Worcester have pulled off the biggest signing in their history by landing New Zealand international winger Rico Gear on a three-year deal. BBC Sport http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_unio...ter/6763083.stm
Huge Scoop for Worcester this, and well what more can I say... Well Done But I do sometimes worry bout local talent, where has it gone...
Rugby Union: All Blacks winger Rico Gear has signed for Worcester Warriors. Gear, who has scored 10 tries in 18 appearances for the Rugby World Cup favourites, has agreed a three-year deal. Gear, who follows fellow All Blacks Sam Tuitupou and Greg Rawlinson http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/dailymail/r...9834/rugby.html
cricky, this is a big blow for canterbury i was hoping we would retain him for next year. blimy what a team with Greg Rawlinson, Sam Tuitupo and Loki Cricton they will be a decent team next year. (dont know who else plays for them t hough)
Theres danger of English Rugby going the way of soccer and cricket. Too much international talent being played and promoted, not enough local heroes. How many english kids are going to want to grow up to be the next Carlos Spencer, Ben Blair, Rico Gear and many many more. If I were an english kid I'd have Johnny "Fragile" Wilkinson and Danny "What did you say!!" Grewcock to look up to along with only a handful of others. Some of the British Rugby Unions need to work overtime on some new local talent, train them up and promote them heavily. It seems (from this side of the world, I must admit) that theres no-one to inspire the next generation.
I'm sorry, I'm going to try and do this without being rude, but you cannot possibly say that unless you live and breathe in the club environment over here. There will always be local heroes, and by this I don't mean the players you see going on to represent England. At Northampton for example we have one guy who has come up through the academy, played for a well known local amateur club, is only about 3ft 2", but plays his heart out every time he is on the pitch. He has the unquestionable respect of everyone involved in the club even though he will never be a superstar at the highest level. Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson were the same before they hit the top of the world game. Having privately run clubs rather than franchises will always breed these types of players. They never gain the accolades of your Wilkinsons or Jason Robinsons, but they will always receive adoration from the true fans of the English game for their unswerving commitment to the cause.
That's all well and dandy, but the playing numbers and more importantly, the money from the fans are going to come from the 6 Year Olds with David Beckham Posters on the Wall because they saw him on a McDonalds ad.
In football mabye, but club rugby breeds a different type of supporter. Ask my younger brother who plays for England and he'd be likely to hesitantly say 'Jonny Wilkinson' and that's it. However, ask him to name Northampton players and he'd name the entire backline and a few of the forwards. And this is from watching them live for one season. Rugby players don't have the same superstar status in the media over here as they do in New Zealand - kids are likely to identify with those players at club level who they can go and see playing live before they recognise that the guy who gave them his autograph last week is now wearing a white shirt and playing on TV.
I do feel for the New Zealand in a way, but with such a ridiculous vein of talent, they'll be new Gears and McAlisters in no time
Why would they need a new McAlister? He hasn't signed anywhere yet and the windows closing (I Remember reading somewhere that the HEC Teams had until the end of June to registar players?)
