HOW THE WORM TURNS!!.

15 years ago, we Rugger Buggers were still putting up with the headline.."Rugby Star defects to League...

"..I used to hate that, but I always sort of knew that one day the worm would turn....the boot would be on the other foot, so to speak.

However, many of those guys who 'went across" were blokes like Michael O'Connor, Wally Lewis, Ricky Stuart, who had all been junior league players, anyway. It's not like they had never played league..

But now, there is a big difference...not too many Rugby players have gone across to League in the last few years - Name One??!!

So, I really got a boost out of reading this article...Does anyone seriously believe that Benji would come back to RL, when, having played a season of Rugby, the All Blacks or one of the S14 franchises wouldn't be throwing out feelers, or the French or other Japanese Rugby Clubs?? Let's get serious here, RL is fast becoming the poor relation, and it can only get worse for them.. Yay!!! How good do us tragics feel about this?

February 27, 2009

Article from: The Australian

BENJI Marshall's quest to spend an off-season in Japanese rugby union gained impetus last night when one of the country's leading sports lawyers suggested he stood a good chance of launching successful legal action against the NRL.

Marshall and his management have raised the prospect of allowing his existing contract to lapse at the end of the season, the precursor to spending several months in Japan before returning to re-sign with Wests Tigers.

The move, which has the support of the Tigers, has been condemned by NRL chief executive David Gallop.

Gallop has previously stated Marshall would not be allowed to sign with an NRL club if he played rugby in Japan.

However, that stance could backfire on the NRL given leading sports lawyer John Mullins suggested Marshall had a good chance of successfully challenging any attempt to block him returning to rugby league.

"His contract is over," Mullins said. "There is no ongoing obligation to them (the Tigers and NRL).

"He is going somewhere else in the world, he's going to do something over there and he's going to get paid for it.

"Then he might or might not come back and hope to get a contract again to do something.

"It's hard to imagine how (banning Marshall) could possibly be lawful, particularly seeing his contract is over.

"What would be the basis for them to refuse to register him? That he had the temerity whilst he was off contract to work for somebody else?

"Surely that can't be lawful?"

The Tigers have been contacted by several lawyers offering to handle the case should they elect to challenge the NRL on Marshall's behalf.

The players' union has also give Marshall its backing.

"I think it would be completely different if the Tigers were releasing Marshall in the midst of his contract period," Mullins said. "That would be a different situation."

Gallop has compared the Marshall situation to an employee from Coke going to work for Pepsi for a few months. Mullins failed to see the logic in that argument.

"What's happening here in that analogy is your employee has quit his job at Coke, gone and got a job at Pepsi, and at some stage in the future he might come back to Coke wanting a job - and Coke might or might not give him a job," Mullins said. "What Coke is saying here is we may not let you work in the soft drink business if you go and work for Pepsi."

Legal action would have far-reaching ramifications for the NRL. If Marshall were to challenge the NRL successfully, it could open the floodgates for other players to follow his lead.

Players and managers across the NRL are already exploring their options in Japanese rugby. Cronulla sacked Fraser Anderson this week after the backrower announced he had negotiated a lucrative deal with Japanese club Kobe.

Although Anderson's manager Lance Thompson denied a deal had been struck, an announcement is expected today.

The Australian learned yesterday that Willie Mason - via his manager Greg Keenan - had asked the Sydney Roosters in the off-season for permission to investigate the prospect of a guest stint in Japan.

The Roosters, however, refused to grant Mason permission.

Mason is among a host of players being shopped around Japan. Brisbane star Karmichael Hunt and Melbourne fullback Billy Slater have also been mentioned as potential targets.

Japanese rugby has suddenly taken over from French rugby as the biggest threat to the code. The issue will be discussed at a meeting of club chief executives in Sydney next week, with Marshall's situation likely to be a focal point of that debate.

By then, Marshall's future could be decided. His manager, Martin Tauber, will hold further talks with the Tigers tomorrow, where it is expected the club will table a revised offer for the New Zealand international.

Should Marshall agree to a new contract today, any move to Japan would be off the table. However, should the Japanese offer come to fruition, and Marshall follow through on his threat to play there later this year, the NRL could create itself a headache.

Club bosses are far from unified in their approach to Japanese rugby.

What they do agree on is that the threat is nowhere near as bad as some have suggested.

"I don't think there's a threat," Cronulla chairman Barry Pierce said.

"I think they're just isolated cases at this stage."

Tigers chief executive Scott Longmuir warned the NRL was getting into dangerous areas by threatening to stop Marshall playing in Japan.

He said the issue needed to be discussed next week.

"All we're saying is let's make sure we take a good look at it," Longmuir said.

RECORD TV AUDIENCE WILL BOOST THE OLYMPIC GAMES BID

From: "Inside the Games" - 27th February, 2009

Record TV audience will boost rugby sevens Olympic bid


FEBRUARY 24 - A RECORD worldwide television for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai next month is set to give the sport's Olympic chances a major boost.



The event, featuring 24 men's international teams and which will include a 16-team women's tournament for the first time, will be screened in 140 countries by 25 international broadcasters.

There will be 380 hours of live, delayed and highlights coverage of the event due to be held March 5-7.

Bernard Lapasset, the president of the International Rugby Board (IRB), said: “Rugby Sevens continues to be a hit with television broadcasters around the world.

"Its unique blend of explosive action, world-class players and highly-competitive format packaged in matches of 14 minutes, has proven successful in reaching out to new young audiences, sponsors and broadcasters.

"Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 looks set to raise the bar once more.

“These record broadcast figures mean that more people than ever before will have the opportunity to experience Rugby Sevens at its thrilling and spectacular best, furthering the promotion of sevens to the world sporting community as the IRB reaches out for the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games.”

The previous television broadcast record was set at the 2005 tournament in Hong Kong where athe tournament was broadcast to 300 million homes worldwide, in 125 countries through 20 international broadcasters.

Record TV audience will boost rugby sevens Olympic bid

Tokyo Wins Bedisloe Cup Race

From a US Perspective..



Tokyo has reportedly won the race to host the All Blacks and Wallabies in a fourth Bledisloe Cup match in Japan in September. Denver had recently jumped back into the running to host the match at Denver’s Mile High Stadiumwith an aggressive offer. Australian rugby boss John O’Neill’s view was the deciding factor in heading to Japan instead of America.

“Denver won’t happen this year. The NZRU were keen, so were USA Rugby and the International Rugby Board. Funding was in place but O’Neill preferred Tokyo,” USA Rugby boss Kevin Roberts told Auckland’s Sunday News.

The fourth Bledisloe content has become synonymous with money grubbing, so it was no surprise that O’Neill negotiated a larger fee from the Japanese than Denver’s representatives were offering.

The NZRU banked about $NZ4 million ($3 million US) from last year’s Bledisloe Cup Test in Hong Kong and can expect to pull in at least $NZ5 million from their Tokyo jaunt. These sums hardly make the match a gesture intending to strengthen the game of rugby in a growing rugby nation.

Sentiments around the United States fall somewhere between relieved and disappointed with a little extra emphasis on relieved. Yes, it would have been great to host the All Blacks and Wallabies in a renowned NFL stadium. But, at the same time, the thought of filling the 80,000+ seat stadium almost seemed an impossible feat. In a time when the United States is starting to take baby steps forward in terms of hosting international events, the Bledisloe Cup match would have been the equivalent of putting a man on the moon about the same time the Wright Brothers were learning to fly.

Had the Denver Bledisloe Cup match went forward, a massive opportunity could have been siezed, but it would have also been hugely embarrassing for all parties if the stadium were half empty. Even the 40,000 fans to half fill Mile High Stadium would have been four times the number of fans on hand for the 2008 Churchill Cup Finals in Chicago.

At some point, it will happen though. New Zealand seems desperate to expand the All Blacks brand onto US soil. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the All Blacks brand took root in the United States before the Eagles did? It will be even worse if we find out that the NZRU is using their close ties to Kevin Roberts to make this a reality.

As for Denver, they must be congratulated for attempting such an aggressive feat in the name of rugby. The Denver Sports Commission is reportedly now interested in hosting the entire Churchill Cup using Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and Infinity Park as the two venues for the tournament. The idea of hosting the entire tournament in a specified area has merit and may be neccessary for the tournament to continue operating in the current stressed economy.

THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN IN RUGBY ADMINISTRATION !! --DOES IT?

From: Rugby in Kenya

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Being a passionate rugby journalist is easy for one when they just sit and enjoy the game. But in Kenya it becomes a little different. for some of us.

Way back when we went to Hong Kong with Watembezi the game was just a social affair for those who went to the elite schools.

Today all this has changed and the intrusion by non-rugby playing people running the affairs of the KRFU should be a cause of concern.

First and foremost SOYA should apologise to Kenyans for awarding KRFU with the award of best run association. That is not true. There is plenty conflict of interest within the KRFU and this is demonstrated as follows.

The Chairmans relatives (two of them) are major suppliers of the KRFU. He is a director in both companies. Club: Impala and Quins.

The Vice Chairman awarded the KRFU a sponsorship for the Gramd Slam. Only 30% was spent and rest used to refund directors for 'loans' to the KRFU. The Vice Chairman is the postmaster-general. Club: Mean Machine and ex Barclays.

The Secretary continues to use a dubious travel agent for business with KRFU, IRB and sponsors money. The travel agency with a shareholder in Emirates Airline is famously remembered for the U18 fiasco where peoples children were abandoned in Dubai and Morocco. This also affected 5 other African countries as KRFU and the travel agent were the logistic partners. Club: Mean Machine and ex Barclays.

The Treasurers brother works in the KRFU secretariat office. Club: Impala.

Director in charge of Referees. A senior Impala official. Does not see anything other than Impala. Club: Impala.

Director in Charge of grounds: A senior KCB rugby official. Achievements NIL. Club: KCB

Director and former 7's coach. Settled in very well but leans favourably to Mean Machine. Club: Quins and Mean Machine.

Director incharge of 7's: Business associate of General Managar: Club: Nondies and Mean Machine.

Womens Director of KRFU is a first cousin to the secretary as well as a niece of a former Director who is abroad on further studies. Club: Quins.

Development Manager has filled the secretariat with anybody and everybody from Impala. Club: Impala and ex Barclays.

General Managar has brought in all his college buddies into the secretariat and other functions. He is very close to a sponsor. He also has formed a company that is a major supplier to the KRFU. Club: Nondies and Mean Machine.

Director and Super Series Chairman. A crony of the chairman and business partner with the General Manager. At times brings in 'friends' to work closely together. Is setting himself up to succed the Chairman in 2011. The deal was made while they were both at Impala Club. Club: Impala.

Mini Rugby Co-ordinator and Groundsman: Club: Impala.

Chairman Organising Commitee Junior World Rugby Trophy is the current Impala rugby club chairman. Is that why the Impala ground is being refurbished with IRB money? Why not Railway Club or Jamhuri Park?

The above must be the most damning case of conflict of interest.

I do believe they have have firmly taken a leaf out of John Githongo's book "ITS OUR TURN TO EAT".

With the above maybe it is time to give Michael Mwangi Muthee a chance. At least his stewardship of Mwamba and its success especially with Kulabu forming the bulk of the world beating Kenya 7's team is there for all to see.

Frisco
Posted by The Real KRFU

Advancing the rugby ball, Armenian style - an interesting article from the Wall St Journal

The Indian under-19 Rugby team is predominantly made up of Armenian boys, mostly from Kolkata’s Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy
Rajdeep Datta Roy

Kolkata:

On a balmy winter afternoon, Ejmin Shahjani and Armen Makarian, along with a dozen other rugby players, are searing the turf at Kolkata’s Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy. Though the rugby season, which starts in June, is still a few months away, the players have already started preparations.

After all, they have an enviable record to live up to. “In last year’s side, 12 of the 15 players who represented India at the under-19 level were Armenians,” says Shahjani, an Iranian, who captained the Indian junior team in international matches at Brunei. “The Indian under-19 side is predominantly made up of Armenian boys,” says David Purdy, coach of the Armenian Sports Club rugby team, which consists largely of students from the college.

Dominating performance: Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy’s students at their central Kolkata campus. Last year, 12 of the 15 players who represented India at the under-19 level were Armenians. Indranil Bhoumik / Mint
The Armenian boys, who have, in the past, beaten older teams such as Bombay Gymkhana, Kolkata Police and Maharashtra Police, aim to keep the momentum going. “Just you watch, we’ll do even better this year,” says Makarian, the school games captain.

Though the students at the college play a number of games such as football, basketball and volleyball, rugby is most popular.
“I don’t know what it is, but within days of coming here, they are bitten by the rugby virus,” says Father Oshagan Gulgulian, the pastor and manager of the college. Pointing to the pint-sized Varos Boyajian, Gulgulian says, “That boy is barely 12, studies in class I and arrived only some months back, but is already showing signs of becoming a great player some day.”
Rugby is an integral part of the 188-year-old Armenian College, which, along with the Davidian Girls’ School in Kolkata, provides quality education and a chance to live a better life for 87 Armenian boys and girls, who have come from countries such as Iraq, Iran and the former Soviet republic of Armenia.

Razmeeg Suren, for instance, saw many of his friends die before his eyes on the strife-torn streets of Baghdad. “I lost count…they were so many,” says the 14-year-old ethnic Armenian, his voice trailing off. Suren and five of his friends, manoeuvred out of Iraq by Gulgulian, now live and study in Kolkata.

“I have escorted students from Iran also, prior to this,” says Gulgulian, an American citizen, who was sent to the institution by the Holy Etchmiadzin—the equivalent of the Vatican for Armenian Christians. Gulgulian wants to increase the number of students at his college to 300, and is confident that neither funds nor infrastructure would come in the way.
Though called Armenian College, it’s actually a school affiliated to the Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations. The medium of instruction is English, and alongside the usual subjects, the school teaches the Armenian language—which has its own script—literature, culture and religion.



“We give these boys and girls a decent education, a good environment to live in and a fighting chance at life, and we don’t charge a penny for that,” says Gulgulian. There used to be a similar school in Lebanon, but, according to Gulgulian, it doesn’t exist any more. Apart from free education, the students also get a free trip home every three years.

While there are many versions as to when the Armenians came to India, the arrival of an Armenian merchant Tomas Cana on the Malabar coast in AD 780 is widely accepted as the first date. “So, we were here much before the British arrived,” says Sunil Sobti, member of the Armenian Church committee, adding, “In fact, one of the wives of Akbar, Mariam, was an Armenian.”

In Kolkata, their business interests ranged from jute to hotels, to shellac to real estate. One Astvatsatoor Mooradkhan, an Armenian trader, had mooted the idea of starting a school for the community and had made a princely contribution of Rs8,000 through his will as early as in 1707.
Funded by trusts and endowments from the Armenian Church, the Davidian Girls’ School and the college itself, the Armenian College was eventually founded in 1821. It was then called the Armenian Philanthropic Academy. Four years later, another school that was founded by Aratoon Kaloos, a rich Armenian trader in Kolkata, was merged with the Academy.

By 1850, the fund started by Mooradkhan had swelled with contributions from other Armenian businessmen to Rs2 lakh. The college’s present campus on Free School Street in central Kolkata, where British novelist William Makepeace Thackeray was born, was bought in 1884. A college was added in 1888, and it was affiliated to the University of Calcutta, but was discontinued after a few years.
Money isn’t a problem for the college authorities and the amenities are testimony to that—a spanking new launderette, a mechanized kitchen, clean and airy dormitories, a state-of-the-art infirmary and an indoor swimming pool speak of the college’s opulence. “We are planning to construct a multi-level sports complex soon,” says Gulgulian.

According to Purdy, the Armenians were the first to field a non-British rugby team at least 135 years ago, but the community has shrunk over the years, and its rugby team now is made up mostly of students from abroad. “In those days, as there were more Armenians, we had two teams, but since the 1960s, there’s only the Armenian Sports Club and that side is made up entirely of boys from the college,” says Purdy.

Most of the wealthy Armenian families such as the Galstauns, Arathoons, Apcars and Sookias have migrated to the West, but many of them continue to support the college in Kolkata, which offers a safe haven to hundreds of Armenian children from strife and persecution.

CHRIS MALONE JOINS LONDON IRISH

Malone joins London Irish
Monday 16th February 2009

Moving on: Malone departs Harlequins for Exiles



London Irish have moved to sign reliable fly-half Chris Malone with the Australian-born player penning a two-year contract at the Madejski Stadium.

The 31-year-old former Bath and Harlequins pivot has been snapped up after limited opportunities behind Nick Evans at the Twickenham Stoop.

"In professional rugby you look for players that have the ability to control a game and the skills execution to do so," said Booth.

"Chris Malone has demonstrated that he has both in abundance so when the chance came to recruit him for our squad, we didn't hesitate to do so."

Meanwhile, the experienced Malone admitted he is delighted to join the Exiles and looks forward to what the remainder of the season holds.

"I am very excited about joining a great club like London Irish, I have always enjoyed playing at the Madejski," he said.

"Under the guidance of Toby Booth and Mike Catt I feel there is great belief in the club's prospects for the future and that is something I was very keen to be a part of.

"Their willingness to attack is how I like to play rugby and I hope to bring my skill set and experience to a very exciting playing squad."

PREDICTIONS

Prediction 1 - Brumbies will be the excitement machine of the Super 14

Prediction 2 - Brumbies will play a better ball in hand game than a kicking game

Prediction 3 - Brumbies will win the S14 if they can make the top 4.

Prediction 4 - Matt Toomua will be a star before the year is out.

Prediction 5 - Andy Friend will have a good first year

Prediction 6 - Waratahs and Reds will struggle - Reds because of their new combinations, Waratahs because they are missing too many good forwards

Prediction 7 - Other stars to watch - Horne, O'Connor, Turner, Smith, Toomua, Alexander, Salvi, Ioane, Hynes, Moore, Pocock, Lucas, Valentine

Prediction 8 - Placings - Brumbies 3rd, Waratahs, 6th, Force 7th, Reds 10th

Prediction 9 - I'll finish well down in the second half of any tipping comp list again, and

Prediction 10 - I predict that I will get 20% of these right

AN INTERESTING BIT OF "INTEL.."

I've been having a bit of correspondence with Kurt Oeler of gainline.us in the last couple of days about the development of Rugby in the US,. since a couple of interesting posts popped up on the web in thE last few days.

Here is the thread:-

John Gates wrote:
Hi, Kurt,

I haven't spoken to you for a while.. have updated my own blog: http://scrumtime.blogspot.com and am trying to concentrate on my theme of encouraging developing Rugby nations. I liked your latest post and wondered if you would give me permission to incorporate it in a post as follows:
_______________________________________________________

From my "reading of the tea leaves" this is a very interesting piece of intelligence that might otherwise have passed un-noticed in the world of Rugby.

This may be typical of the groundswell that is beginning in US Rugby as Nigel Melville and Kevin Roberts (and to a lesser extent, Scott Johnson, in his embarrassingly limited time as coach) exert their influence after a year or two in their jobs....

I picked this up from gainline.us, a blog that I follow from a guy called Kurt Oeler, whose bio is:

" ........ Kurt Oeler writes often about American rugby, publishing Gainline.us while contributing to Rugby News (New Zealand), the IRB Rugby Yearbook, and other periodicals. He is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee, has twice been the USA national team’s press secretary, and served as recording secretary for the Pacific Rim Rugby Championship. In respect of his business career, Kurt is vice president and general manager of optionMonster, a news and information site for investors in the derivatives market, and sits on the Advisory Board of Knowledge@Wharton, the University of Pennsylvania’s business review. An avid swimmer and mountain biker, he resides with his wife in Mill Valley, California......"

"PRIZED FOOTBALL RECRUIT CHOOSES RUGBY"

An all-league football player in Northern California has declined a Division 1-AA scholarship in order to play rugby at Cal, an especially notable decision because of its financial ramifications.

Cole Huntley, a 6', 253-pounder who is a nationally ranked prospect at fullback, has concluded that a Berkeley education combined with the varsity characteristics of its championship program outweigh the glamor of gridiron plus the full tuition, room, and board offered by in-state rival UC Davis.

What's more, the local Contra Costa Times understood the story for what it is:

'You don't see a lot of high school athletes facing this kind of choice, but there may be more in the future as college rugby programs continue to grow throughout the U.S. despite not being an NCAA sport and not offering scholarships. There is a concerted effort among top rugby programs such as Cal to seek out better high school athletes.Precisely. You don't have to be formally recognized as a varsity program, but if you evince all the key characteristics, student-athletes will come to you.

'It's an amazing program, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm going to take it. Plus, my number one factor was academics. Cal has a great business school, which I intend on applying to my junior year,' Huntley told the paper.

Huntley was recently tapped in a USA Under 18 squad that will assemble at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, from February 12-16. Players to watch include halfback / fullback Andrew Jackson of the LA Cougars and 6'7" lock Ron Pelkey of Western Loudoun, Virginia. The camp will culminate with a match against British Columbia U18.

___________________________

I also picked up another article about a young guy who has missed the cut for senior Pro Basketball. Having played a bit of Rugby in Australia as a schoolboy, Scott Johnson found him and recommended him to Eddie Jones at Saracens... A sign of things to come?

With the sheer numbers in the US... and not everyone being able to play pro football or basketball or baseball the available talent pool has to be huge.. if they can get some of them at school or high school age, all the better..!

____________________
So...Kurt wrote:

Hi John--

Ok to use the post, but I would caution you that is not reflective of anything which the national union (KR, NM) has done. To the contrary, coaches in the school system (high school and universities) are going their own way in mimicking the varsity programs of mainstream sports such as football, basketball, etc. Although the game of rugby itself is obviously different, the more the training setup looks like an environment they know, the more American kids are attracted to rugby.

Same scenario that attracted Cole Huntley (...see above...) goes for Hayden Smith, the lock now at Saracens. He was in Denver, Colorado, on a basketball scholarship. The best local club, the Denver Barbarians, is run by the former Eagle lock Dave Hodges, who once upon a time played in NFL Europe. Hayden slotted in nicely because the Barbos setup was familiar to him as a basketball athlete; Johnno helped him to the next level, but wouldn't have known how to find him in the first place. (Not coincidentally, there is a group of Barbos now simultaneously rising to the national squad. Keep an eye out for the eightman Pat Quinn.)

School sports -- the varsity system, to use the shorthand -- is also the engine that trains virtually all American Olympians and plenty from other countries as well. The US Olympic Center is nowhere near as influential as the Australian Institute of Sport. It merely tops up the training of athletes who have already proven their bonafides in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association).

This varsity system is the real gold mine in America. Unfortunately, guys like KR and NM have been a bit slow to plug into it. One who did is the former All-American coach, Dale Toohey, once of Sydney (I think) and now of Long Beach, California.

Best,
k

So I wrote....

Thanks, Kurt,Will take all of that onboard.....

Then Kurt wrote:

It's a lot I'm afraid. Sorry if I overwrote.

so I replied:-

Not at all, Kurt, I want to get it right..it seems logical that people will go with what they know. I hope that KR and NM will not try to reinvent the wheel. If the NCAA is where it's at, then that's where they should be.

I am amazed and a little offended at what Scott Johnson has done to you guys. People like me would give anything to have a job like that. It is a "greenfield" opportunity, that not many people are privileged to have. He has done the easy thing and run back to his safe haven in Wales, but, from where I sit, he has shown a lack of integrity. Who knows, maybe it's about money and every man has the right to do the best by his family, but I'm still a little bemused.

It seems to me that there are certain basic tenets that drive USA Rugby (at least as far as I see it, and I can only make comparisons with Australian Rugby).. but here they are:--...

My Country:

1. In Australia, we are fortunate that Rugby is the game of choice for many private schools; so it is fairly ingrained - while there is competition from 3 other major football codes, many young Australian boys play at least 3 of those in their junior years - we have basketball, but it is not a mainstream sport. We don't have much baseball, American football or ice hockey, so not as many distractions, and most Aussie kids play cricket or tennis in summer, but not to the detriment of their "footy"

2. Soccer, is played by two distinct groups - the WASPS who like their little ones to play a safe sport, but are not surprised when the kids turn to Rugby, or Australian football at about age 10 or 11, and the ethnic communities who stay with it all of their lives; unfortunately Australian Football, (which we good naturedly refer to as 'aerial ping pong' or 'cross country ballet'), does have a big following, and takes many of Australia's best athletes. Rugby League is a big professional sport in a very limited area, so is no real threat to the world game and is beginning to give up many of it best players, who find it harder than they thought to make the transition. It's mainly backs who are successful (Sonny Bill Williams, Gasnier,Tuqiri, Rogers, Cross, Tahu, Sailor).

3. When you have heroes in a sport (Gregan, Roff, Larkham, Ella, etc) the kids naturally want to emulate them.. so it's no surprise when 7, 8 9, 10 year olds want to have a Rugby ball close by and lunch time games in the school yard revolve around touch rugby - I can't tell you how many pairs of trousers my now 18 year old has gone through - but he is now a junior Brumby ... so who's complaining? The result is that most kids learn the fundamentals of stepping, swerving, changing pace and direction, passing, kicking and throwing "dummies" at a fairly early age, so they take that into games where most of it is second nature.

4. The Australian Rugby Union (since the mid-70's) has put a lot of time, effort and money into coaching programs, safety, organisation, co-ordination etc, so it's fair to say that just about every team, at no matter what level, is coached by someone who is probably Level 1, if not Level 2. That's a big plus.

5. We have pathways now for young referees, so most private schools, at least, would be putting two or three boys through intensive Level 1 or 2 referee training, each year, from about age 16, so there is even a pathway for non-players.

6. The Schools Rugby Union is a powerful sub-element of the Australian Rugby Union with a voice. Many of Australia's best coaches have come through the Schools' ranks. Many of the Wallabies have come through the Schools program - while not necessary, certainly desirable.

7. The "premier" clubs in the main cities, now run Academies, and the main S14 franchises do so as well, take from them and feed into the National Talent Squads, which start watching and developing boys from age 15.

So, in summary, we get them young and that's the best time to learn the fundamentals.

Your Country

1. Generally speaking, and I do have some contacts in the US, so it's not total speculation, you don't get them young. It seems to me that that should be a priority. Since I don't understand your school system (eg private vs public etc) or the demographics, I can't really comment.

2. You have another chance in high school, and it seems to me that the pitch should be aimed at "fun and fitness" and safety and community values, team work, safety and participation.

4. Once in College, you need to go after the athletes, but always aware that you need to teach them the fundamentals and this takes endless, boring drilling. Ten years ago, I was asked to coach a couple of womens' teams. The talent levels were alarming from complete novices who had never played to good athletes. How you take a team like that and mould them into some sort of shape in just a few days or a week? Drills, drills, drills, and no substitute. If you explain what you are doing as you go, they develop an appreciation and begin to understand where you are coming from.

What you guys have in your country is systems and great facilities, so if I were you guys I would emulate the successful programs of Football and the other major sports, but always remembering the ethos of Rugby. I think that you guys should be concentrating on a good result at the 2015 World Cup and developing the guys now.

In the meantime keep up the great work on your Sevens development, and, like all of us, hope that it gains Olympic status. It is only now that the Australian Rugby Union is realising that that is where one of the main "nurseries" of the 15 man game exists. If 7's goes Olympic there will be an explosion of interest around the world.

You need to be making serious attempts to integrate your schoolboys (18 y.o) and your 20 y.o teams into the highest level of competition that you can and find ways to make it attractive to keep your best players in the domestic leagues.

Apart from that, there is simply no substitute for persistence and hard yards.

Here endeth the lesson! Might soung like I'm preaching, but I want nothing more than to see, in my lifetime, some serious opposition to current "Top 8" nations who are largely Europe, South Africa and Australasia based teams. A strong North American presence in our game is absolutely essential.

WALLABIES TAKE A PAY CUT FOR "09

Wallabies agree to pay cut
RUPERT GUINNESS
30/01/2009 4:00:01 AM

THE realities of the global financial crisis have not gone unnoticed in the Wallabies' dressing room, with players yesterday voting to accept a cut in Test match fees.

Captain Stirling Mortlock said players were willing to take a hit to their pockets because they knew Australian Rugby Union officials had also accepted a cut in salaries and directors' fees.

"Everyone is affected by this," the Brumbies centre said. "It reflects the ARU's policy that everyone is in this together. The public side of the ARU is the playing group but just as important to how we function are the people in admin. Everyone across the board has had to tighten up.

"The guys are all in the loop and understand what is going on. The crisis is affecting everyone. That is blatantly obvious. We, as players, are doing our part. Hopefully, as the economy recovers, we can resume [usual fees]. But we are more than happy with the stance we have taken. Sanity has prevailed. It's a positive start to the year."

The Rugby Union Players' Association yesterday announced that Test fees would drop by $874 a game this year, pending a review in June. The Wallabies, who play up to 14 Tests a year, will kick-off their season against the Barbarians at the SFS in Sydney in June 6 and play their first Test against Italy in Canberra on June 13.

Last year, the Wallabies received $11,875 each a Test. That was due to increase by 4.2 per cent this year to $12,374 a match. But the ARU and RUPA, in consultation with its members, accepted a drop to $11,500 a Test.

Waratahs and Wallabies prop Al Baxter said the decision to back the ARU's request last month was unanimous. "We thought it prudent and sensible for the the good of the game that we weren't adding any extra financial burden on to the ARU," said Baxter, a RUPA board member.

"It was a unanimous decision. But it was taken with some seriousness. A rugby player's career is so finite. To take a pay cut, you don't often see any of that back. Usually, you are out of the game by the time it comes back. You have to spend a fair few years in the system to become a Wallaby player, then the lifespan isn't enormous. A lot of guys who made this decision probably won't see the benefit, but are doing it for the players to come."

Western Force captain Nathan Sharpe, also a RUPA board member, said the bigger picture was more important than the sacrifice of $874 a match.

"When you consider how the majority of people and businesses have been affected by the current economic situation, this was a more than reasonable request by the ARU," the Wallabies second-rower said.

"As players, we recognise that we have to be flexible to ensure the long-term financial viability of the game, especially during these tougher times. Realistically, it's not a huge sacrifice for each individual player, but when it adds up it is a significant saving for the organisation."

RUPA chief executive Tony Dempsey said: "The ARU were able to convince us that, like most industries, there were abnormal financial constraints being imposed on our sport that needed addressing from all key stakeholders, including the players themselves. The ARU was [also] able to illustrate to RUPA that they were adopting sensible measures to reduce costs."

The ARU lost $8.5 million in 2007 before the financial crisis struck, but it is understood that, despite recent reports, it should still finish in the black for last year - albeit just.

Besides disbanding the Australian Rugby Championship after one season in 2007, many staff have departed by natural or planned attrition.

In light of the economic crisis, the ARU cancelled this year's Australia A program and Australian Rugby Shield.

And an ARU spokesman yesterday confirmed that senior management had agreed to salary reductions and that board members supported significant cuts to their directors' fees.

The strategy will "ensure ARU finances remain robust", the spokesman said.

"We have had savings across all aspects of the business … any pain is being shared."

Brock James Stays with Clermont until 2012

Brock James extends Clermont rugby deal
23 hours ago
CLERMONT-FERRAND, France (AFP) — Australian fly half Brock James has extended his contract with French Top 14 side Clermont until 2012, the club said Saturday.
James, 27, replaced Wales' Stephen Jones in the side when he joined in 2006 and last season finished as points king for the second straight year with 301 points.

LATHAM INJURED

31 January, 2009

Australian full-back Chris Latham was admitted to hospital after temporarily losing the feeling in his arms and legs after being injured in a maul in Worcester's 37-20 Guinness Premiership defeat to Sale.

Director of rugby Mike Ruddock said: "Chris Latham is down the hospital at present. He is to undergo scans, because it appears to be a neck ligament problem.

"For a period of time, Latham lost feeling in his arms and legs - but it has returned. He is conscious, and the medical team are reasonably confident he will be OK."

The Warriors were 7-3 in front when Latham was carried off in the 16th minute, but capitulated after their talismanic Aussie was forced off.

"It was a great start by us, and we were looking good. But once we lost Latham, they pinned us back and realised we would struggle with our kicking game,” Ruddock continued.

"Our kicking game did let us down, and we 'gifted' them two tries from a couple of moments of madness."