrugbyfan]

WRF for Wales 22 front line players is a hell of a lot more than ravaged by injuries it was entirely intentional and completely and utterly different to our touring squad. Noone is being rested and those who are injured would give an arm and a leg to be on tour and what it amounts to like 4 players? That isn't in the ball park of 22. The reason for you was that they needed to rest before the World Cup and didn't that work out well for you. And look yeah I don't think the WRU would do it again they certainly sent a strong squad to South Africa this year. As for the French they made a promise during the World Cup that they would send their best and subsequently broke it seemily without a care in the world.



You seem to forget that both South Africa and NZ run domestic competitions as tough I'll wager as the Magners league at least. So from late January when the first preseason starts there is the Super 14 followed by the Spring/Autumn tour then into the Tri-Nations and finally for many players another few weeks of ANZC or Currie Cup only to have a few weeks off before going back to tour Europe in a 5 week tour. Leaving many players with a whole 2 months off. Sure we don't have a comp but the players would kill for one and still be keen to tour Europe. So for NZ and SA's sake don't dare suggest that you guys have it any harder than they do.

Yeah I think we should expand the Super 14 to have more games but international rugby in the form of test matches needs to be maintained to keep it an international game.

I appreciate your comments but to clarify a few things, France could hardly send their best team when their domestic competition the top 14 was still in it's finals series. Surely if this had been worked out a bit better they would have been able to put forward a better team.

You can't blame a team for resting players before a world cup either, it is the pinnacle event every four years and yes I don't need reminding how poor Wales were in it. Then six months later we win the Six Nations grand slam with a new coach and the same group of players. More than a few players who came to on tour were apart of that team.

NZ and SA play domestic comps but John O'neil (and the reason for my post) is talking about the Wallabies scrapping the European tours not SA or the AB's. I think Wallaby players want to go on tour so they can actually play a game. The last thing northern hemisphere teams want is to play more games at the end of a season that is made up of three seperate club comps, the six nations and the tours of Southern Hemisphere international teams.

We have a domestic comp in Australia it's called local club rugby. It is the greatest thing in Winter to see Force boys playing for my local team and I'm sure it's the same for others. It's a shame we are so spread out and its not finacially viable as I would love to see WA club sides play against Sydney Uni and the South's Magpies to name two.

[James]

I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree. From my perspective I just want to see the best quality rugby I can particularly for test matches.

I'm sorry if I sound snappy its just despite the fact that I don't always agree with John O'Neill I think he gets a lot of undue bagging when 99% of the time he is at least doing what he thinks is best for Australian rugby. We could do a lot worse than having someone who fights as hard as he can to ensure Aussie rugby survives.

It is hard not to be a little pissed off when for the past 4 years we've faced understrength sides and then two Italy tests and a French test that might not have front line players is all we have to look forward to.

[welshrugbyfan]

I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree. From my perspective I just want to see the best quality rugby I can particularly for test matches.

I'm sorry if I sound snappy its just despite the fact that I don't always agree with John O'Neill I think he gets a lot of undue bagging when 99% of the time he is at least doing what he thinks is best for Australian rugby. We could do a lot worse than having someone who fights as hard as he can to ensure Aussie rugby survives.

It is hard not to be a little pissed off when for the past 4 years we've faced understrength sides and then two Italy tests and a French test that might not have front line players is all we have to look forward to.

Agreed

I feel the same about international rugby as well as you, if countries go up against one another it should be all out war, with each team putting it's best battle hardened team on the field, bloody bragging rites are at stake here.

Too much at stake in the big dollared world of club rugby now, professionalism has it's downside too.

[shasta]

I appreciate your comments but to clarify a few things, France could hardly send their best team when their domestic competition the top 14 was still in it's finals series. Surely if this had been worked out a bit better they would have been able to put forward a better team.

I think, IIRC, that the reason the French thing didn't work out a bit better was that the French gave undertakings to shcedule their finals series earlier because it was a RWC year but failed to deliver. Let's assume all the reasons listed for sending understrength NH teams are valid. The question for the SH unions does not change. Why bother?

[TOCC]

irrespective of Wales and France this year, its a quite obvious trend, so you cant deny that at all. I agree 100% with what JON is saying, why they hell should the Wallabies tour the NH and give there home nations full stadiums and massive gate takings when all they give us is B grade squads and sides.

France moved there season after they agreed to the 2008 tour of Aus hence why the finals and the SH tour overlapped, and they could have quite easily sent there players from the finals series to Aus to play in the matches.

In regards to Wales, you mention 'injuries', but many of these were also injuries which didnt require immediate surgery, its not uncommon for players to carry minor injuries through the season and then get the surgery when they have a break. Wales obviously caved in to club demands that they wanted there players to have the surgery sooner rather then later so they would be fit for there domestic season.

IMO, fuck these countries, if they arent going to support the game in Australia then we shouldnt support them. You cant argue with the fact that the NH has screwed the SH in the past 6-7 years, so i think if we do tour North we should get every cent out of them as possible.

[shasta]

why they hell should the Wallabies tour the NH and give there home nations full stadiums and massive gate takings


so i think if we do tour North we should get every cent out of them as possible.

Not sure what you mean here. I doubt there would be much consideration given to not toutring the NH. That would only penalise our players. But I agree with the sentiment and agree even more with screwing as many Euros out of them as possible for NH tours.

[Flamethrower]

Aussie, Kiwi unions put north on notice
By JIM KAYES - Fairfax Media | Saturday, 01 November 2008

New Zealand and Australia could demand payment for touring France, Ireland and Britain if weak sides continue to be sent south.

The threat was made by Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill yesterday, and backed up by his New Zealand counter part Steve Tew as they look ahead to four weeks of full grounds in Europe and Britain.

They have tapped into some of that cash, with the All Blacks playing play England and the Wallabies the Barbarians at Twickenham as extra games.

They also have tonight's Bledisloe Cup test in Hong Kong and similar games are planned.

A Bledisloe Cup match in Denver next year is looking likely while a game in Tokyo within the next few years is also possible.

But the gates from those games contrast with the meagre support shown in Australia and New Zealand each June when France and England, in particular, send down their 'B' teams.

A deal was stitched together in Woking last year that is meant to ensure European club rugby does not intrude on the June test window, but France are already flouting it.

Full story: Aussie, Kiwi unions put north on notice - New Zealand's source for sport, rugby, cricket & league news on Stuff.co.nz

[.X.]

Why wont the IRB state that for a Test Match all Club/Province sides release players selected for their Country. Without penalty to either player or country involved.

It seems to work just fine for FIFA.

Once again it seems as tho IRB is a bit lacking in the testicular's.

[welshrugbyfan]

I don't think it matters what NH countries come down here as ticket sales would always be less than when the AB's or Boks play the Wallabies down here.

There's not the rivalry between the Wallabies, AB's, Boks and the Northern Hemisphere teams. Even when the Irish were here it was like Blah bring on the All Blacks next week.

Personally yeah I love it when Wales come down here but if their not going to send down the best team to represent my country then don't bother and save me the embarrasment. Wales do not attract the crowds here and neither do France, Ireland, Fiji and other similar nations. Lions tours do and I think they should be more of a regular thing.

The Tri Nations and Bledisloe is a major win for SANZAR and I think dollar wise they should look at expanding that series. It is the heavyweight championship belt of rugby and SANZAR should be putting a better arguement forward for expansion.

Every four years we have the world cup and that's when the SH/NH clashes can happen with every team guaranteed to be fielding its best side, then we can all be happy knowing we won or lost on an even field.

[Burgs]

Roll on the global season, we already play S14 out of the normal season at the start of the year, Feb being the hottest month in WA, so why not line them up.
Either that or drop the Test status from the matches and call them what they are, a development match.

[welshrugbyfan]

Roll on the global season, we already play S14 out of the normal season at the start of the year, Feb being the hottest month in WA, so why not line them up.
Either that or drop the Test status from the matches and call them what they are, a development match.

Great point. Should line up with the local rugby comp.

[Burgs]

It would seem the sticking point is more how much the NH clubs are prepared to shift though?