F
fcukernaut
Guest
After being away from these forums for a long time, I came back to find a number of topics regarding the devlopment of North American rugby. Specifically the new league in Canada and how it is constructed. But there were also some probing questions in the Russia vs Canada thread. So alas I feel a new thread in and of itself should be created as a means of venting frustrations, praising where applicable and essentially producing suggestions that would better the cause for rugby in North America.
Here are my thoughts on the new league in Canada and alternatives to it:
There is enough talent to split Ontario into two sides and bring back the Niagra Thunder of the Super League. The Thunder played in enough of the league finals to warrant their spot. Same thing goes for BC. I have serious doubts about a team in Quebec as it is the least developed rugby area in Canada. Most of the players come from English speaking Montreal which eliminates a large majority of the population. How do you fix that? No clue, but it has no hope I feel. French Canadians for the most part do not share the love of the game like their European bretheren do and nothing should be forced there. Neither should anything out in the maritimes. I know it is harsh to get all the players from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to fly out to the Rock to play rugby but Newfoundland is the only place out East that brings in fans for rugby and they bring in a lot. 10,000 someodd show up to watch the tests between the US and Canada, so fostering that area is not a bad idea.
Also, this competition is being played during university window and somewhat undermines that competition when guys like kegan selby and adam shouten are playing in this competition instead of the university one. Which is better for development? Most likely this new competition but a lot of guys on the Canada squad have graduated out of the ranks of the OUA and uni rugby out west.
I know in rugby we talk about academies and age grade teams, but in truth in NA most players start at age 14, I see nothing wrong with guys going through university as part of the development process ala the NFL or NBA. By the time you hit 23, 24 or 25 you are more likely to be physically prepared for playing against men, especially when the development process is retarded by a few years. There will be anomolies to the case but simply put no Rococoko is bursting onto the international scene at 18 from the US or Canada. Four years of development just isn't enough. We simply cannot expect our players to be ready to play at a young age, they are behind and throwing them into the deepend internationally is not the right thing to do. Australia and New Zealand might be able to throw a 22 year old out into international rugby because they have been playing insanely high levels of rugby, including in professional or semi-proffessional outfits, but Canada cannot. Most players should be debutants around age 25 or 26. Does that limit the years in the international set up? Yes, but that is the reality.
Given that is the case, how about some mid-week games for Canada 'A'? Bring them along like you would have in the past. Take them on a tour to New Zealand and Australia. Have them play against provincial teams, the Moari; the more exposure the better. And when the iRB gives you a couple million, please for the love of god do not **** it away on a backs coach or scrummaging coach for the national team. Those players already there are not going to magically turn into Daniel Carter with a kicking coach. Those players are who they are, and that is average at best players. If they are good enough for proffesional coaching someone will get them a job at a club. The money instead should be spent at the grassroots level and trying to excellerate the development of the youth. They need to catch up to the players in Australia and New Zealand and right now that is not happening until the players are too old and broken to play at the top level anyway. Our goal should not be about winning games in the WC in 2011 but winning games in 2019. To continue doing what we are doing means that we will be no better in Japan than we will be in New Zealand.
So with that the next step to the development of the sport lies in getting rugby recognized by the national university sporting bodies in NA. In the US that means the NCAA needs to give them the thumbs up. When that happens there will be money available for scholarships or at least partial scholarships. The CIS in Canada needs to recognize the sport so we can see a true National Championship happen. The more the East meets the West the better. Perhaps with the inclusion of rugby 7's in the Olympics we might actually see that recognition come to fruition.
I think that is enough to begin with to get the discussion going and if the response warrants it I will re-post my opinion on more specific grassroots development of the game in Ontario and where we are going horribly, horribly wrong.
Here are my thoughts on the new league in Canada and alternatives to it:
There is enough talent to split Ontario into two sides and bring back the Niagra Thunder of the Super League. The Thunder played in enough of the league finals to warrant their spot. Same thing goes for BC. I have serious doubts about a team in Quebec as it is the least developed rugby area in Canada. Most of the players come from English speaking Montreal which eliminates a large majority of the population. How do you fix that? No clue, but it has no hope I feel. French Canadians for the most part do not share the love of the game like their European bretheren do and nothing should be forced there. Neither should anything out in the maritimes. I know it is harsh to get all the players from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to fly out to the Rock to play rugby but Newfoundland is the only place out East that brings in fans for rugby and they bring in a lot. 10,000 someodd show up to watch the tests between the US and Canada, so fostering that area is not a bad idea.
Also, this competition is being played during university window and somewhat undermines that competition when guys like kegan selby and adam shouten are playing in this competition instead of the university one. Which is better for development? Most likely this new competition but a lot of guys on the Canada squad have graduated out of the ranks of the OUA and uni rugby out west.
I know in rugby we talk about academies and age grade teams, but in truth in NA most players start at age 14, I see nothing wrong with guys going through university as part of the development process ala the NFL or NBA. By the time you hit 23, 24 or 25 you are more likely to be physically prepared for playing against men, especially when the development process is retarded by a few years. There will be anomolies to the case but simply put no Rococoko is bursting onto the international scene at 18 from the US or Canada. Four years of development just isn't enough. We simply cannot expect our players to be ready to play at a young age, they are behind and throwing them into the deepend internationally is not the right thing to do. Australia and New Zealand might be able to throw a 22 year old out into international rugby because they have been playing insanely high levels of rugby, including in professional or semi-proffessional outfits, but Canada cannot. Most players should be debutants around age 25 or 26. Does that limit the years in the international set up? Yes, but that is the reality.
Given that is the case, how about some mid-week games for Canada 'A'? Bring them along like you would have in the past. Take them on a tour to New Zealand and Australia. Have them play against provincial teams, the Moari; the more exposure the better. And when the iRB gives you a couple million, please for the love of god do not **** it away on a backs coach or scrummaging coach for the national team. Those players already there are not going to magically turn into Daniel Carter with a kicking coach. Those players are who they are, and that is average at best players. If they are good enough for proffesional coaching someone will get them a job at a club. The money instead should be spent at the grassroots level and trying to excellerate the development of the youth. They need to catch up to the players in Australia and New Zealand and right now that is not happening until the players are too old and broken to play at the top level anyway. Our goal should not be about winning games in the WC in 2011 but winning games in 2019. To continue doing what we are doing means that we will be no better in Japan than we will be in New Zealand.
So with that the next step to the development of the sport lies in getting rugby recognized by the national university sporting bodies in NA. In the US that means the NCAA needs to give them the thumbs up. When that happens there will be money available for scholarships or at least partial scholarships. The CIS in Canada needs to recognize the sport so we can see a true National Championship happen. The more the East meets the West the better. Perhaps with the inclusion of rugby 7's in the Olympics we might actually see that recognition come to fruition.
I think that is enough to begin with to get the discussion going and if the response warrants it I will re-post my opinion on more specific grassroots development of the game in Ontario and where we are going horribly, horribly wrong.
