Probably a dumb question

[Dai Perk]

Good evening, friends,

Quick, possibly obvious question...

In baseball, when they know it's going to rain, they tarp the field in case it passes, so they can still play the game.

In international rugby, where the stakes are as high as can be, they leave the pitch open and just kinda hope it doesn't get too bad.

So the question is, wtf? How much can a tarp cost? Isn't it worth seeing the best teams on a reasonable playing field? Or is the messiness part of the appeal?

Thanks!

-Dave

 

[TRF_heineken]

Good evening, friends,

Quick, possibly obvious question...

In baseball, when they know it's going to rain, they tarp the field in case it passes, so they can still play the game.

In international rugby, where the stakes are as high as can be, they leave the pitch open and just kinda hope it doesn't get too bad.

So the question is, wtf? How much can a tarp cost? Isn't it worth seeing the best teams on a reasonable playing field? Or is the messiness part of the appeal?

Thanks!

-Dave

You are trying to compare apples with oranges.

Baseball and cricket would be a better comparison, and both of them use tarps to cover areas of the field vital to playing the game, more so in cricket than baseball.

Rugby, Soccer and American Football doesn't need to be covered, as the weather is part of the spectacle, rain, snow, heat, wind, doesn't matter, all of them have an effect on the game, and why should they have prevention of one of them but not all of them? That's why newer stadiums rather build a roof, in order to cancel all of them, or none of them.

 

[Dai Perk]

Very well put, thank you! In the NFL, they always talk about the weather being part of the spectacle, but in my limited experience with rugby, they seem to look at it as a detriment to the quality of play, but maybe my sample size is too small... either way, I can't wait for the weather to be crappy during Six Nations, I feel like it may help my beloved Scotland squad!

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Rugby......doesn't need to be covered, as the weather is part of the spectacle.

Unless you're Welsh.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Very well put, thank you! In the NFL, they always talk about the weather being part of the spectacle, but in my limited experience with rugby, they seem to look at it as a detriment to the quality of play, but maybe my sample size is too small... either way, I can't wait for the weather to be crappy during Six Nations, I feel like it may help my beloved Scotland squad!

Bad weather is usually a detriment in rugby to see a more running, open type of play, but not necessarily the quality of play. There has been some humdingers in the past in very bad weather. One of my favourite matches is the 1995 semi-final between South Africa and France in Durban. The game was postponed and nearly called off due to a torrential downpour, where some areas of the field looked like swimming pool, and the officials were afraid that the players might drown in those pools. It took a lot sweeping and clearing of the water off the field to get the game going, even though they couldn't clear it all, they did enough to declare the pitch safe to play. And man that muddy wet game was so damn intense.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Bad weather is usually a detriment in rugby to see a more running, open type of play, but not necessarily the quality of play. There has been some humdingers in the past in very bad weather. One of my favourite matches is the 1995 semi-final between South Africa and France in Durban.

The game was postponed and nearly called off due to a torrential downpour, where some areas of the field looked like swimming pool, and the officials were afraid that the players might drown in those pools. It took a lot sweeping and clearing of the water off the field to get the game going, even though they couldn't clear it all, they did enough to declare the pitch safe to play. And man that muddy wet game was so damn intense.

How different would this match have been had Benazzi's try at the end been given?

 

[TRF_heineken]

How different would this match have been had Benazzi's try at the end been given?

I think the bigger question would have been, how different would Rugby and the development of it have been had Benazzi's try been awarded? France would've then went on to play NZ in the final, and South Africa wouldn't have gone on to glory, and used rugby to unify a country and start a cause all over the world about development.

But alas, it wasn't awarded, just like Ruben Kruger's try in the final...

 

[Dai Perk]

1. It's amazing how the dominoes fall sometimes... It feels like we may be right on the edge of a new era, with European teams being best in the world and the Southern Hemisphere falling behind. I understand a LOT of Kiwis will be leaving NZ after this World Cup, thus losing their eligibility. That in concert with the rise of Ireland could change things permanently, eh?

 

[TRF_heineken]

1. It's amazing how the dominoes fall sometimes... It feels like we may be right on the edge of a new era, with European teams being best in the world and the Southern Hemisphere falling behind. I understand a LOT of Kiwis will be leaving NZ after this World Cup, thus losing their eligibility. That in concert with the rise of Ireland could change things permanently, eh?

To be honest, it's not something new. This happens everytime after a World Cup. I think we South Africans are hit the hardest, as the exodus of players moving abroad are a lot higher than the other nations.

And I think this time it will be even worse since there seems to be uncertainty between SARU and the players surrounding Springbok contracts.

 

[Dai Perk]

Great point. And yeah, I've been hearing a lot (thanks to the Rugby365 podcast, among other sources) about the financial problems with the SARU, and the questions around long-term sustainability.

 

[RedruthRFC]

To be honest, it's not something new. This happens everytime after a World Cup.

Indeed, but as you say, it's happening more (according to my perception), meaning that what OP says could hold water. I don't know if figures would support the South African exodus being on the increase, it has always seemed high to me, presumably thanks to South Africa being an APC state. My perception is that it's New Zealand's exodus that's on the increase, thanks to the perception of an established pecking order of those in line to a AB shirt and a stronger focus on World Cup cycles than any other nation. Kiwi zealots on these forums have told us that New Zealand's prodigious conveyor belt of talent means that this isn't a problem. We will see this theory tested over the next couple of World Cup cycles.

 

[Dai Perk]

Seems like the Southern Hemisphere teams are closer together these days than ever, so it will be an interesting next few years... Except the Wallabies, who appear utterly snake-bitten of late, they look a mess!

 

[TRF_heineken]

Indeed, but as you say, it's happening more (according to my perception), meaning that what OP says could hold water. I don't know if figures would support the South African exodus being on the increase, it has always seemed high to me, presumably thanks to South Africa being an APC state. My perception is that it's New Zealand's exodus that's on the increase, thanks to the perception of an established pecking order of those in line to a AB shirt and a stronger focus on World Cup cycles than any other nation. Kiwi zealots on these forums have told us that New Zealand's prodigious conveyor belt of talent means that this isn't a problem. We will see this theory tested over the next couple of World Cup cycles.

Yeah, I think the perception at the moment is a bit different between SA and NZ regarding a player exodus. The way I see it is that for SA we have the problem that very best of our players, the guys who are must-have's for the Springboks, are all going abroad in order to get a bigger paycheck while they are in prime condition and form. While in NZ it seems more like the fringe players are moving abroad, looking for more game time while being snubbed for the AB shirt, or it's guys that are a bit older and might not feature too often for the AB's.

But the big problem for SA, as it has always been, is that our young up-and-coming guys are moving straight after school/varsity to other countries and perhaps even get a chance to play for another country internationally. Latest example is Paul Willemse who has now qualified to play for France, who left SA shores when he was 21 and was mostly a benchwarmer for the Bulls while Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha were on the field.

But I think most recently, the development in Japan has aided the mass exodus a little bit for SA. As many guys now take up short-term contracts in Japan, in order to still play Super Rugby.

 

[RedruthRFC]

All fair points @TRF_heineken. I hadn't thought about the effect of younger players leaving, but it's undisputably a thing. Interesting point about Japan, I hadn;t thought of it that way, but can see the logic. TBH, when there was first talk of holding a World Cup in Japan, I donned my tinfoil hat and gave an "end is nigh" diatribe! You never know, if the World Cup really captures the imagination, it could create problems in the medium term.

 

[Dai Perk]

In the UK, are they aluminium hats?

 

[TRF_heineken]

All fair points @TRF_heineken. I hadn't thought about the effect of younger players leaving, but it's undisputably a thing. Interesting point about Japan, I hadn;t thought of it that way, but can see the logic. TBH, when there was first talk of holding a World Cup in Japan, I donned my tinfoil hat and gave an "end is nigh" diatribe! You never know, if the World Cup really captures the imagination, it could create problems in the medium term.

I'm very interested to see the spectator attendances at this World Cup. I know that a lot of SA fans who went to previous world cups, didn't buy tickets for this one due to factors such as fear of radiation poisoning, massive difference in cultures, religion and some other silly things like the hotel rooms are going to be too small and so on.

But the feedback we get from the players who went to Japan and then comes back for Super Rugby, all are in high praises of the country and the people, so it's going to be very interesting for me to see how the rest of the world perceives it and whether it will financially be of benefit to WR. We have to remember that this is the first World Cup in a non-traditional rugby playing country, and one that only very recently became a respectable team.

 

[Dai Perk]

I read somewhere that ticket sales were at or slightly ahead their targets, but that was a couple months ago. I'm also really excited to see how that side of things unfolds!