What important things do you think the IRB needs to do to ensure the game continues on the right path?

Question

I know it's a fairly broad question but I'm interested in your views on the direction the IRB should take as there are certain things like ~ the growth of Club rugby in Europe that is drawing players from all over the world which will undoubtedly impact at the national level, the current structure of international fixtures and the possibility of expanding these to include new entrants, the talk of reducing the number of countries competing at the RWC, the development & support of the minnows of rugby, etc etc....that I feel needs to be seriously addressed in order for the game to continue to grow & thrive.

Answer 1

IRB is yet to tap into the two biggest talent pools in the world. India and China. Ok, the US too. All though they 'play' rugby, it's a very stop-start process with hardly or all most very little state patronage.

Europe and the big three in the soutern hemisphere + the south sea island nations are all ready well versed in rugby and they (at least most of them) do love the game. So at the moment don't think the survival of rugby is under threat there.

Not marginalizing the above, rugby needs to do what English Premier League or more importantly what Manchester United has done on football. Bring the game to where the money is - Asia. Currently the above are the world's richest & biggest football league and the football club respectively.

I'm not saying that money is everything, what I'm saying is that with money you can improve the game over all. After all you can't write cheques for money you don't have.

Unlike in football control the flow of the funds and specially the administrators should be competent enough to have a vision for the future.

Just a simple question:

Football WC 2002 held in Japan & South Korea was a huge success and was one of the best ever world cups - financially, discipline wise and in entertainment value.

The two cricket world cups held in the Asian sub continent were probably the two biggest world cup tournaments in the history. We have the 3rd one coming in 2011 to be co-hosted by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh. All ready it's so huge, when 2011 comes around, I think it's sure to fill the coffers of the ICC many times over.

When was a Rugby World Cup ever hald in asia even though Japan and South Korea has been competing it for years.

Need to popularise the game fast. Otherwise it will be a natural death - a slow and a painful one.

A one I would not be able to watch.

Answer 2

Coming from an American perspective and as a player, I think the IRB needs to continue what steps it already has in place. I believe that their increasing support for the game in the Americas (North and South), and their desire to grow the game in the Americas (NA4 and future expansion of that) will only have a positive effect on international rugby as we know it. I know we are well behind the curve currently but I have seen a decent amount of growth in the sport here in America in the limited time I have played (7yrs). I do believe that RWC should maintain as it is because it affords us minnow countries a chance to play against the truly elite  to see what progress we are/are not making.  In addition, it really will be interesting to see what the "defections" of various star internationals to assorted professional sides will do for the game.  I would liken it, loosely, to free agency in the NFL, as star players will be able to pick and choose who they play for.  In this vein it may be interesting to see a showdown between, say the top 4 in Heineken Cup and the Super 14. Just my thoughts.