THE RUGBY RANT
Filling the coffers is more of a priority than player welfare, says RW reader Tony Kowalewski
F I WAS asked to list my top ten priorities for rugby union, number one would be player welfare. Bottom of my list would be making the game an even bigger business than it is today. Why do I say that? Money is the root of all evil.
The pressure is on those who thrill and entertain us to play as many games as possible because without their top stars playing week in, week out, clubs lose their money-making attractions. Take the player who came back onto the pitch having had a testicle crushed!
And why should the people who manage the game care about the long-term health of their playing staff? After all, there’s an excellent production line of young talent ready to step up when the current group of players’ careers are cut short by injury, as well as a seemingly endless supply of star southern hemisphere talent wanting to make big bucks here. Rugby is now one great big money-making sausage machine.
Premiership play-offs? The club that tops the table at the end of the season is surely the champion. But no, let’s play a few more money-spinning games.
The need to tackle lower? If there weren’t so many games, there would be fewer injuries and therefore no need to mess with the laws so much. I wouldn’t mind betting the rate of injury per game was lower in the pre-professional era.
I“I’m beginning to fall out of love with the game. It’s now a money-making machine”
The TMO has only been introduced because the financial risk for clubs when officials get it wrong is significant. That’s the wrong reason for doing it. It would also be nice to go to a game that lasted 80 minutes rather than 100.
I presume the razzamataz at games is aimed at drawing in kids as it does nothing for me! I realise rugby needs to acquire a wider audience but surely there are better ways of doing that than the ridiculous stadium announcements, associated music, fireworks and other gimmicks that would be better utilised at Disney World.
I’m beginning to fall out of love with the game. I have spent the past 50-plus years watching and playing, but as each season goes on, union is becoming more like soccer.
Worst of all, though, is the unashamed exploitation of players. Like in soccer, rugby players earn good money and are therefore seen as expendable. What gets your goat? Let us know on Facebook or tweet @rugbyworldmag