How nationalism can
‘‘Racist,’’ they cried. When Agustin Pichot sent out a tweet defining how many foreign-born players were being selected for the top rugby nations, you would have thought from the river of foaming outrage that he had just committed genocide. And yet Pichot made no comment. He put no slant on the tweet. He just put the facts out there.
The fact is that a number of countries in the world are supplementing their playing base by picking blokes who are rugby mercenaries. We know it’s wrong. We know it makes a nonsense of international sport. We know that even the extension of the residency qualification to five years at the end of 2020 is nothing like enough.
When Keith Quinn saw Brad Shields, lately of Wellington, wearing an England shirt, he posted the comment ‘‘sad picture’’. Pichot responded: ‘‘Algo se esta perdiendo. We are losing something . . . the game is losing something . . .’’
I think Pichot is right. If international rugby is to mean anything, then surely, by its very definition, nationalism has to be a part of it. People dress up in their national colours. Peru play New Zealand at football and fans come from Lima to the streets of Wellington.
In our heart of hearts we know Shields should not be playing for England, not least because he represented New Zealand at the 2011 under-20 world championship. Gareth Anscombe, currently occupying the No 10 shirt of Wales, was also a member of that team. But next year they will be trying to beat New Zealand at a World Cup.
Indeed a lot of New Zealanders will be trying to beat New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup. Joe Schmidt will be coaching Ireland and Bundee Aki; Warren Gatland will be coaching Wales and Anscombe and Hadleigh Parkes.
John Mitchell will be coaching England’s defence and Shields and Ben Te’o. John McKee will be coaching Fiji. Sean Maitland will be playing for Scotland who were led out of the wilderness by Vern Cotter. Five of the top eight teams in the world (not including New Zealand) are heavily influenced by Kiwis. It speaks to me not just of a failure of World Rugby, but of a failure of New Zealand Rugby.
Look at that New Zealand team which won the 2011 Junior World Cup: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Mitchell Scott, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Lima Sopoaga, 11 Charles Piutau, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Luke Whitelock (capt), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Brad Shields, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Steven Luatua, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Solomona Sakalia.
Tameifuna is now playing for Tonga and Piutau is hoping to. Shields turns out for England and Anscombe ‘represents’ Wales. Seven of that winning team now play their rugby in Britain and France. The coach, Mark Anscombe, was in charge of Canada and his defection has become the new norm. Most of New Zealand’s junior world championship coaches soon head overseas.
Dave Rennie (2008-10) is in Scotland. Anscombe (2011) has trotted the globe. Rob Penney (2012) is in Japan. Chris Boyd (2013-14) has gone to England. Scott Robertson (2015-16) is here for now, but for how long?
People aren’t just leaving for