"I guess you can't get away from it" Topic

Professionalism has made rugby and exciting sport, not run by a bunch of hypocrits in blazers determined to stop world class sportsmen making a living from their talent.

I notice there's been no apology forthcoming….

Ah, Stu,
for me it is the surplus of international games. For instance, I could point to the 1996 test series in South Africa that the All Blacks won as one of my most cherished rugby memories. Now it just seems like we play South Africa every 5 seconds. It isn't special anymore.
For the first year that I can remember, I have not bothered to get up and watch the All Blacks in South Africa live, and I'm not alone. Live viewing numbers have almost halved in this country in the last three years. I don't blame the poor performance of the ABs either. It has been a downward trend for a while now, despite stunning winning percentages that any other team in rugby history would be envious of. But everybody is so obsessed with the World Cup, they can't see past it. Add to that the constant disruption to the rules in the southern hemisphere and the fact that we have to play night games for viewing audiences when conditions can be terrible (a couple of years back the Super 14 final was played in the fog – we had to take the commentators' word for what was happening until they started saying that they couldn't really see either!) and I can only conclude that one of the most passionate rugby audiences in the world has been completely shafted.
I have no problem with top atheletes being paid, it is the way that the game is being run into the ground by the powers that be that saddens me.
OK, rant over, we now return you to your regularly scheduled kneejerk reactions to things we know nothing about…

Now, now just because you always choke at World Cups. Still it's not all gloom and doom, NZ has a very competitive netball team.

Perhaps if the All Blacks regularly played people other than the Aussies and South Africans and regarded the Pacific Islands as opponents rather than sources of talent to be plundered, interest might grow again?

I think Wales play Samoa more often than the All Blacks….

Lots of northern tours,Stu. I think we've won the grand slam the last two times we've done it (again, that used to be a rarity). And the tours down under have been a joke until this year. I was really pleased when the French sent a competitive team this year. And they won! But in between tests we didn't see the French play Bay of Plenty or Waikato or Otago or any other union. That is what I miss. That is where the rugby legends come from. But that doesn't make bucket fulls of money, so it isn't done anymore.
I've watched the ABs murder Tonga 105-5. Nope, MORE internationals is not the answer. And if we plunder the pacific islands it is because we are plundered ourselves – Ricky Flutey anyone… That is a silly kneejerk reaction of course. Pacific Islanders come to New Zsealand for the same reason Pakistanis go to England – in search of a better life. They don't all grow up to be All Blacks.
I expect the ABs probably have another 20 years or so at the top of the game (despite all the doom and gloomers two test losses in South Africa are the historical norm, not a reason for panic), but eventually we will be the Sweden of rugby – glorious past, but doesn't count for anything anymore. The comments will be, they would have a good team if they could stop their players from playing for England, France or the USA. Dollars will outweigh the jersey.

And JJCH, our netball team is not looking too flash anymore either… the majority were in the Magic that got seriously thrashed in the final of the ANZ Cup.

Really what the game needs is a bit of promotion outside of the big five. The staging of the world cup in Japan in 2019 is a good start. It's still an amateur game but there's a lively following in Argentina and to a lesser extent Chile. Curiously enough most South American nations have a team, despite the dominance of football. It would be nice to see some seed money planted in developing Rugby nations soil. What about a World Cup in Italy?

I well remember the amateur game. Sorry to say I think the injection of a bit of cash did the game more good than bad. A lot of the less appealing aspects had more to do with accomodating the Boers when they returned to the international game. And then of course there's always the Wallabies moaning about rules changes because they are incapable of producing a decent forward pack.

Well as I said, the Europeans brought Italy into the their rpemier competition.

If the Tri-Nations developed into something Pan Pacific, that would be a start.There's something very clique-y and elitist about Southern Hemisphere rugby.

In terms of Rugby Union loyalty, I'll line up with Bangorstu. Three years at Bangor ('65 – '68) left me a commited Wales supporter. (Although some of it may be based on nostalgia for darn good sessions in The Globe in Upper Bangor after an international)

Nothing like Wales trouncing England.

And I do like to enjoy watching the Blues and/or the Scarlets whenever their matches are covered on Sky.

But as a Northener, wild horses can't drag me from watching Super League on TV on Fridays and Saturdays. (Lots of former All Blacks turn up in those matches)