The Death of Rugby?

World of Sport Reporter: @rjmcevoy

World of Sport Editor: @worldofsport

World Rugby has made its recommendation for the selection of South Africa for the 2023 RWC, leaving the Irish and French Rugby Unions up in arms. The recommendation goes forward to the World Rugby Council, who meet in London next week to vote for the rights to host the tournament.

South Africa have always been favourites to win the rights, as it’s thought Ireland cannot deliver the facilities needed, whereas France actually held the RWC in 2007. The French were angered by World Rugby’s decision, however, and did not sugar coat their message when it came to the decision and ultimately the implications on the future of the game.

South Africa hosted the RWC in 1995 and are favourites to host in 2023

Claude Atcher, the Head of France 2023 bid said, “If we don't do anything, in five to ten years you will have two, three to four teams on the same level and that's all, and I think rugby will die.”

As a positive, singing and dancing message of goodwill and game enhancement, Atcher’s comment needs some work, but it wins top marks for directness and potential clairvoyance. But does he have a point? Ireland and France are up there with the very best, and the French Union is definitely one of the most influential, and with participation in France among the biggest in the world, and the Top 14 littered with world stars collecting huge wages, rugby in France isn’t going to die anytime soon.

**Claude Atcher believes international rugby could suffer badly from Wrld Rugby's decision**

The death of rugby that Mr Atcher is talking about, however, is the death of International rugby. Club rugby, funded by huge TV deals, rich men and growing attendances, is growing, but only in France and England. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Celtic Nations and Italy, it is struggling badly, with flat lining or declining crowds, and dwindling TV and sponsorship deals, which in turn is leading to a player drain to the big 2 leagues.

The elephant in the room, of course, is private enterprise. The NFL has become the biggest sports league in the world without an international development plan led by men in blazers. Rugby is growing as a brand and playing standards, especially in England and France, have risen enormously since the inception of the professional era. Money is coming in, albeit not in droves, from sponsorship deals. So, the Top 14 and Premiership are in a seemingly good place, but the money isn’t there for other pro-leagues.

**Club rugby in England and France is as strong as ever**

Currently, the English and French leagues have a marriage of convenience with the international game. The Unions subsidize clubs with international players for international games, and the leagues give up their players (to the countries who subsidize). If you don’t give them money, however, you get restricted access to the players. That is the way of the world. And with this in mind, World Rugby, the governing body of rugby, has been promised over $300million from the South African 2023 bid, which it will use over 4 years to boost the world game.

And there in lies the problem. Nearly every National Union around the world is losing money, and lots of it. New Zealand lost $2million plus, despite charging millions for playing Test matches around the world. They also hosted the British & Irish Lions in the summer, which is a boost to the Southern Hemisphere coffers when they tour. The Australian Rugby Union fairs even worse, somehow losing close to $10m in 2016.

**Even the New Zealand Union is losing money**

So, when Union heavyweights like New Zealand and Australia are losing so much money, what chance does World Rugby have of developing the game? All of a sudden Claude Atcher’s ‘death’ claim doesn’t seem so unrealistic, especially when they’re upsetting their one of their biggest Unions.

The French Union is angry over World Rugby’s recommendation. They feel they have been led up the garden path, as it were. They feel like they’ve wasted a lot of time, money and effort over something they were promised to be in with a shout of. And an angry French Union isn’t good for World Rugby. Their Top 14 is the success story of club rugby, and they may feel they should pursue that and try to build on their domination, rather than help out struggling international rugby.

Sources:

www.mktru.com
www.gettyimages.com
www.dailymail.co.uk
www.gstatic.com

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