Rugby World Cup 2007

[rick boyd]

Sorry, but I am underwhelmed by the world cup.

It was sponsored by the SH unions to be a great carnival of rugby, a marvellous festival celebrating the game they play in heaven. But we created a monster. It is now an ugly, bloated monstrosity that consumes everything in its path. It has become the be-all and end-all of rugby. Test series have become meaningless, international tours irrelevant -- coaches use every rugby season as a preparation exercise for the next world cup.

Then, once every four years, the top five nations stage three one-off knockout matches, one side scrapes through the final on refereeing vagaries or a wobbly dropped goal, and they get to be "world champion" for four years.

There's not a grain of sense to it.

All Black legend Grant Fox was in the press last year calling for the world cup to be relegated to its proper status and traditional tours to be given their due. Knuckles was in the press last week saying the world cup could look after itself, the most important text the Wallabies will ever play in their next game.

These people are speaking plain good sense.

Worry about the world cup a couple of weeks before it starts, enjoy it for the colour and the atmosphere, award the winner their due accolades as champions of the festival, and get back to playing proper test rugby for the following four years.

[Happy]

valid points rick, but how do you have both .. the world cup itself hasn't become this monster, the people hwo watch it have made it that! Even my comments on this site have made me guilty...

[rick boyd]

valid points rick, but how do you have both .. the world cup itself hasn't become this monster, the people hwo watch it have made it that! Even my comments on this site have made me guilty...

The media, and the commercial interests that use the media, are the real culprits. The media loves a big target, and the bigger the better. The world cup has a profile that can be shamelessly adulterated in an orgy of programming, merchandising, commercialsim and profiteering and all in one place at one time. The worst excesses of nationalism can be elevated to heights (or depths?) on a scale to which rugby has never before had access.

In some ways it was inevitable. But we, the grass roots supporters who are the real strength of rugby, do not need to accept it. We have the collective power to tip the balance back on the side of common sense.

[Darren]

The World Cup is doing exactly what I imagine it is intended to do - to make money and to give rugby as much exposure as possible to as wide an audience as possible. It was designed to become a monster.

Doesn't make it bad to watch ...

[Burgs]

Personally, the only "orgy" I see is the absolute feast of Test matches between nations that I normally don't get to watch for the other three years of the cycle. Without the Tournament structure many of the minnows would never get to play the top ten nations in this Pro era.
Every stadium has a capacity regardless so it is not as if everyone can go anyway. It is also the major revenue raiser for everything that comes out of the IRB for the following four years, including development officers in Tier Two & Three Nations.
I think it is a fantastic promotion and exhibition for the code that I understand to be the third largest sporting event after the Olympics and the Football World Cup.
The old days, including the aura of traditional tours changed the moment the code went professional and I see little point making like King Canute.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Im with you Burgs on this one. How good was it supporting Uraguay and Georgia at Subi, during the last world cup.Some the best times ive had during the years ive watched rugby were these so called minnow games.All played with flair and passion.Id personally love to see Italy and Romania tour here, even to play Australia A.

[.X.]

Sorry, but I am underwhelmed by the world cup.

It was sponsored by the SH unions to be a great carnival of rugby, a marvellous festival celebrating the game they play in heaven. But we created a monster. It is now an ugly, bloated monstrosity that consumes everything in its path. It has become the be-all and end-all of rugby. Test series have become meaningless, international tours irrelevant -- coaches use every rugby season as a preparation exercise for the next world cup.

Then, once every four years, the top five nations stage three one-off knockout matches, one side scrapes through the final on refereeing vagaries or a wobbly dropped goal, and they get to be "world champion" for four years.

There's not a grain of sense to it.

All Black legend Grant Fox was in the press last year calling for the world cup to be relegated to its proper status and traditional tours to be given their due. Knuckles was in the press last week saying the world cup could look after itself, the most important text the Wallabies will ever play in their next game.

These people are speaking plain good sense.

Worry about the world cup a couple of weeks before it starts, enjoy it for the colour and the atmosphere, award the winner their due accolades as champions of the festival, and get back to playing proper test rugby for the following four years.

Gee Rick- With Rugby scribes like you based in the West I am amazed the Western Force ever came in to existance. Your attack of the Rugby World Cup is born for one of three reasons;
- Ignorance (unlikely),
- read a quote from a former player you liked (possibly)
- or self promotion (find a topic, have an out of left field opinon, and make a name for yourself)

Any press is good press right? especially when your name is attatched to it.

Why would we want a world stage to show case our game?
Why would we want the revenue from TV rights and ticket sales to support the development of our game?

Wow, Rick, How can I be so stupid? What was i thinking going to 6 games at the 2003 RWC. Think of what I could have done with that $630

[.X.]

Im with you Burgs on this one. How good was it supporting Uraguay and Georgia at Subi, during the last world cup.Some the best times ive had during the years ive watched rugby were these so called minnow games.All played with flair and passion.Id personally love to see Italy and Romania tour here, even to play Australia A.

one of the best games i ever saw was at the 2003RWC - South Africa and Georgia at a packed Sydney Football Stadium. SA won, and won by 30+ points. But Georgia scored their first ever try in a Rugby World Cup - the crowd went off. I have never heard a roar so loud. It was amazing, it was emotional, Im not ashamed to say it, I had a tear in my eye.

After the match, it was the Georgians that did the lap of honor.

It was a match I will never forget and why the Rugby World Cup is essential to the ongoing development of Rugby around the world.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Spot on.

[Jess]

Did anyone else join the Georgia supporters club? The subiaco post and Clancy's Bar created a fan club where you paid $20 and got a hat and certificate (both of which i have held onto).
The money went to accommodation and touring costs for the team and It was a fantastic cause and the players did appearances at Clancy's and really appreciated the support they were getting from the local community.

I remember going to the game where England were playing Georgia, dressed as a full on Georgian supporter and this English guy had a go at me cause he could tell i wasn't georgian and finally discovered i was actually of english desent. But going for the minnows was so rewarding. It really did make me appreciate the rugby itself and the spirit that the game is played in. Sure they may have lost by a heap of points but watching them give it all they had despite the odds being well against them was truly inspirational. I was so proud when Georgia scored that try against South Africa and i spent most of the world cup with a tear in my eye.
Sure there is lots of money to be made with the commerical nature that has become the rwc but that is the same with any major sporting event.
It's not the t-shirts that people will remember... it's the moments. And just in case your memory isn't so good... you have the t-shirt to remind you.

[Happy]

I spent ages at subi clancy's learning their song while also trying to remember how to stand unaided. I have my certificate and hat still!!

"Lelo, lelo sakartvelo"

[Jess]

excellent work happy! i would have been doing the same i'm sure but i was only 15 at the time so only got to go there once and in the day with dad. that was still good.

[rick boyd]

Personally, the only "orgy" I see is the absolute feast of Test matches between nations that I normally don't get to watch for the other three years of the cycle. Without the Tournament structure many of the minnows would never get to play the top ten nations in this Pro era.
Every stadium has a capacity regardless so it is not as if everyone can go anyway. It is also the major revenue raiser for everything that comes out of the IRB for the following four years, including development officers in Tier Two & Three Nations.
I think it is a fantastic promotion and exhibition for the code that I understand to be the third largest sporting event after the Olympics and the Football World Cup.
The old days, including the aura of traditional tours changed the moment the code went professional and I see little point making like King Canute.

Yes, those are all things the rugby world cup should be. What the rugby world cup should NOT be, is the be-all and end-all of rugby. It has its place, and test series have their place. Three years of test series should not be a sideshow to the world cup.

And King Canute demonstrated it was pointless to attempt the impossible. We have the power to achieve the eminently possible -- the game we want, and some would say, a duty to do so.

Rugby should not be driven by media multi-nationals, but by the grass roots, the heart and soul of real rugby.

[rick boyd]

Gee Rick- With Rugby scribes like you based in the West I am amazed the Western Force ever came in to existance. Your attack of the Rugby World Cup is born for one of three reasons;
- Ignorance (unlikely),
- read a quote from a former player you liked (possibly)
- or self promotion (find a topic, have an out of left field opinon, and make a name for yourself)

Any press is good press right? especially when your name is attatched to it.

Why would we want a world stage to show case our game?
Why would we want the revenue from TV rights and ticket sales to support the development of our game?

Wow, Rick, How can I be so stupid? What was i thinking going to 6 games at the 2003 RWC. Think of what I could have done with that $630

If you wish the debate to be lowered to personal insult, you will have to conduct it by yourself.

[Happy]

Rugby should not be driven by media multi-nationals, but by the grass roots, the heart and soul of real rugby.

I think it is ... talk to any serious rugby fan and they will all tell you they support provincial, state and local club rugby. Rugby fans are a different breed, for the better IMHO!!