NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby

Chris Rattue: Rugby tsunami swamps other codes

Chris Rattue
By Chris Rattue
Sports Writer·NZ Herald·
25 Dec, 2013 04:30 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

But a black tide is not a healthy one if it sweeps everything else away. Illustration / Rod Emmerson

But a black tide is not a healthy one if it sweeps everything else away. Illustration / Rod Emmerson

Chris Rattue
Opinion by Chris Rattue
Chris Rattue is a Sports Writer for New Zealand's Herald.
Learn more
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
With soccer and league in the doldrums, NZ is relying on the lower-profile sports to fly the flag of diversity

Rugby was the winner in 2013. No doubt about that. But did our other traditional football codes have to be such losers? League and soccer had shockers, with so much to gain. Underneath rugby, a ghetto exists.

Rugby though ... well, it couldn't have got much better. The game's new hero, Kieran Read, is a dream come true. He plays in a glamour forward position, and is as genuine as the day is long. He oozes team ethos. He is the real deal as a player, and then some. He is the new Richie McCaw while the old one battles heroically not to fade away.

There was an unbeaten All Black season and two never-to-be-forgotten tests, in Johannesburg and Dublin. They were spectacular. The Chiefs won again under coaches who quietly attract respect. New, blockbusting stars like Charles Piutau are popping up. Ben Smith is the wonder boy next door. Benji Marshall will zap the scene up, SBW is on the way. On the back of the All Blacks' victory march, the general population has warmed to coach Steve Hansen.

He talks Colin Meads deep, with a humour dangerously dry and enough interesting stuff between the lines by rugby standards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

New Zealand is relying on the mid-and lower-profile sports, and often individuals, to fly the flag of diversity. Scott Dixon, Lauren Boyle, Lydia Ko, Valerie Adams, Tom Walsh and a host of new-agers like the kiteboarder Marc Jacobs and surfer Ella Williams reflect the real New Zealand. NBA basketballer Steven Adams could be a game changer. But they mainly compete in other countries, often in relative obscurity.

This is still a football code country, and it is turning into a one-trick town. This is not an attack on rugby. Far from it. But a black tide is not a healthy one if it sweeps everything else away.

Seeds of trouble were planted in years of success for soccer and league. National coaches Steve Kearney and Ricki Herbert were untouchable after their World Cup triumphs. There was reason to be sceptical about their abilities - they were heavily assisted in their World Cup glories (Kearney had Wayne Bennett, Herbert had Ryan Nelsen) and subsequent results had alarm bells ringing.

The Kiwis turned into a shambles at this year's tournament defending the 2008 title. They had the strongest Kiwis side of the modern era yet got chewed up by Australia in the final. They were lethargic and poorly organised. The response has been even more worrying. Times have changed.

In 1988, when the Kiwis crashed in the final at Eden Park in a game that drew publicity unheard of for league until then, there was a swift reaction from the administration, and the public seemed to care.

By comparison, the 2013 Old Trafford disaster has been treated with a yawn. The New Zealand Rugby League trotted out a tired-sounding corporate line about Kearney developing further. Come on, troops. After a defeat like that, the national coach gets the chop. End of story. Start again. Get desperate.

Discover more

Opinion

Chris Rattue: Time for Kiwis to mine for Aussie Gould

04 Dec 04:30 PM
Opinion

Chris Rattue: Majestic Ashes in danger of being a no-contest

08 Dec 04:30 PM
Opinion

Chris Rattue: Fight on? Shane needs head examined

15 Dec 04:30 PM
Black Caps

Cricket: 'We weren't at our sharpest'

26 Dec 05:40 AM

Herbert did face more obstacles and our national soccer team are international minnows. It is difficult to bring the All Whites together, difficult to get sufficient warm-up games. But Herbert had contributed to that with an awful Nations Cup campaign in Honiara. The World Cup playoffs against Mexico matched the league collapse.

Outside of the national teams, the NRL has a solid following with Kiwi stars, but the actual Kiwis hardly play on home soil. The soccer Phoenix can hardly win a game these days, and the Warriors failed again. Crowds will dwindle. The Warriors are in even greater danger, because of the diabolical stadium situation in Auckland and no sign of progress there. Domestic league and soccer collapsed, long ago.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The crowds are still clinging to the basketball Breakers through tough times, which is a positive sign.

Our national cricket team actually looks in interesting shape, so long as the ICC comes to the party with top opponents. A fleet of excellent cricket commentators prop the game up. The NRL nines will be the best thing to hit Auckland in a long time. Decent tennis tournaments await. Our expectations are a little lower in summer.

But 2013 is the year that soccer and league blew it, big time.

The All Blacks are sweeping all before them, in daily life and on the field. They are as distant as ever in revealing anything truly revealing, but know what works with an eager population and have learned how to stay on message. Win on the field, and mumble a selfless attitude off it. New Zealand laps that up. The two other football codes - which once held secondary but vibrant roles - are isolated.

One of the saddest memories of the year were interviews of Herbert after his All Whites had rolled over for Mexico, away and at home. First, there was a bitter, self-obsessed rave. In Wellington, he plugged his own soccer academy and its main sponsor. Hell will freeze over before Hansen, McCaw or Read talk like that.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rugby

Premium
OpinionGregor Paul

Gregor Paul: The risks in Razor's change-heavy All Blacks side

All Blacks

All Blacks team naming: 10 changes to side to face France

Premium
Black Ferns

Alice Soper: What Black Ferns XV tour reveals about World Cup selections


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rugby

Premium
Premium
Gregor Paul: The risks in Razor's change-heavy All Blacks side
Gregor Paul
OpinionGregor Paul

Gregor Paul: The risks in Razor's change-heavy All Blacks side

OPINION: Scott Robertson's latest team changes signal a shift in strategy.

17 Jul 01:33 AM
All Blacks team naming: 10 changes to side to face France
All Blacks

All Blacks team naming: 10 changes to side to face France

16 Jul 11:52 PM
Premium
Premium
Alice Soper: What Black Ferns XV tour reveals about World Cup selections
Black Ferns

Alice Soper: What Black Ferns XV tour reveals about World Cup selections

16 Jul 11:32 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP