Big World of Rugby

[big mervyn]

Have to say, the board was a better place when Shammy, Wee Woman and Lady P were more regular contributers.

We need a root and branch review . We must be bad men

[Dave]

I don't like super duper basketball rugby. Doesn't mean I hate the entire southern hemisphere. It's just all the Australians that I hate. All of them.

[shamalicious]

Well saying you ‘don’t give a f***’ about woman’s rugby is an unnecessarily crass way to put it, it is also true of the rugby-viewing population at large… this is the unfortunate truth that women’s rugby advocates keep bumping into. The real world isn’t anything like rugby twitter or the BBC - where in these days of social media as self-marketing, and ingratiation with the right in-group, for any high-profile rugby twitter account or journalist to suggest that they aren’t interested in woman’s rugby would be the gravest of faux pas… as a result inside the rugby twitter bubble it’s easy to believe that interest in woman’s rugby is much higher than it actually is.

I have tried to watch woman’s rugby from time to time, but the honest truth is that it’s pretty terrible. Sorry but that’s just what I see. When you’re used to watching the men’s pro game, it’s like an average quality schools game run at 3/4 speed. Good luck to the women themselves, because I always have respect for people who have the passion to play or follow low profile sports (in fact men’s rugby falls into this camp!! I often find myself looking forward to ‘big days’ in rugby which aren’t remotely in the radar of football-following mates, and vice versa!) but I find the constant call for ‘more investment’ frustrating.

The only goose laying a golden egg in Irish rugby is the senior men’s team - all 4 provinces, not to mention age grade, sevens etc are all varying degrees of loss-making and requiring central subsidies. So the rationale for subsidising all of these other teams is precisely to keep in place the goose laying the golden egg!

And that is not the case with woman’s rugby. The TV deals on offer are modest, and honestly will stay that way. Money being ‘invested’ in Irish women’s rugby is pure cost, with no feedback loop to the only game in town that pays the bills - and ‘investment’ in the woman’s game has to come at the expense of something else, it’s zero sum. So what should we cut? Smaller provincial squads? Fewer or lower quality NIQs? Cuts to U20s investment, one of the crowning achievements of the IRFU in recent years?

Good luck to women players and fans of the teams but there should be more acknowledgment of some simple facts - investment in women’s rugby will amount to a pure subsidy, and require cuts elsewhere; in any case pro contracts will always be much smaller than in men’s rugby; women’s rugby will never have the profile or interest of men’s rugby because it’s fundamentally a poorer sport and spectacle. And pointing this out doesn’t make anyone a ‘misogynist’

I get that not everyone likes women's rugby, as with any sport. Fair enough. But you're trying to equate women's pro rugby with men's pro rugby, when men's pro rugby has had a 25+ year head-start. Also, women who play pro now started rugby much later and have fewer years of experience, but that will improve with time as the game grows at mini and youth level.

I don't agree that it's poor quality but as you say, that's what you see. I see a different style of play that is free-flowing and creative, with less aimless kicking. The RWC 2021 final was one of the best games of rugby I've seen.

There will be an increase in revenue for the women's game and could well become another golden goose. O2 extended their sponsorship of England Rugby on the basis that it be a 50-50 split between the senior men and senior women's team. It's looking like 50,000+ will be going to Twickenham to watch England play France. England have been pro for 5 years with an excellent domestic league in place - 1m+ people watched it last season. 1.7m watched the RWC final in the UK (with a 6.30am kick-off). There is a growing demand for it and with that comes sponsorship and TV deals. It's already bearing fruit in England. Their success has attracted the likes of O2.

Ireland aren't in a good place right now. The constant chopping and changing of the AIL format, when Inter-Pros are played and the lack of bridging the gap from club to international level are hampering their progress. The squad has an average of something like 6 international caps. Some of Ireland's best players are on the Sevens circuit. Beibhinn Parsons should be lighting up the Six Nations. Sevens are prioritised over 15s as they're pushing for Olympic qualification.

The full-time contracts offered within the last year are not enough for a player to live on. How can someone get by on €15-25k living in Dublin? Why couldn't they offer the option of hybrid contracts to allow players to work and train for Ireland, easing the transition to pro rugby? A fair few players have had to turn down these all-or-nothing contracts. There has been an exodus of experienced players as well through retirement, non-selection and walking away entirely.

This has compounded the results we're seeing with Ireland who are very early on their professional rugby journey. The other 5 nations are further ahead and it's showing. At the moment, they can't be compared to the other teams and can only focus on their own development with each game. But I hope this is just teething problems and they will catch up with time and more improvements are hopefully made to address the above. The U18s are going well in their Six Nations festival which is encouraging.

I hope you might change your mind in the future Columbo, but if not, that's fine. I'll still gulder for the Ulster men and women

Sent from my SM-S908B using Tapatalk

[Cockatrice]

Out of curiosity any other rugby fans often refer to New Zealand as the Black and Tans

[solidarity]

From the BBC. I doubt that there are any rugby players in the top 100. Anybody know who the top paid rugby player is?

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the world's highest-paid athlete for the first time since 2017 following his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.

Forbes report the 38-year-old Portugal forward earned $136m (£108.7m) over the past 12 months.

His contract with Al Nassr is reportedly worth more than 200m euros (£176.5m) per year.

Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi is second on Forbes' list having earned $130m (£103.9m).

Forbes' top 10 also features basketball star LeBron James and boxer Canelo Alvarez, while 20-time tennis Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is the only retired athlete on the list in ninth place.

Dustin Johnson (sixth) and Phil Mickelson (seventh) are the first golfers to make the top 10 since Tiger Woods in 2020.

Johnson was not in the top 50 in 2022 but after becoming the first high-profile player to join the controversial Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational Series, he has rocketed up Forbes' rankings.

The American two-time major winner - who received $18m (£16.2m at the time) after winning the inaugural LIV Golf championship - earned $107m (£85.5m) over the past year.

Forbes say Mickelson, who earned $106m (£84.7m), surpassed $1bn in career earnings pre-tax last year.

Forbes' figures include both on-field earnings - including salaries, prize money and bonuses - and off-field earnings - sponsorship deals, appearance fees and memorabilia and licensing income.

World's top 10 highest paid athletes 2023
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, football: $136m (£108.7m)
2. Lionel Messi, football: $130m (£103.9m)
3. Kylian Mbappe, football: $120m (£95.9m)
4. LeBron James, basketball: $119.5m (£95.5m)
5. Canelo Alvarez, boxing: $110m (£87.9m)
6. Dustin Johnson, golf: $107m (£85.5m)
7. Phil Mickelson, golf: $106m (£84.7m)
8. Stephen Curry, basketball: $100.4m (£80.2m)
9. Roger Federer, tennis: $95.1m (£76m)
10. Kevin Durant, basketball: $89.1m (£71.2m)

[StandUp]

The cnut Nucifora is leaving next year according to Planet Rugby.
Maybe he’ll die before then.

[Bobbievee]

http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/ ... rticle/NaN

Hopefully not behind paywall
Interesting account of the application of salary cap on English rugby nd the financial effect on clubs of having too many internationals.......Or nearly international s

[solidarity]

http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/ ... rticle/NaN

Hopefully not behind paywall
Interesting account of the application of salary cap on English rugby nd the financial effect on clubs of having too many internationals.......Or nearly international s

Really interesting stuff.

One wee thing - Benetton have a bigger budget than any Englih Premiership club? Wouldn't have guesed that.

[solidarity]

http://digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/ ... rticle/NaN

Hopefully not behind paywall
Interesting account of the application of salary cap on English rugby nd the financial effect on clubs of having too many internationals.......Or nearly international s

Really interesting stuff.

One curious wee thing - Benetton have a bigger budget than any Englih Premiership club? Wouldn't have guessed that.

[solidarity]

I was at a lunchtime do today at which Aidan McCullen, the former Leinster back row forward and Ireland 7s player was guest speaker. He is now a management and leadership guru. Made me think, do we have a 'Where are they now?' thread? If not, one could be very interesting.

[Dave]

It would be interesting to see who went into the sausage industry and who didn't.

[solidarity]

All Blacks and Japan to co-operate more.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/all-blac ... TER,AXFA,1

If it leads to Japan growing, all well and good. If it leads to NZ sstealing young Japanese players, not so good.

[justinr73]

JT quits Wales.

Seems a bit odd.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65650298

[justinr73]

And now AWJ does the same…

[Dave]

JT quits Wales.

Seems a bit odd.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65650298

The Welsh side is so poor. Pro rugby probably pays poorly in Wales. It's a smart cash in.