Lack of rugby interest

Question

does anyone else feel that the sport is slowly being replaced by the modern world. i mean do you think that the passion and the love of the game is being covered by the endorsements and line of sports wear. please post your thoughts.

Answer 1

yes up to a point, there was an old saying. " it was much harder to leave the all black team then to get into it." but now there dime a dozen." dropping players, captains allowing themselves to be replaced, players loyalty gone for the big money

Answer 2

nonsense.

just because someone has an endorsement deal doesnt mean they dont have any passion for the game. its distracting im sure, when an athelete is doing commercials when they should be working on thier game, but people like kobe and lebron dont miss practise and still have time to make commercials.

what is happening, particularly in new zealand and south africa, is that players are going where the money is. they are still playing rugby, so any sort of argument that they dont love the sport is moot. they still play rugby.

but if you could get paid more to do the same thing, why wouldnt you. do you NOT value your time and effort as much as someone else obviously does if they are willing to pay you more?

the players are leaving because the admin is behind the times. if admin can correct the money anomaly then the players stay. but decisions like keeping graham henry as coach are not popular. to the players or the fans.

edit. besides. we are all a little more materialistic than we used to be.

Answer 3

no, endorsements mean money, and the more money the sport can make, the better it will become for all of us.  Just look at the NFL/NBA/MLB.  All these organizations make a ton of money. Some argue that it has ruined the respective sport, but is hasn't.  The mainstream, mass market gimmick these leagues come up with can be goofy at times, but these sports have leagues in every town in the U.S. much like there are RFC's are popular in Great Britain, South Africa, ect.  Being in the U.S. where rugby coverage is sparse, I hope all these residual dollars send a message to corporations that Rugby is entertaining, and maybe they will give it more air time here in the States.

Answer 4

Yep. When I was a boy I dreamed of being an All Black. To wear that black jersey with the silver fern just over my heart. When I have kids I hope that they love the game as much as I do.

But now, I listen to my nephews and it's all about which super14 team pays the most and which country offers the most money.

New Zealand Rugby has lost it's appeal. Not even the chance of being an All Black is enough to keep our players in New Zealand anymore.