There have been plenty of talking points, on and off the field, in Australian rugby circles this week, with the game even getting some air time in the Federal Budget on Tuesday night.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed the Australian Government’s financial support for the 2027 World Cup bid, while the SANZAAR judiciary panel was also in the spotlight.
Read on as we touch on these issues, and more, in the latest edition of Rugby Real or Not.
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Mixed high-tackle messaging is killing rugby – both on and off the field
Real. In what world, given everything we have been told about high tackles and World Rugby’s high tackle framework, did the SANZAAR judiciary panel deem Tom Banks ugly challenge on Toni Pulu worthy of only a warning? Certainly not this one, which is the same one where rugby is trying to win over those fans still struggling to fully embrace the very real threat of concussion and do whatever it can to limit instances of it. From everything we have seen in the past six months, be it Rob Valetini’s tackle in Cardiff last year, for which he earned a red, so too the clumsy effort of Charlie Ewels a few weeks ago at Twickenham, Banks should have been handed a suspension, which would have married up perfectly with the decision made on field by referee Angus Gardner. Case closed. Everybody moves on. Instead, the debate dominates rugby discussions, in Australian rugby circles at least, and leaves everyone second guessing themselves at a point when they have finally reconciled the fact that head clashes equal high tackles. It can only be frustrating for the players, too, who have so much to get their heads around from a laws perspective, before they then have to be mindful of their tackling technique when holding players up off the ground remains a key defensive strategy. SANZAAR set a dangerous precedent this week but given its record of confusing judiciary proceedings, it won’t be a shock to see a totally different sanction for a virtually identical incident in the not too distant future.
– Sam Bruce
Given the number of options on offer, hooker is not a position of concern for the Wallabies
Not real. Dave Rennie may be flush with options across the five franchises, but the cold hard fact is that not one hooker in Australia is demanding selection for the Wallabies’ series against England. Four rakes, Folau Fainga’a, Feleti Kaitu’u, Dave Porecki and Lachie Lonergan have been included in the 40-man training squad that meets on the Gold Coast next week, and they are certainly ahead of the chasing pack at this point of the season. But that’s not to say the likes of Jordan Uelese, Connal McInerney or even the injured Alex Mafi could work their way into the squad by July with some excellent performances across the back of the Super Rugby Pacific season. What the situation is crying out for however, is for one player to truly clear himself out from the pack and make the compelling case that he should be given the No. 2 jersey to face England on July 9. That must come through excellence and consistency at the set-piece, so too a high work rate around the paddock, which has been the Achilles heel of the Brumbies’ Fainga’a, who has spent more time in the No. 2 jersey under Rennie than anyone else.
For the likes of Kaitu’u and Lonergan, there are concerns about size. While it doesn’t tell the entire story, the Rebels are the team with the best lineout percentage of the Australian franchises [86.7%], closely followed by the Brumbies [85.1%]. With reports Rennie won’t consider European players for his three Giteau Law picks to face England, it appears unlikely the coach will look to repatriate any overseas-based hookers – namely Tolu Latu – in July. The player who hits his lineout targets, scrummages solidly and is busy around the park in the meantime will be the one who gets the nod.
– Sam Bruce
The 2027 World Cup will save the game in Australia
Real. The 2003 World Cup was perhaps the greatest sporting spectacle outside of the 2000 Sydney Olympics that Australia has ever hosted, with tens of thousands of fans worldwide flocking to the country. Unfortunately for lovers of the game they play in heaven, Rugby Australia squandered the $45m windfall they earned and the game suffered because of it. RA has this time pledged it won’t waste the money or the promotion the game will receive by hosting such a huge event. It’s no secret RA has been financially struggling over the past decade; in 2021 it was revealed the sporting body had recorded a net deficit of $27.1 million, with COVID leaving the administration contemplating reverting to amateur status, while more and more people have been turning away from the game.
The Federal Government’s Budget announcement that it would continue to offer financial support for the bid means Australia are all but guaranteed to host the 2027 World Cup, making it all the more imperative RA learn from past mistakes and build the game again. Last year, RA announced the event could boost the economy by as much as $2.1 billion, while the 2019 World Cup generated a mammoth economic output of $[US]5.6 billion, making it the most financially successful Rugby World Cup ever played, according to World Rugby. If reports from RA are correct, Australia should expect to see over 200,000 fans flood the many world class stadiums, including Optus in Perth and the soon to be completed Sydney Football Stadium. If managed correctly, the tournament and its financial windfall will finally bring rugby out of the doldrums and back to the heights it enjoyed two decades ago.
– Brittany Mitchell