Suspend WR funding to force reform in Pacific
DAN LEO deserves huge congratulations on the strides that his Pacific Rugby Players Welfare organisation has made in helping players from the islands living and working abroad and in his more challenging efforts to get action on the apparently appalling state of governance of rugby in the three main island nations – Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.
He is right to demand more from World Rugby in terms of exerting whatever influence they can on the local governing bodies.
Given the levels of political interference, corruption and nepotism that appear from his interview last week with Neale Harvey to be rife across the islands, however, it is hard to imagine how much any outside agency might expect to be able to change.
With help from PRPW, World Rugby might well be able to use their financial muscle – at least, once this is sufficiently restored following the Covid-19 crisis – to get competent and independently-minded CEO’s in charge of each of the governing bodies but, if all other local power continues to be controlled by government cronies and with no local free press, how effective could they be?
It would be very interesting to hear Dan’s further views on specific ways in which World Rugby and wider support from within the game might be mobilised to improve prospects for our game in these hotbeds of rugby talent.
The fact that so many senior government people seem to hold top posts within their rugby bodies suggests that the game is considered to be important to them and their people. If so, might, for instance, a temporary withholding of WR funding and public suspension of efforts to persuade more established national sides to visit exert some leverage on those in power to give rugby’s governing bodies more independence?
Undoubtedly, tricky political waters for a sporting body to contemplate, but, potentially sustainable as a means to try and get the international help available to the intended beneficiaries – the game, its players and genuine supporters.