Let's tune up the guitar, light the candles, hold hands and all sing Kumbaya because now we're going to take our national game (rugby) and soften it because some players aren't getting enough game time.
Really? As one great All Black once said: "Sir, it's not Tiddlywinks." Rugby bosses arelooking into ways of retaining secondary school participation numbers with one of the proposals to make it compulsory for all players to get a decent amount of game time each week, with the idea all players should get at least 40 minutes of rugby - even if that means rotating two-thirds of a team at halftime. Former All Black and New Zealand Rugby Union's general manager of community rugby Buck Anderson has been meeting with schools and directors of sport from around the country.
The feedback he's been receiving is kids are being turned off by the game because they are going to training during the week, doing everything right and not getting a decent crack on the field. He said about 23 per cent of these kids felt like giving up ...
I'm sorry, but you don't create champions by bowing to some who want to give up. A champion is made, not just by talent alone but by the will to never give up and continue to fight despite the odds.
I don't believe we need to punish one group of kids because a minority aren't getting what they perceive as a fair crack.
I know from my own experience of having to stand down to let another person take my place on a team, it hurts - especially when you've trained as hard as you can to earn your spot. But if a player has trained hard and is better than me then fair enough - take my spot. But I'm sure as hell going to work hard to get it back off you.
The rugby union should be looking to create more divisions rather than trying to fit a large number of players into a limited number of spots.
I'd hate to think what would have happen if they had brought this ridiculous idea in when Richie McCaw was a youngster ...
