Power-drunk leaders are the architects of rugby’s discontent

Tom Horton of the Waratahs is tackled by Andrew Kellaway during NSW’s embarrassing loss against the Rebels last week Picture: Getty Images

Back in the 16th century, the world’s greatest dramatist, William Shakespeare, discovered a winning formula.

Many of his plays are preoccupied with the gap between appearance and reality, what can be seen and what is concealed.

Trust, devotion and honesty are played for fools. In Richard III, the King expresses feelings of discontent, living in a world that hates him. Basically, the “mob” are awake to him. He knows it when he observes, “Now is the winter of our discontent.”

When I look at the administration of rugby, domestically and internationally, there is plenty of discontent. And the punter hates it.

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In Shakespeare, the King, the leaders are the architects of the discontent.

The ordinary folk of England are aware that Richard is up to no good and are fearful of what is to come for their country.

I hope this analogy is a little extreme; but in layman’s language, our game, too, is about things happening at the top which the ordinary punters know about and cannot remedy. And they hate the fact that it is happening.

As with Richard, power blinds those in power, to reality. That is where rugby is today.

My view is we have a few Richards camped in their ivory towers at World Rugby and Rugby Australia.

I keep saying, in politics and in sport, how come the bloke in the street understands the problems and those in charge do not. Or don’t they have the courage to address them.

Let’s have a look at some of these issues beyond those I have already raised before.

1. New Zealand Rugby have told Rugby Australia they only want two Australian teams in a trans-Tasman rugby competition in 2021.

However, they concede they could make a 10-team competition work, with four Australian teams and a Pacific Island team based in New Zealand.

In essence, the Kiwis would like Rugby Australia to throw the Force under the bus, again.

Will Rugby Australia be true to its name and be a rugby administration for all Australian rugby players and retain the Force.

2. Rugby Australia have ring-fenced the low-performing Wallaby coaching team that chews up around $3 million a year in salaries.

Yet a decade-long study by Sam Walker, published in The Wall Street Journal, has discovered that the best teams in history all have one thing in common, a great captain.

The study suggests the next Wallaby captain is far more important than the new coach, Dave Rennie, and his bloated coaching team.

Yet Rugby Australia are handing over the selection of our next Wallaby captain to a Kiwi.

What is the definition of absurd?

3. The Waratahs, were close to embarrassing in their last match. There was a lack of skill, a lack of intensity and, as I warned, supporters have now become disillusioned with the Kiwi coach. All else follows.

Perhaps they need to look at Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool FC for inspiration. Liverpool are currently the best team in England, Europe and possibly the world. They claim, “their identity is their intensity”.

Not so long ago, the Waratahs won the Super Rugby competition under Michael Cheika with a “Liverpool attitude”.

The heart of the team is the heart of the coach. The Kiwi coach should never have been given the job. Scott Johnson knows how to pick duds.

4. Bill Beaumont and Bernard Laporte were recently re-elected as chairman and vice-chairman of World Rugby. They relied on crucial votes from Fiji and Japan to see off the challenge from the people’s champion, Agustin Pichot.

It was a controversial victory for England’s Beaumont and France’s Laporte.

Now Fiji and Japan have been invited to play in an extended Six Nations competition this November. Would that be a reward for backing Beaumont and Laporte?

I argued months ago that we should have brought Fiji and Japan into an Australian competition. Our administrators have dudded us again.

5. Johnson is trialling seven new laws in Super Rugby AU and half of them encourage more kicking. I tuned into a game last weekend and one team kicked the ball away 30 times in general play. Our game is turning into AFL.

In rugby, the ball is in play for 30 minutes; in the NRL the ball is in play for over 60 minutes.

The conclusion is surely obvious. We chew up 25 minutes of playing time with scrums and penalty kicks. Why can’t we address these blights on the game?

6. Since 2007, World Rugby have pumped enormous resources into Argentina to help them be a genuine force in the global game.

After more than 10 years of hard graft, Argentina are now in free fall. Their players have been told there is no longer a professional game in their country.

They have been encouraged to go abroad and they are leaving in droves to secure contracts in Europe.

Is this a payback because Argentina’s former captain, Pichot labelled the recent World Rugby elections, “dodgy”.

7. Rugby Australia keep adding people to their Rugby RWC 2027 Bid Advisory Board.

Just this week, Hamish McLennan announced John Coates and Gary Ella have joined the rest of the blazer brigade.

We are not running against anyone else, so we can’t lose this race. All other serious bids have been withdrawn.

Why are we focusing on this non-issue, when we should be working towards constitutional reform?

There is a grocery list of issues I could add, but for now, Richard III deserves the final answer.

He has created a world in which he is the mastermind of deception. He finishes up with nobody whom he can trust. He has no solid ground on which to stand.

Even the scrivener, (the note taker) can observe, “Bad is the world and all will come to naught …”

That is where we stand if these issues are not addressed.

We cannot go on as we are. Our game needs life support.

Peter V’landys is doing a wonderful job for the NRL, but we seem to be surrounded by Richards when we need a Peter.