Developing International Rugby (14 October 2007)
On the weekend that Argentina challenged the might of South Africa for a place in the Rugby Union World Cup Final and 15 a side code giants Australia, New Zealand and France sat at home watching their performance on TV sets, a text message was received by the Rugby League's Director of European Development announcing that Latvia had beaten Estonia in the first ever rugby league international played between the two countries.
Throughout the past month rugby union teams from Georgia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and elsewhere have delighted crowds in France and, by their vastly improved performances, have contributed so much to the enjoyment of Rugby Union's most prestigious tournament. Over the next couple of months as nations seek to take up the last three places available in Rugby League's own World Cup in Australia in 2008, the likes of the USA, the Lebanon, Samoa, Russia, Ireland, Wales and Scotland will be battling to join other minnows, Fiji and Tonga, in the final line up.
At last, both rugby codes are making serious attempts to promote and strengthen those nations which, thanks to little financial support and nominal active development in the past, have stood for too long on the periphery of both sports. For too long both rugby codes, for varying reasons, have remained as 'closed shops' and merely paid lip service to developing nations. Indeed in rugby union, until as recently as fifty years ago players in this country couldn't play for certain clubs unless they had attended a particular school; and no one, at home or abroad, could even think of attempting to try his hand at rugby league, even as an amateur, for fear of being banned from all contact with union.
Rugby Union's international administrators have developed two wonderful annual national tournaments in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; but to the neglect of other tournaments elsewhere. Rugby League's bosses, while concentrating their efforts on Test Series between the leading three nations of Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, have neglected the ambitions of major league playing countries like France and Papua New Guinea and, on the introduction of Super League and the NRL Down Under, have almost consigned international tournaments to the dustbin in favour of, admittedly, two highly exciting and thriving club competitions. Thankfully a new mind set now appears to be in operation at the highest levels of rugby league and international competition looks set to be, once more, the pinnacle of the game.
Football has spread itself worldwide from the same small, humble beginnings in England as both Union and League, and is all the richer, more popular, and more widely appreciated for having done so. Rugby Union and Rugby League must grasp the message coming strongly from their two World Cup celebrations and, while still maintaining and nurturing the strongholds of the codes, must encourage ever more nations to join the club and, whatever any fledgling countries' ambitions might be, support them. Only then will any cup tournament be truly deserving of having the word, "World" attached to it.
Ray French
On the weekend that Argentina challenged the might of South Africa for a place in the Rugby Union World Cup Final and 15 a side code giants Australia, New Zealand and France sat at home watching their performance on TV sets, a text message was received by the Rugby League's Director of European Development announcing that Latvia had beaten Estonia in the first ever rugby league international played between the two countries.
Throughout the past month rugby union teams from Georgia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and elsewhere have delighted crowds in France and, by their vastly improved performances, have contributed so much to the enjoyment of Rugby Union's most prestigious tournament. Over the next couple of months as nations seek to take up the last three places available in Rugby League's own World Cup in Australia in 2008, the likes of the USA, the Lebanon, Samoa, Russia, Ireland, Wales and Scotland will be battling to join other minnows, Fiji and Tonga, in the final line up.
At last, both rugby codes are making serious attempts to promote and strengthen those nations which, thanks to little financial support and nominal active development in the past, have stood for too long on the periphery of both sports. For too long both rugby codes, for varying reasons, have remained as 'closed shops' and merely paid lip service to developing nations. Indeed in rugby union, until as recently as fifty years ago players in this country couldn't play for certain clubs unless they had attended a particular school; and no one, at home or abroad, could even think of attempting to try his hand at rugby league, even as an amateur, for fear of being banned from all contact with union.
Rugby Union's international administrators have developed two wonderful annual national tournaments in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; but to the neglect of other tournaments elsewhere. Rugby League's bosses, while concentrating their efforts on Test Series between the leading three nations of Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, have neglected the ambitions of major league playing countries like France and Papua New Guinea and, on the introduction of Super League and the NRL Down Under, have almost consigned international tournaments to the dustbin in favour of, admittedly, two highly exciting and thriving club competitions. Thankfully a new mind set now appears to be in operation at the highest levels of rugby league and international competition looks set to be, once more, the pinnacle of the game.
Football has spread itself worldwide from the same small, humble beginnings in England as both Union and League, and is all the richer, more popular, and more widely appreciated for having done so. Rugby Union and Rugby League must grasp the message coming strongly from their two World Cup celebrations and, while still maintaining and nurturing the strongholds of the codes, must encourage ever more nations to join the club and, whatever any fledgling countries' ambitions might be, support them. Only then will any cup tournament be truly deserving of having the word, "World" attached to it.
Ray French