The Current State of Rugby
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Another thing I thought about today.
Those of you of an age to remember the 1990 FIFA world cup. And how it was 'ruined' by a refereeing clamp down on tackles from behind.
Fifa decided to use their flag piece to try to change a lifetime's habits of all players.
Eventually it worked. A tackle from behind is treated today as the 1990 change makers wanted. I dont know how long that took. Still problem then, for ages, of returning to club football and it being referred differently, and the the change of habit not carried through.
On that subject. I'd say in NZ we got the (and shared the) British editorial opinion that Fifa didn't know what they were doing , the fetish8ng of the tough centre back ... etc ...
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What a bullshit article
Fuck that guy
Almost every point is absolute bullshit
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@Rapido ironically, that Frenchmans card was overturned and Gardner thrown under the bus...
As to the concussion, my anecdotal evidence says NZ is way ahead in players calling on themselves, one another (some might see this as cynical, but ultimately, I think the call is right) whereas other countries seem pretty lax about them...the 2 examples on the recent tour, the welsh have had issues too with allowing players to play when clearly they shouldnt.
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Following on from @MajorRage 's post on NH Rugby. The game is huge in Cornwall and a few rugby-types have expressed some real concern about the state of the amateur game.
Drop-off in participation which may be down to Covid and things will improve. At the junior level there's a worry that parents are seeing the game as dangerous with the talk about dementia and concussion
Concerns about insurance and medical claims
Feeling distanced by the RFU and that people who hold the money-bags like club owners don't have the roots of the game as a priority.
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@Rapido said in The Current State of Rugby:
This part:
Nobody is saying that New Zealand is in denial about concussion, yet nobody denies the disconnect between them and the prevailing philosophy of the northern hemisphere. The very notion is morbid, but more than one source suggested that it might take an earth-shattering announcement from an icon like Richie McCaw or Dan Carter to bring the two into line. We must hope it does not come to that.
Interesting that the NZ public had real concerns about how McCaw's head was targeted. Hence the Quade Cooper treatment.
We all have a bit of hypocrisy in us , that's human.
Those that derided the ugly NZ fan for the Cooper stuff (but, yes, it went on too long and list the original point...). As well as those who excuse the sins of their own side, of which I'm sure the Quade booers amongst us are as guilty as any others.
This but from the article sticks in the craw a bit:
The loosehead prop started high, but absorbed the impact of Brodie Retallick. This did not help Retallick too much. He fractured his cheekbone. But the yellow card given by Barnes was upheld by a citing committee to leave New Zealanders perplexed.
You can’t tell us that we are somehow behind the rest of the world when it comes to player safety and then suggest that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Barnes’ ruling here.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in The Current State of Rugby:
Following on from @MajorRage 's post on NH Rugby. The game is huge in Cornwall and a few rugby-types have expressed some real concern about the state of the amateur game.
At the junior level there's a worry that parents are seeing the game as dangerous with the talk about dementia and concussion
Eliminating contact and tackling at the lower age groups is a factor I think
The younger you can learn the fundamentals of any sport, the better your technique will be
Look at something like gymnastics
Learning to tackle properly when the game is slower and the players (and ergo impact) are much smaller would bring through a generation of players who can grow into their bodies and the game
Just like it was when I began playing organised rugby in 1974 (8 years old)
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@MiketheSnow said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Victor-Meldrew said in The Current State of Rugby:
Following on from @MajorRage 's post on NH Rugby. The game is huge in Cornwall and a few rugby-types have expressed some real concern about the state of the amateur game.
At the junior level there's a worry that parents are seeing the game as dangerous with the talk about dementia and concussion
Eliminating contact and tackling at the lower age groups is a factor I think
The younger you can learn the fundamentals of any sport, the better your technique will be
Look at something like gymnastics
Learning to tackle properly when the game is slower and the players (and ergo impact) are much smaller would bring through a generation of players who can grow into their bodies and the game
Just like it was when I began playing organised rugby in 1974 (8 years old)
Ball and all upright tackles are a relatively new phenomenon. Back when I was young all the test players tackled around the waist or the legs. And rucking did a great job of self regulating rucks
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@Tim said in The Current State of Rugby:
Andy Powell's clothes-line on McCaw was one of the worst offences I've seen.
Hartley on McCaw, Skinstad on McCaw, Greyling on McCaw…
I am very skeptical about The cries of player safety from WR and the NH generally - completely self serving and cynical and their relative silence when it’s SH rugby players’ heads being bashed in is deafening
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@MiketheSnow said in The Current State of Rugby:
@Victor-Meldrew said in The Current State of Rugby:
Following on from @MajorRage 's post on NH Rugby. The game is huge in Cornwall and a few rugby-types have expressed some real concern about the state of the amateur game.
At the junior level there's a worry that parents are seeing the game as dangerous with the talk about dementia and concussion
Eliminating contact and tackling at the lower age groups is a factor I think
The younger you can learn the fundamentals of any sport, the better your technique will be
Look at something like gymnastics
Learning to tackle properly when the game is slower and the players (and ergo impact) are much smaller would bring through a generation of players who can grow into their bodies and the game
Just like it was when I began playing organised rugby in 1974 (8 years old)
Yep old man
, I agree, I find it odd when I hear tackle rugby is banned for younger kids. Realistically they're not going to get seriously injured at that age and as you note it's better to build the techniques from a young age. -
@MiketheSnow You're a similar vintage to me.
We were always coached to "Go low" in the 1970s, and it was only toward the end of my rugby career that the higher wrap tackles became fashionable (and effective).
But, there were still plenty of concussion incidents. Going low means front on tackles with knees pumping and hips -as the article writer acknowledges.
Who gets sent off? - The concussed tackler for poor technique? - Frankly, maybe they should?
I do recall one of the outstanding players in our region having to give up aged 16 due to multiple concussions. I got my nose broken in an aerial collision that was a pure accident - then and now - also under 16s.
It's a game of collisions. There's going to be many injuries and many concussions whatever you do.
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@Chris-B said in The Current State of Rugby:
@MiketheSnow You're a similar vintage to me.
We were always coached to "Go low" in the 1970s, and it was only toward the end of my rugby career that the higher wrap tackles became fashionable (and effective).
But, there were still plenty of concussion incidents. Going low means front on tackles with knees pumping and hips -as the article writer acknowledges.
Who gets sent off? - The concussed tackler for poor technique? - Frankly, maybe they should?
I do recall one of the outstanding players in our region having to give up aged 16 due to multiple concussions. I got my nose broken in an aerial collision that was a pure accident - then and now - also under 16s.
It's a game of collisions. There's going to be many injuries and many concussions whatever you do.
It's not tiddlywinks
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Just watching a random non-warriors NRL game. Full stadium - small but full, simple game, but a fair bit of physical confrontation and skill. It's understandable, unlike Rugby, TMO is quick and rare to get involved. I don't think I've seen anyone playing the ref ... and just seen two head contacts with nothing happening.
Honestly, if NRL was on in primtime in NZ, Rugby would really suffer. And I say this as a long term rugby nerd. Right now the game's a bit fucked. NRL may have a simpler sport, but it's far more watchable right now.
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@Tim said in The Current State of Rugby:
@junior Indeed, where are all the articles condemning the missed red cards in the 3rd test?
I don’t know the answer to this question, but I wonder how many actual players are pushing the current regulations with respect to head contact? I ask because they have the most at stake in this issue and yet I hear very little from them. Most people who have strong opinions on this are ex players - fair enough - and pundits.
The latter seem to be the loudest voices in the discussions and the most vociferous in arguing for the harshest sanctions for incidental / accidental head contact. I don’t know whether the former players are advocating for reds in all cases.
I say all this because I would believe in the current approach if it was being driven by those who are most at risk. But it’s not - it’s being driven mainly by the pundits who scream the loudest
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@MiketheSnow that's always been my argument against soccer mom mentality.
Teach them correct techniques when they and opposition are smaller slower and less skilled, it becomes ingrained when they are bigger stronger faster.
When I coached TR jnr, they played rippa the 1st year, by end of that year you could see most wanted to and were ready for tackle,one of the best tacklers in the team was a small guy so most often they were ankle tackles, as he go bigger he could go a bit higher but stomach was his fave target to iit someone.
He, like half the team also played a couple of seasons of league when they were 6 - 8 years old.
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@nzzp said in The Current State of Rugby:
Just watching a random non-warriors NRL game. Full stadium - small but full, simple game, but a fair bit of physical confrontation and skill. It's understandable, unlike Rugby, TMO is quick and rare to get involved. I don't think I've seen anyone playing the ref ... and just seen two head contacts with nothing happening.
Honestly, if NRL was on in primtime in NZ, Rugby would really suffer. And I say this as a long term rugby nerd. Right now the game's a bit fucked. NRL may have a simpler sport, but it's far more watchable right now.
Funny mate, when I moved to Aus (in about 1997) I thought I might get into League. but funnily enough it killed any interest I had in game. First year I was there was given some tickets to State of Origin, and actually had to leave as it I found it too almost choreographed or something, I sat there not knowing a hell of a lot about game, but could see exactly what was going to happen seemingly The lack of competition for ball killed it). After that I couldn't even watch game on tv (even though it probably a tv game). I actually watched more games of AFL then league in my 24 years in Aus, and probably onlsy saw a dozen of them.
Though I can understand that some like league etc just not for me at all. -
It's really only at the pro level that rugby is in a mess. The game was never meant to be based on power. It is meant to a game for all shapes and sizes to use their sets of skills.
Now it is all about collisions and you wonder why that causes problems.
You can't change the fundamentals as they still apply to grass roots but what can be done is to go back to applying the laws the way they were intended instead of loose interpretations in some desire to make it more of a product.
I'm talking about things like binding. The laws clearly state that a bind is NOT a touch or grab but an arm. That flows through to players joining breakdowns with a touch before a big impact. Duh! -
@Crucial said in The Current State of Rugby:
It's really only at the pro level that rugby is in a mess. The game was never meant to be based on power. It is meant to a game for all shapes and sizes to use their sets of skills.
Now it is all about collisions and you wonder why that causes problems.
You can't change the fundamentals as they still apply to grass roots but what can be done is to go back to applying the laws the way they were intended instead of loose interpretations in some desire to make it more of a product.
I'm talking about things like binding. The laws clearly state that a bind is NOT a touch or grab but an arm. That flows through to players joining breakdowns with a touch before a big impact. Duh!Couldn't agree more, I know I been told by a couple of posters to f*** of etc because I say I enjoy the amatuer games etc but I still find it bloody great to watch, and as you say all shapes and sizes getting out there and actually trying to use skill to win games etc. I even find that at U15 level etc you actually really enjoy seeing the skills etc used to try and beat defence!
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Some of the ways 7s is adjudicated might be beneficial. Very little tolerance for going off your feet past the ball for example.
Very little tolerance for high tackles as well but often just a penalty and get going again. Maybe a 5 minute bin would work. Get the game moving.While I'm at it WTF is with these called for drinks breaks? What a joke. Just being used like an NFL timeout.
I hate the endless running on of support staff but this isn't the solution, this is worse. The players don't even need a drink, they just squirt it on themselves and talk tactics while catching their breath.
Based on evidence from the FPC we are going to find the NPC very painful to watch in this regard.
Who are the muppets that think these things up without putting their coaches hats on and thinking how it will be used?
Water on the sidelines, there's plenty of opportunity to grab one if you really need it OR strictly enforce keeping the game moving. Get the staff off the field or get penalised.
