Relief or regret as Inverdale finally bows out from rugby?
Broadcaster, who is leaving his role as the sport’s BBC anchor, has become a divisive figure with viewers
Farewell then, John Inverdale: you were always more of a rugby man and, in the immortal words of David Brent, you admit it. The departure of Inverdale from the BBC Rugby anchor role is a classic modern example of the facts being dependent on your perspective. Which truth, then, shall we speak of Invers?
For some people, and clearly for the BBC which used him front and centre in its rugby coverage for 30 years, Inverdale was a quality professional: assured, able to bring out the best in his pundits, knowledgeable about the sport but without attempting to make the debate about him. He was part of that multisport generation of BBC radio-andtv all-rounders, popping up on Cheltenham, golf, Wimbledon, rowing, Olympics and anything else where middle-class people might be on the premises.
And he existed in that space somewhere between sports broadcast journalist and personality, the space occupied by Clare Balding, say, or Jonathan Agnew. The younger generation probably has to work harder, for less exposure, and certainly across more platforms. And there is now more of a separation between the army of broadcast journo grafters, shiny, tough toilers with a postgraduate diploma in journalism; and the star-name talent such as your Alex Scotts or the Isa Guhas of this world, with the exprofessional sportsperson much the preferred option for the big chairs.
Decent pair of shoes, navy blazer, but with an open-necked shirt and a tie tucked into the jacket pocket in case entry is required to one of the smarter enclosures with the possible promise of something cold and refreshing, Inverdale looks like the sort of chap who has generally been in charge of things. He might be the BBC anchor at the Ryder Cup, the CEO of a medium-sized estate agent chain, or a semi-retired partner in a law firm. Authority, assurance and a safe pair of hands. Not a toff, but he knows which fork to use.
Now 63, Inverdale was born within the era to have a really excellent career as a somewhat famous person on the BBC, when the large majority of society was still used to people such as Invers telling them what is what, and generally accepting that.
But times have changed. The ghastly Marion Bartoli episode will forever dog him, and there were others: implying that Kate
Middleton did not know the rules of rugby, getting pinned by Andy Murray for erasing the Olympic wins of the Williams sisters. These were either extemporaneous blunders or totally unacceptable sexism – and each of us will have our own point of view.
But the point is that something coalesced around Inverdale, who came to represent a certain sort of person who was no longer allowed to have it all his own way. Or at least not on TV; lest anyone lament that he has been cancelled, rest assured he has slid comfortably into a job on the RFU Council, where there are, no doubt, all the rubber chicken dinners you can eat as long as you can stand the meetings.
It was interesting to watch the BBC’S Saturday-night rugby coverage recently – in which Inverdale hosted Martin Johnson, Sam Warburton and Jamie Roberts – and catch oneself thinking, “How often do you see a studio panel with 100 per cent representation of four white chaps in blazers?”
For some of us, the answer will be “still too often”. For others, it will be “that’s the way I like it”. For Invers, there will still be Wimbledon. Whether there will always be an England is less immediately clear, but then he is not the only one with that to ponder.