Islands Business - SPORT: SEVEN REASONS FOR RUGBY BOSSES TO LISTEN

But IRB continues to drag its feet

Even after the IOC showed the way by accepting rugby sevens into its 2016 Olympic programme, PETER REES reports that IRB (International Rugby Board) bosses still won’t budge when it comes to addressing inequality in world rugby.

Here’s the good news for Pacific rugby stalwarts. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has done something the International Rugby Board (IRB) has failed to do for many years.
It has given the islands nations a meaningful shot at winning a major prize. Its decision to accept rugby sevens into the programme for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro could mean the region’s long suffering quest to win an Olympic gold medal will soon end.
Rugby was last in the Olympic programme in 1924 and attempts to reinstate it have been blocked for years. Ironically, it was the entertainment value and colour the Pacific nations have given rugby and sevens, the game’s abbreviated version, that seemingly convinced IOC heavies to take notice.
Given the success of Fiji and Samoa on the IRB World Sevens Series circuit, those countries are now putting in place development and identification programmes to ensure they won’t come up short in six years’ time.
The bad news is that IRB continues to drag the chain in addressing inequality in world rugby.
IRB had a golden chance to add to IOC’s goodwill when its executive committee met in London in December. But the insecurities of the richer nations, who dominate the positions on rugby’s decision-making table, blocked a historic decision to change the game’s restrictive eligibility laws.
Relaxing the current laws would have seen many islands players left in limbo allowed to play for their ancestral homelands.
The European unions purportedly blocked the move, which many believe came down to a fear of the islands nations growing too strong.
Wales was one of the European nations that opposed the move to change the existing eligibility laws. That is not surprising given that islands nations have dented their World Cup hopes on many occasions. Fiji did it to the Welsh at the last World Cup in 2007 while Manu Samoa beat them at the 1991 and 1999 tournaments. Ahead of 2011, the Wales Rugby Football Union is desperate for that scenario to not repeat itself.
New Zealand and Australia have been quick to point out that they supported the latest moves to change the laws.
“The optimists thought we might get it through. The reality is there is a group of northern unions that is very nervous about strengthening the islands nations,” said New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew after the decision was made.
But even the Kiwis and Aussies cannot escape the blame. Australia allegedly voted against the change the last time IRB met on this issue in 2004. And New Zealand was originally responsible for the current ‘One country for life’ rule being enacted at a time Pacific rugby was beginning to flourish in the 1990s.
The rule stopped any player who had already played for one country at senior, ‘A’ or sevens level from playing for another country.
Many young players of islands heritage living mainly in New Zealand were caught out because of their lack of understanding of the new rule and its ramifications.
Shock and surprise: Some were pressured to not play for the islands and make themselves available only for New Zealand from fear of putting their lucrative club and provincial contracts at risk.
Come 2011 when New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup, we are likely to again see the Pacific nations shock and surprise, but ultimately come up short against the better prepared and richer tier-one nations.
The decision would have also disappointed many top rugby players who are in the international wilderness.
Europe and Japan are filled with islands stars plying their trade in club rugby, still in their prime. Changing the law would have allowed the likes of former All Blacks Jerry Collins, Casey Laulala and Chris Masoe from playing for Manu Samoa, or Sam Tuitupou and Lifiemi Mafi from playing for Tonga. Former Australian Wallabies Lote Tuqiri and Radike Samo would also have been available for Fiji.
If international rugby was genuinely interested in lifting its global profile and stopping the game from being dominated by just a few nations, they would have made the changes, argues former Manu Samoa sevens coach and player, Filipo Saena.
“I’m very disappointed by the IRB’s decision because this is removing the potential for the Pacific islands teams to become stronger and competitive against tier one nations.
Rugby needs the Pacific to be strong because of the flair and enthusiasm they give to the overall product. People are tired and bored of the same teams dominating rugby,” he told ISLANDS BUSINESS.
“I remember when we nearly beat the All Blacks in 1993. We were competitive. Then, this rule came in and it was the beginning of rugby’s decline in the islands.”
Saena points to the humiliating cricket scores that have been racked up against the islands nations in subsequent years after the rule change.
“The 100-point thrashing the All Blacks gave Manu Samoa last year was embarrassing to watch,” he says.
Musical chairs: IRB says it has referred the matter to its regulations committee for further discussion because of ethical and legal issues. The reality, however, is that bureaucratic paranoia and individual interests is continuing to divide rugby bosses, mirroring the gulf that exists between the top tier and lower tier rugby nations. And commercial gain (especially developing the Asian and American markets) has become a greater priority than helping the Pacific.
Small populations and economic bases, and broadcasting difficulties, mean tier one nations like New Zealand and England are reluctant to tour the islands because of the lack of revenue those tours would generate. Complicating matters further is the continued internal struggles within the Samoa, Fiji and Tongan rugby unions. The musical chairs of coaching and administrative appointments illustrate the problems that are equally to blame for Pacific rugby’s woes.
After the recent Northern Hemisphere tours undertaken by Samoa, Fiji and Tonga in November/December, Tonga announced it was searching for a new coach to replace Isitolo Maka, just months after he took over from Quddus Fielea. This amidst further reported discontent in Tonga between union board members divided by political loyalties.
This year, Fiji replaced its successful coach Ilivasi Tabua with former Wallaby great Glen Ella and Samoa replaced Niko Palamo with Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua. Fiji had earlier sacked its sevens coach Waisale Serevi. There was outcry in Samoa following the defeat to Italy where it was revealed that the Samoan team’s technical advisor Owen Finegan had returned to Australia before the tour ended.
Pacific rugby received another blow this year when Samoa pulled out of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) to concentrate on its own fortunes, effectively ending any future Pacific Islanders rugby team tours. The alliance was formed for the first tour in 2004.
Saena does agree that increased IRB funding has helped grassroots development in the islands. But continued isolation from the world’s top competitions such as the Super 14 and Tri Nations and having to select players from all over the globe means those players coming through do not realise full potential.
Preparation: The lack of a regular test schedule is also hurting the island nations. Looking back over the past decade, Samoa has played 61 times, Fiji has played 62 times and Tonga has played just 57 games since 2000. The All Blacks played 15 test matches in 2009 alone.
Saena says this is the reason why islands nations perform better in sevens than in 15s.
“Sevens is where the islands nations are equal with the rest of the world because they play the same amount of games as the likes of New Zealand and England on the IRB circuit. Some teams get more money from their unions but there is no unfair advantage.
“It is awesome that sevens will be in the Olympics. Fiji has won a world sevens title before but this is so much bigger,” he explains.
Saena is confident the islands nations are preparing as well as they can with the resources they have. And playing in New Zealand will give Samoa, Fiji and Tonga a “home advantage” with the large Pacific community there.
But beyond that, Tonga will more than likely be praying to keep the score close, rather than contemplate an upset win over the All Blacks in the opening game of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Fiji and Samoa are better placed in Pool D even with reigning champions South Africa to contend with.
They will likely be in a three-way battle with Wales for the second quarterfinal berth. Fiji made the quarterfinals in 2007 while Samoa did it twice in 1991 and 1995. But no island nation has ventured past the quarterfinals. That is uncharted waters.
Winning an Olympic gold medal may now be achievable. But for rugby purists, winning a Rugby World Cup is still the ultimate. Yet unless changes are made, that seems a long way off.