Exodus: Movement of the Players
Au reviour?
By Andrew Collins
January 10 2012
Ever since rugby turned professional on August 26th 1995, it has been desperately craving the exposure and popularity which its illustrious cousin football enjoys. But as rugby continues to follow the ‘footballing’ trends, it seems rather than benefits, the game is being killed.
It can be very dangerous, opening a can of worms. And this particular can has several thousand worms in it. Some of these worms are good, others are bad, but sadly they are all in the same container. What I hope to do in this article is open the can, carefully select a handful of relevant worms, close it, and place is back safely on the shelf. However, I fear the proverb may be all true, and once open... well you get my drift.
August 1995, the International Rugby Board (IRB) declares rugby union an ‘open game’, removing restrictions over pay and benefits. Rugby Union is a professional sport. Around the world, fans and players alike rejoice; at last, hard working, brave, committed players can reap fair and just rewards for their efforts. Rugby clubs can benefit from advertising and television deals, building better environments for fans to watch and players to train. Everything is on the up.
At this point, you may be wondering why this article is being written and what this has to do with the title, ‘Exodus: Movement of the Players’.
Well fast forward 16 years. In a relatively short space of time, the game has witnessed wholesale changes; once local leagues with strong rivalries have disappeared, while multi-million pound trans-European competitions have established themselves as the greatest club tournament in the world. Once famous and traditional local clubs have either died a death, or slipped into semi-professionalism and are slowly dying. Plush stadiums replacing tired old ones, clubhouses lost for ‘bars’, terraces swapped with corporate boxes and home-grown, local Welsh talents are plying their trade abroad, while New Zealanders wear the Cardiff jersey.
Rugby has learnt quickly from football.
The player drain has been long on the cards. Ask Fiji. Ask New Zealand. There is nothing new here.
Rugby, as it insists on doing, has followed rugby right up to the present day, with billionaire owners now paving the way for a super-club culture which is seen in the round ball game and similarly, Wales looks set to be left behind.
The can is well and truly open now.
But despite my somewhat dour style of writing her, I’m not feeling all ‘doom-and-gloom’ about the present situation, allow me to explain. Makes no bones about it, the next few years will be tough for Wales’ four regional sides. The inevitable player drain to France will happen, why wouldn’t it? The vast majority of Wales’ elite players will be receiving massive contracts to play their rugby with stunning surroundings in stadia packed to the rafters.
But as rugby continues to follow football, there’s one thing which seems to have been totally missed by our rugby clubs. Transfer fees. At the moment, we’re not seeing players released early from their contract for transfer fees as we do in football. Why is this? Loyalty? Perhaps. More likely, the fact that players contracts are currently only 2 or 3 years. At the end of their contracts, players are free to move on at no charge.
If rugby continues to follow football, the next step for rugby clubs is to sign their players up on long term deals. So when 18 year old Leigh Halfpenny wants to sign his first professional contract with his development club, he signs a 5 year contract. He becomes world class by 20 and every club in Europe want him. Toulouse pay Cardiff Blues (or Cardiff RFC Ltd.) £2,000,000 to release his contract, Cardiff become minted.
If rugby follows football, as it continues to do, and if Wales keep producing the most talented youngsters in world rugby one of two things will happen; Welsh clubs will become richer than any of their rivals, or Welsh clubs will be successful.
The kids are the future.
So are long term deals.
Worms everywhere.
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If Wales continue to succeed internationally, then our club players will always be in demand. We must do something to either stem the flow, or at least ensure we get rewarded for developing such talent.
I'm expecting a torrent of abuse here, let the discussion begin...
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