Rugby Union World League

[Nearly Sane]

Looks like people have been listening to Prof D. But seems very corporate


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47398739

[jeremyp]

Looks like people have been listening to Prof D. But seems very corporate


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47398739

My main issue with it is the lack of promotion and relegation.

[Nearly Sane]

My main issue with it is the lack of promotion and relegation.

Which is part of the corporatism.

[ProfessorDavey]

Looks like people have been listening to Prof D. But seems very corporate


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47398739

Not sure about the details but the basic idea is long overdue. Rugby needs to cull all these pointless friendlies and massively increase the number of games played that are genuinely competitive, in other words that mean something.

Given that the SH sides have, beyond doubt, been the top sides globally for years (haven't been beaten in a competitive game that matters by a NH side since the 6th Oct 2007, and that includes Argentina) it is crazy that the NH sides only play competitive games against them once in 4 years. How on earth are NH sides going to develop unless they play the best regularly in games that matter.

I understand the issue over number of games played, but there is plenty of scope to completely re-shape the global calendar without increasing numbers of games played. First thing that should be done is to trim the world cup to 16 sides to create a shorter, more competitive and fairer tournament. And therefore to have a more competitive qualifying tournament to reach those finals.

[ProfessorDavey]

Rather sceptical of Sexton's quote:

"To suggest that players can play five incredibly high-level Test matches in consecutive weeks in November is out of touch and shows little understanding of the physical strain this brings."

Isn't this exactly what the winning world cup team this coming November will have to do. I haven't seen him complaining about that in relation to the world cup.

[ProfessorDavey]

Looks like people have been listening to Prof D. But seems very corporate


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47398739

Not sure that it is corporate - I think to an extent the opposite based on providing more competitive and meaningful matches. The main reason for the huge resistance to change, e.g. of 6 nations and the Lions tours is that they are huge corporate sellers, regardless of the quality or importance of the sport itself.

I'm sure the semi-finals and finals of the suggested World league would be very popular, but they would also be top quality, meaningful encounters. Hard to see how the third 'dead' rubber of a Lions tour or last season's Wales/France 6 nations match (which I attended) has any meaning beyond cash generated on ticket sales and (in the case of the Lions tours) high cost travel packages.

[jeremyp]

Rather sceptical of Sexton's quote:

"To suggest that players can play five incredibly high-level Test matches in consecutive weeks in November is out of touch and shows little understanding of the physical strain this brings."


Isn't this exactly what the winning world cup team this coming November will have to do. I haven't seen him complaining about that in relation to the world cup.

No. They will have to play seven games (four pool games, QF, SF, final), although you could argue that two, or perhaps three, of the pool games will not be "incredibly high level".  Furthermore, the Six Nations already consists of five "incredibly high level games" over a period of seven weeks.

[Nearly Sane]

Not sure that it is corporate - I think to an extent the opposite based on providing more competitive and meaningful matches. The main reason for the huge resistance to change, e.g. of 6 nations and the Lions tours is that they are huge corporate sellers, regardless of the quality or importance of the sport itself.

I'm sure the semi-finals and finals of the suggested World league would be very popular, but they would also be top quality, meaningful encounters. Hard to see how the third 'dead' rubber of a Lions tour or last season's Wales/France 6 nations match (which I attended) has any meaning beyond cash generated on ticket sales and (in the case of the Lions tours) high cost travel packages.

Good to see your support for corporate colonialism

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/47418895

[jeremyp]

Good to see your support for corporate colonialism

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/47418895

Just because a BBC journalist says it doesn’t mean it is automatically true.

[ProfessorDavey]

No. They will have to play seven games (four pool games, QF, SF, final), although you could argue that two, or perhaps three, of the pool games will not be "incredibly high level".  Furthermore, the Six Nations already consists of five "incredibly high level games" over a period of seven weeks.

Indeed - my point being that players don't seem to mind playing at least 5 tough games in 5 weeks in the world cup. Although Australia lost in the last world cup final, their final 5 games over 5 consecutive weekends were against England, Wales, Scotland, South Africa and New Zealand.

But they managed it and won all but the last one.

[ProfessorDavey]

Good to see your support for corporate colonialism

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/47418895

I think there should be promotion and relegation as that would increase the number of meaningful games hugely. And I don't think it is clear that the new system wont include promotion and relegation.

Overall the proposal is about increasing the number of meaningful competitive matches, not about commercialisation - that is a good thing. The current world game is stuffed full of meaningless matches where the only point seems to be bums on seats and ticket sales. We are at 'peak' commercialisation, we need to wrest this back towards meaningful sport.

As an example, in 2018 Wales played 12 matches, only 5 of which could be considered proper competitive matches, the rest were all 'friendlies'. And of those 5 competitive matches (the 5 6 nations games) the last 2 were effectively dead rubber meaningless encounters as Wales had, at that stage won one and lost two so there was no chance of winning the 6 nations, nor any concern about relegation, nor any value in finishing second rather than third.

[ProfessorDavey]

Good to see your support for corporate colonialism

If you are concerned about 'corporate colonialism' I think you should be far more concerned about the fact that over the past couple of decades many of the best players from the pacific nations have somehow managed to become New Zealanders ... or English, or Welsh etc.