World of Rugby - accroding to GARP.

Tri Nation Countries

New Zealand
Whether it was due to the fact that SA caused them such a challenge in the amateur era or perhaps something else, but when you go back to the early days the rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa was unparalleled, there was simply no comparison in the pride both these countries had in dominating world rugby.

The length both of these nations would go to in order to get one up on the other created drama and folklore unparalleled until this day, whether it was selecting Boxers to sort out front rows and intimidate the opponent, or home town referees too afraid to blow against their own teams, it was intense, focused and a matter of national pride.

Somewhere along the line New Zealand has gotten their act together better than anyone, there is simply no nation that has a better collective effort and focus on how to get their best team on the field, for a nation that one might call conservative when compared to others they have embraced the necessity of an all-round game to remain at the top.

They have the benefit of a collective mind set, and the best of the talent from the Pacific Islands who come to their shores for a better life, it is an arrangement that benefits not them but Pacific Islands as well, as these players get to play rugby in arguably the best domestic setup in the world.

Everything done in Rugby Union is done for the betterment of their national team, nothing gets in the way, whether it is the management of their players, or the structures put in place, it is no wonder New Zealand are the best team in the world.

The supporters of the All Blacks are not half bad either, most of them are respectful, proud and pleasant to deal with, like any nation there are a few odd ones, but on the whole a knowledgeable bunch, pleasant to deal with.

Australia.
As a rugby power they have come far over the last 30 or so years, I suppose as a nation Australia has come far, it is no secret that with the blossoming of their economy their sport had a Lazarus like resurrection which makes them one of the most competitive sporting nations on the planet.

I suppose sitting right next to and being involved on a regular basis with New Zealand and rubbing shoulders with the best in the world you can understand why as a rugby force they have grown.

Their supporters are slightly different than those across the Tasman sea though, because of the influence and in my view the giant media influence over their thinking, the fans there expect the Australian rugby teams to entertain.

Granted entertainment means different things to different people, and often it becomes rather exhausting listening to their constant demand for the stuff that is only shown in highlight reels.

Over all though, mostly pleasant to deal with, but don’t think for one moment there is a collective mind set in Australia, the strength of rugby lies in the east coast, the money and the efforts mainly is focused on the east coast, and anyone else are in a sense treated like step children.

The Melbourne Rebels and Western Force from Australia are certainly not part of the inner ring.

South Africa
Just like the many different cultures in South Africa, we face many challenges when it comes to sport. With a development system on par if not better than New Zealand it is no surprise that the talent pool seems endless.

However there are certain challenges that seem insurmountable which will never allow South Africa to become the best nation on earth for any sustained period of time.

Unlike New Zealand there is no collective effort, no collective mind set to dominate rugby and do what is best for South African rugby.

You have the Old School administrators put into their seats during an era gone by, they hold onto the power they have with infighting, corporate politics and nepotism.

Then there is the new age yuppie, with his MBA, his fancy suits and new ideas of how to develop rugby, sadly even they are there for personal gain most of the time, and rugby now being a corporation rather than the pride of the nation suffers because of these ambitious youngsters.

Then of course there are the new entrants into the market, the previously shunned from a white dominated sport, whether they are there for the right reasons is debatable, but having three dogs fighting over a bone that is in fact not theirs but that of a great nation trying to rise like the phoenix from the ashes is not going to solve anything.

There is of course the great overlord who every now and then come out with statements and directives of quota systems that officially do not exist, but unofficially dictate how things are done.

Sadly for any South African all this happens behind closed doors and none is the wiser.

The supporters of the Springboks are as diverse as our cultures, perhaps it is due to the rive provincialism that exists, even among the same communities and the same cultures the type of supporters you find are polar opposites. One eyed to the tee, overzealous in their defence of their teams and hero’s, some extremists who on any given day can embarrass the hell out of a South African, but there is also the upside to any negative.

There are those who are knowledgeable, fair and diplomatic and their approach.

The biggest frustration for any South African rugby supporter is the knowledge of knowing we can be the best, but the challenges we face as a nation, be it conservative coaches, fear of failure, corporate politics, nepotism, misguided ambitions, interference from the powers that be, chances are we will never achieve our potential.

It is only in the short term, with the right coaches, a special group of players and no interference from above that South Africa will continue to be a threat, a short moment in time where outside influences, and a collective effort will bring success, but once again after any milestone the bubble will be burst by outside influences demanding change.

The outside world must embrace this fracturing nature of our circumstances, because the day a collective effort can be a reality is the day South African rugby can dominate the world.

Unless any of the European nations can get their act together (I will discuss them in another thread) these three countries will consistently remain in the top three, challenged every now and then for short periods, but ultimately the status quo will remain.

Welcome back Biltong - things havnt got any better here in your absence!

Hi mate, we'll see about that.

Billtongs back!!!!!

Welcome back Billtong.

Thanks Guns.

Keep passing the open windows Biltong.

Nice work Biltong! A breath of fresh air after the Lions based tension this week.

I think you might be flattering NZ's rugby administrators there though - there is a good helping of cronyism going on leading to debacles like the loss of RWC hosting rights in 2003, and mismanagement if some players who were lost to Europe or Japan; the SBW debacle and so forth. I also wonder if NZ's relentless all consuming focus doesn't come with a social penalty. There is an element of ugly hush hush Cary on around domestic violence and alcohol abuse where sometimes too much of a blind eye is turned in the interests if rugby.

I wonder if there is some kind if parallel between the issues South Africa face and the problems we see in holding the Lions together?

GE, look, nothing is perfect, there are bound to be glitches in any system, but there is no doubt in my mind that New Zealand has got it right for the most part.

If anything I can only see Irelands standing as a Rugby nation diminishing further in the short term. Austerity has left us collectively on our knees with parents not having the money for new boots, gear, subscriptions or even the petrol money to ferry the kids around. Rugby will remain strong in the traditional heartlands but where we were making great strides was in the new rugby areas.
My own club is one of these and we have gone from having U 13,14,15,17 & 19 teams a couple of years ago to just U13 & 15 last year and even that was a struggle.
However the biggest drain on resources by far has been the mass emigration of the twenty to thirty age group. We now have only one senior team where we once fielded two with 5/6 subs every week. It's killing our club and killing me as I should be well retired by now but have to put in a shift along with some even older guys just to keep the club ticking over.
And it's not just rugby. If you take the Connacht GAA football championship. London, (yes London) are into the final for the first time in their history. This is a team which used to be a raggle taggle of emigrants trown together to play in the championship. It was almost purely symbolic and they were always knocked out in the first round.

Biltong wrote:GE, look, nothing is perfect, there are bound to be glitches in any system, but there is no doubt in my mind that New Zealand has got it right for the most part.

Hi ya chief...welcome back. Looking forward to your take on the decider this weekend, and the RC et all. Still the little matter of the sxv as well, some exciting matchups there. 

cheers T'man.

Nicely written Biltong