K
KZNSharksFan
Guest
The departure or "exodus" (to quote every news writer in the SH) of many Union stars (and league stars for that matter) from the Southern powerhouses to Europe has stirred many a debate recently, especially in light of the temporary move by Daniel Carter to Perpignan. The reasons cited by most players to justify such a move are usually one, or a combination of: "Change in lifestyle", "Change in scenery", "Change in culture" or "Change in preferred underwear modelling company". Whatever the randomly chosen excuse for the papers, one factor remains constant in all cases; the draw of cold, hard European currency.
There wasn't a mass migration of talent 20 years ago in the heyday of non-professionalism. Nay, loyalty and pride in ones club/province and nation seemingly meant much more. The advent of professionalism in the game of Rugby Union in 1995 spelled the end of a 100 year era in the game. Professionalism would bring a price to one's loyalty, just as it did in the sports of football/soccer, basketball etc. Now, don't be under the impression that I’m some kind of neo-colonialist who hearkens back to the "good ole days" when things were apparently "better". I recognise that professionalism has brought many great changes to the sport of Rugby and I can’t imagine the sport without the advances that professionalism has allowed in the game. Yet still, I feel that a player's loyalty should have no price tag and that a club/region should do the best with its own god-given talent, not its neighbours. It should be a club's right and privilege to make use of the players it develops. I'm not saying players can't choose where they live or ply their trade, but I do believe an attempt should be made to foster within the game of Rugby, an ethos based upon moral principles such as loyalty and faith in one's club.
I feel strongly that if a nation or club cannot develop players to a reasonably competitive standard, they don't deserve to buy the skills and class provided by players from teams with less robust bank balances. The whoring of players to the NH clubs is, I believe, an abomination and an insult to the game of rugby. I do however recognise that this predicament is not any single group or person's fault, but rather a fault of the system of professionalism itself.
Such is the way of professional sport.
The game I and so many others love and cherish is being turned into the sick and pathetic "sport" that football has become. "Absolute power corrupts absolute". The same can be said about money.
Loyalty was what separated rugby from soccer for 100 years and made it such a noble and dare I say, honourable sport. It is in these truly troubling times that you have to ask yourself, "Do I really enjoy watching my team now as much as when money was less of an issue?"
There wasn't a mass migration of talent 20 years ago in the heyday of non-professionalism. Nay, loyalty and pride in ones club/province and nation seemingly meant much more. The advent of professionalism in the game of Rugby Union in 1995 spelled the end of a 100 year era in the game. Professionalism would bring a price to one's loyalty, just as it did in the sports of football/soccer, basketball etc. Now, don't be under the impression that I’m some kind of neo-colonialist who hearkens back to the "good ole days" when things were apparently "better". I recognise that professionalism has brought many great changes to the sport of Rugby and I can’t imagine the sport without the advances that professionalism has allowed in the game. Yet still, I feel that a player's loyalty should have no price tag and that a club/region should do the best with its own god-given talent, not its neighbours. It should be a club's right and privilege to make use of the players it develops. I'm not saying players can't choose where they live or ply their trade, but I do believe an attempt should be made to foster within the game of Rugby, an ethos based upon moral principles such as loyalty and faith in one's club.
I feel strongly that if a nation or club cannot develop players to a reasonably competitive standard, they don't deserve to buy the skills and class provided by players from teams with less robust bank balances. The whoring of players to the NH clubs is, I believe, an abomination and an insult to the game of rugby. I do however recognise that this predicament is not any single group or person's fault, but rather a fault of the system of professionalism itself.
Such is the way of professional sport.
The game I and so many others love and cherish is being turned into the sick and pathetic "sport" that football has become. "Absolute power corrupts absolute". The same can be said about money.
Loyalty was what separated rugby from soccer for 100 years and made it such a noble and dare I say, honourable sport. It is in these truly troubling times that you have to ask yourself, "Do I really enjoy watching my team now as much as when money was less of an issue?"
