SPORT MUST KEEP GOING EVEN IF WE REACH LEVEL-6 LOCKDOWN
WERE we duped last week? I think we were. From mid-week, every medium in the country was talking about a Level 5 lockdown. All sources ,it seemed, were unimpeachable. As we waited for confirmation of the worst, business died a death all over the country.
Early Monday evening and it was eventually officially confirmed – no Level 5, instead the entire country was put on Level 3.
There was a huge collective sigh of relief and then the realisation that they were never – despite the advance publicity – going to Level 5.
And the country, despite the 26-county restriction, is so happy to not be at Level 5 that they don’t bother complaining about an unpopular move to place the entire country at Level 3. Brilliant! It is made to look like the Government saved us from NPHET.
Globally
We are at this nearly seven months and despite the virus’ unpredictability we have a far clearer picture of what we face globally and on this island.
I have serious reservations about how it is being handled. At the moment it is like doing the Leaving Cert – except we are only studying for one exam which we will get an A in. The other six or seven subjects, well, we are going to fail all of those badly – and a single A isn’t going to get us into college.
We now know that 50,000 won’t die and our hospitals won’t be over-run. Our priorities must change – immediately.
Our cousins in New Zealand have had no community infections in nearly two weeks and there is live Bledisloe Cup action for the next two Sundays with 28,000 tickets sold for this weekend.
While the pandemic takes its course sometimes it is worth reflecting on how our leaders are performing.
Most countries are doing a good job in adversity. Our lot have been pretty good since March on the particular strategy they have chosen, and then there is Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Jair Bolsonaro et al.
Our rugby leaders have been very, very disappointing. I exclude the IRFU because they have shown resilience and tact. It’s hard to be inspired by their leadership though.
It’s like getting a pep talk by a management accountant as you go over the top at the Somme.
“Don’t waste any bullets, lads – they cost one shilling per dozen.”
The IRFU have been pragmatic and their conservative nature will lead them to, well, conserve things.
They have been responsible and while you could never say proactive
– they have reacted well. If they don’t play even partially-attended matches soon, the game will go over the cliff.
They have a healthy sense of self-preservation, which leads us to the first big challenge of the new season.
Nearly all of the elite athletes in the world who have tested positive have been asymptomatic. Maybe we should take two weeks out and give the entire herd of athletes the virus. It might just stop the stoppages.
The Munster senior player who tested positive was also asymptomatic.
The diagnosis was announced in the media as a major blow. It is nothing of the sort. The player quarantines for two weeks. Anyone in contact with him stands down and gets tested.
The whole squad get tested and then you pick a team to play Edinburgh. When that player recovers in two weeks’ time – he doesn’t have to be tested again. This is the way it will be for a year or so.
The IRFU are petrified of being shut down – that is why their protective measures have been rigid to the point of ridiculousness. If it keeps the games going and the money coming in, well then so be it.
Positive
Cam Newton of the New England Patriots tested positive last week ahead of the game to be played on Sunday in Kansas.
Newton was stood down and the entire camp was tested. No positives were recorded and the game rescheduled. The Patriots flew to Kansas on Monday on two separate planes – one of the planes for anyone who had been in contact with Newton.
They were all tested after they got
off the plane – all negative, and the game went ahead at Arrowhead Stadium.
The NFL will survive the pandemic as it did the pandemics of 1957 and 1968. Four rounds through and there have been no major problems.
There is nothing surer than the Super Bowl being played next spring. The NBA got their play-offs away during the week too.
Rugby and high-level sport must be allowed to continue throughout the season – even if we are at Level 6. The IRFU are taking no risks and have a firm hand on the tiller and the till.
Elsewhere? It is like the Titanic is going down and they are all squabbling over the last portion of filet mignon on the menu.
In England, the Sale Sharks have missed out on the Premiership playoffs as 22 of their squad, and 27 of the wider set-up, tested positive amid allegations of a knees-up following a recent cup win.
The final regular-season round of the 2019/’20 Premiership concluded off the field yesterday as Sale were forced to give Worcester a 20-0 forfeit for their refixed game after six more players tested positive for the coronavirus, adding to the 16 last week.
Quite how Sale were going to field a team was up to the Almighty.
A few weeks ago Bernard Laporte was arrested along with Serge Simon and Mohed Altrad in a very public manner. The TV cameras and photographers were there when they were brought to the station for questioning.
Only the French could have orchestrated a petit revolution like this during one of the most delicate periods in the game.
Laporte was right – this was a coup, and my money is on Bernie to recover himself and inflict a night of the long knives on the perpetrators of this audacious but foolhardy act when French rugby needed stability.
Their leaders have distinguished themselves with the sort of squabbling you wouldn’t see at a Turkish rug emporium.
Meanwhile, SANZAAR has broken up irretrievably.
The Argentineans have been marooned and South Africa are looking for a way into the Six Nations via playing their four strongest provincial franchises in the PRO14.
New Zealand’s leaders decided to row their own boat and had their own home Super Rugby championship – which, to be fair, was very successful.
Australia, looking across the Tasman, tried to do their own State of Origin with less success and so with the Australians on their knees and looking down a barrel on every front, the Kiwis played hard ball in their neighbours’ hour of need over a new trans-Tasman Super 10 competition.
What sort of people are they? If Australian rugby goes down the tubes – so does New Zealand rugby.
Rugby’s leaders have not been helping in this time of crisis. In fact, a failure to provide protection for the game when it’s needed most has been a worryingly consistent trend
Crassness
Brotherhood and solidarity replaced by self-interest and the sort of crassness that would make Shylock blanche.
Then there will be more in-fighting over the venues, logistics and timings of the Rugby Championship in November as factional interests supersede the common good.
“Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds,” as George Eliot said.
Shame on them!
While all of this lascivious behaviour and bickering is going on, the comforting hand and control of World Rugby is sadly missing.
What we have is a stunning lack of leadership by chairman Bill Beaumont and CEO Brett Gosper.
Legal actions, retribution, bickering and self interest.
When you are in a crisis your character should come to the fore. What have they shown?
What have we got? An affirmation that all at the top table are a grasping covetous rabble.
Where is the strong voice and a call to order from World Rugby?
It’s like a scene from