Things don't change!
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Was having a look through some old rugby programmes from the early/mid 80s today, and bugger me if in one of the programmes was an article frm the refs and union saying they were losing refs as they were getting sick of the abuse, fans also saying laws were too confusing etc. also were saying that clubs/boards were struggling a bit with numbers for running clubs for same thing re abuse etc of board members etc by people who knew better. It was while I was actually while I was getting pretty heavily involved in admin at all levels, and know exactly what they meant.
The only reason I brought it up was really to show the more we change the more we stay the same! That was 40 years ago!
I am sure posters like NTA etc (and many others) will understand what the article was saying. -
Definitely
Has always been thus in Wales despite the rollercoaster of success and failure
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In dear old England it actually used to run quite smoothly, albeit with limited success, but with professionalism and money attitudes changed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying things were better in the shamateur days, but they were different.
My club used to run three sides regularly for many years and often could make four and we'd have no trouble getting either some opposition or a ref at pretty short notice. Now we run two sides only with an occasional 3rds, which is effectively a vets team who have to sort themselves out with little input from the club.
My old club back in the SE has effectively folded as a rugby club and just operates now as a social club for all the feral locals that have managed to get their local pubs closed down.
Sure at both clubs we used to struggle getting guys to put in time in the actual running of the club, I don't think much has changed there, but now we struggle getting the level of commitment in getting more people playing rugby. This I feel has come down to a shift in attitude where people are now more concerned with a "what's in it for me" viewpoint which has morphed into a lack of respect for officials and others which seemingly gets condoned or at least excused by club officials.
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Thankfully still very healthy at my local club
