Realistically at the start of a world cup most people who know anything about rugby (even those who don’t know much at all) could predict who would qualify from which group. True, saying who would qualify in what position would be a little more difficult – but not a lot, and then even if there was a match that went against form, it’s only a matter of the two qualifying teams swapping places (Ireland andAustralia for example after Saturday’s epic).
However, increasingly, the so called minnows are starting to cause more and more problems for the established nations. This can only be a good thing as more and more nations take up the game and start to invest more resources behind it. Fair play to the IRB for investing cash into Georgian rugby as in Georgia the growth of rugby is outstripping the growth in football. And with it, Georgia are becoming a harder team to beat – as demonstrated by both Scotland and Englandthis week. Were it not for the fact that Georgia had to play twice in one week (a disgrace in itself) then I think the score line on Sunday would have been a lot less flattering to England.
So this all begs the questions – what happens to these nations once the spotlight of the world cup has gone? After the 2007 world cup there were a massive amount of calls for Argentina to be included in either the six or tri nations. As it is from next year the Tri Nations becomes the Quad Nations or the Four Nations depending on what they decide to call it. Playing South Africa, New Zealand and Australia every year is only going to help improve Argentina and I’d expect a lot of Argentineans to start playing for club sides down there rather than in the Northern Hemisphere. But what happens to the other emerging nations?
In Europe something needs to be done with Georgia. Increasingly their players are playing a big part in European club rugby – their flanker Mamuka Gorgodze was named the best foreign player in the French Top 14 last year. That’s some stiff competition he’s up against remember, and on Sunday he showed exactly why – he’s was everywhere on the pitch, so much so that I think the commentator must have got fed up saying his name! I’m not quite sure how he didn’t get the man of the match. The more they improve at their current rate then the more they’ll walk over every team in the European Nations Cup with only Russia and Romania likely to give them anything close to a decent game. So, we have to ask if they’ll ever be allowed into the Six Nations? I hope so but knowing how much the individual rugby boards like change (the RFU especially!) I can’t see this happening for a long time to come – which is a great shame.
Romania and Russia wouldn’t be too far off joining Georgia for a claim to be in the Northern Hemisphere’s premier competition. All this of course will be countered that it would mean too many games for the players – and I have a tendency to agree, but wouldn’t it be great to see more nations’ playing the game and this seems like the only sensible suggestion in European rugby. At some point it has to happen – otherwise there simply isn’t any point in the IRB investing money into the smaller rugby nations.
That brings us on the Pacific Islanders and this is a massive quandary that I’m semi tempted not to even speak about!! Whilst they’re home is on one side of the world, a majority of their top players are plying their trade in Europe. The autumn internationals seem to be their only opportunity outside of a world cup when they get to play serious test rugby – they again need a more regular challenge. Once upon a time, European teams used to go there on tour but that doesn’t seem to happen anymore and is probably the only way that these teams are going to get more test rugby.
As for the US and Canada – they’ve both shown that they have potential but now the Churchill Cup has ended they’re probably not going to get as much regular competition then they once did. They’re being included on the IRB Test calendar but, like the Islanders I can’t see many sides making the trip there – just like few sides go over to Argentina.
If the IRB is serious about “spreading the gospel of rugby” then the teams that do take up the call need to be included in the premier tournaments – or at least know what they have to do to get included. And with that, the individual national rugby boards need to open their eyes to the potential that new competition could bring – not hide away, safe and secure away from change and fearing that they might have to share their pennies with other nations (I’m specifically looking at the RFU here who I fear will be the biggest obstacle to getting the Six Nations expanded).
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