Even Trump makes more sense than World Rugby
Seriously flawed World Cup report leads to shock hosting decision for 2023 tournament.
OPINION: Let’s reassemble the words ‘‘in a brewery’’, ‘‘couldn’t’’, organise’’, and ‘‘a booze-up’’, into a well-known phrase. Simple right?
Sadly, it’s probably a good bet that World Rugby would have a 50/50 chance of failing.
For an organisation where millions of dollars swirl around it never ceases to amaze how they make Trump’s White House look like a well-oiled machine.
There was shock when board members ignored a lengthy, and no doubt costly, report that recommended the 2023 World Cup should be held in South Africa, and voted instead for France.
Certainly there would have been horse trading before the vital vote. But how credible was the report itself? To be taken seriously it had to be on the money in every respect. It wasn’t.
Here’s one example. In a section on security, South Africa was rated at exactly the same level as Ireland, the third country bidding for 2023.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime issues details of murder rates around the world. In the most recent year for figures from South Africa, 2015, there were 34.27 murders per every 100,000 people. The rate per capita in Ireland in the same year was 0.64. In other words the murder rate in South Africa was 53 times higher than in Ireland.
Yes, the vast majority of murders in South Africa don’t involve tourists. But how much is violence being swept under the carpet when the authors of World Rugby’s report can write, in breathtakingly bland bureaucratic gibberish that South Africa ‘‘does have a history of crime against the person’’, then says no more about that, and relegates the issue to seventh place in eight key points about security?
Credible? On the same level as saying Welsh referee Lee Pearce didn’t bottle it in the All Blacks game this week in Lyon, when he was bullied by the operator of the big screen at the ground, and the screaming crowd, to go to the television match official. That’s not in the laws of the game, yet two All Blacks were yellowcarded.
If Steve Hansen looked a tad grumpy at the press conference after the game I’d suggest his ire was not only stirred by the decisions on the night, but also, probably to an even greater degree, by the fact that back in 2014 New Zealand Rugby made an official complaint to World Rugby because exactly the same big screen scenario was played out in an Ellis Park test with South Africa.
The fact the message hasn’t been drilled into referees maybe shouldn’t be a surprise. Asking a reasonable question of World Rugby at an official level, especially about refereeing, seems to be the sporting equivalent of dropping a coin into a wishing well.
Remember the last test of the Lions tour, and how referee Romain Poite changed his mind about a kickable offside penalty against replacement Lions hooker, Ken Owens, despite Owens making Poite’s job easy for him by dropping the ball in horror when he realised he was in an offside position?
That was at the start of July. New Zealand Rugby asked for an explanation. So far, four months later, no word. We can only presume the Lords of the Game in Dublin have yet to find a convenient sailing ship that can carry the message to Wellington.
Finally, some questions raised so far by the All Blacks’ northern PAUL CHILDS/REUTERS tour. Were you a little puzzled, as I was, by the generally cool reception here to the victory in Lyon (over a highly experienced France B side) by what was basically a Baby Blacks team?
Have we seen the future of Beauden Barrett’s back-up at No 10? And is his name Richie Mo’unga? As good as Lima Sopoaga’s goal kicking is, does Mo’unga always pose a greater threat to defensive lines than Sopoaga, and in doing so negates rush defences?
Have we all accepted the idea that if Sonny Bill Williams was able to get his hands to the ball then having a Frenchman at his shoulder at the time meant a French try was likely, and the penalty try entirely fair?
Does the fact Williams has now had two test brain-snaps in one season, reverting to what he used to do in league, make you nervous at the prospect of him doing the same in a World Cup knockout game?
And one non-All Black question. Who did you want to win this morning’s test at Twickenham? Did your sympathies lie with the team coached by a loud-mouthed, knowall Aussie, or with Australia?