Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle. Photo / Photosport
COMMENT:
Eleven Former Wallaby Captains Lose the Plot.
That could have been the headline.
Or maybe 'Knuckleheads Unite'.
And thank goodness for Wallaby super greats John Eales and Tim Horan, plus the highly respected Andrew Slack, who didn't sign the ridiculous letter to Rugby Australia apparently aimed at undermining the leadership of CEO Raelene Castle.
Whatever is going on in Australian rugby is of major concern to the game on this side of the ditch. More than ever, New Zealand needs a strong rivalry with Australia at all levels.
In a world shaped by the pandemic, travel and global domination are concepts which are out of fashion. In contrast to rugby's apparent obsession with a worldwide window, I'd argue it needs to have more faith in its various backyards.
The Bledisloe Cup and a new trans-Tasman provincial competition should take centre stage, replacing the soulless world created by that disgraceful mess known as Sanzaar.
But whatever the new rugby world looks like, Australia is vital to us.
I've got no idea why Rugby Australia appointed Kiwi Castle as its boss in the first place. The former New Zealand Netball head failed to overly impress at the Canterbury Bulldogs league club, and had never expressed any particular vision for rugby.
Her time at the Bulldogs suggested that she struggled coping with the strident factions which drive Australian sport.
A lot of what the 11 knuckleheads expressed in their letter to RA is probably on the mark, but they have merely stated the obvious while the timing and lack of self-awareness is frightening.
"There's no time to waste. We speak as one voice when we say Australian rugby needs a new vision, leadership and a plan for the future," they proclaimed.
Their timing is appalling, as already-reeling Aussie rugby tries to cope with the pandemic crisis and collapsed broadcast negotiations.
The group's public solutions, so far, are thin on the ground although one has to presume that these fearless visionaries have a few ideas up their sleeve.
Australian rugby was in a lot of trouble a long time before Castle turned up just over two years ago.
Chief among the stupid decisions was spreading a veneer of quality players over five Super Rugby teams, smashing fabulous old rivalries in the process. So where were all of these captains then?
A vigorous action group made up of former captains armed with inspiring solutions - now that would have been something.
Instead, Castle and co. will be looking over their shoulders for the next dagger, which doesn't make their tough job any easier. Potential backers will think twice, while the broadcasters can contemplate preying on a shakier administration.
Conclusion: Australian rugby is still a shambles, and that's not good news for us.
Survival of the quickest
The NRL is moving heaven and earth to prepare a level playing field, so the Warriors are not disadvantaged when the league competition kicks off on May 28. But the competition needs to start as soon as possible, whether the Warriors are there or not, disadvantaged or not.
This is not going to be an overly legitimate competition this year anyway. The important thing is to get the game back on the field and TV.
Most fans just want some footy to watch, if the conditions are safe for players. And the game needs to start restoring its finances. The unfortunate position of one club can't hold that up.
Wayne's word
From this distance, Wayne Pearce has added a lot of credibility to Australian rugby league, in his role in charge of re-starting the NRL.
League has long thrived on a roguish element which can also be its undoing. Pearce - a member of the ARL Commission - was cut from a different cloth to the league stereotype of his day.
Pearce was known as a teetotal fitness freak, as a headband wearing lock for Balmain, New South Wales and Australia in the 1980s.
After his father died when Pearce was a teen, the youngster sold hot dogs at his beloved Leichhardt Oval to help the family finances. He is the ultimate local league hero, committed to the cause.
When Pearce speaks, you feel you can trust him. His authority and humble demeanour counts for a lot during such a crisis.
Second serve
This is the perfect time for a sport like tennis to go on the offensive.
Team sports including rugby face many tough days ahead as we emerge from the pandemic.
People are going to shy away from sports in which social distancing can't be controlled. Self-employed people in particular will be reluctant to risk injuries as they try to restore their businesses.
The twin problem of concussion and the virus will scare parents away from letting their kids resume contact sport.
Sports administrators in America have already indicated that youth sport is in big trouble.
"The damage is likely to be brutal and long-lasting," the New York Times reported.
"Until perhaps a vaccine is developed, some parents are going to reconsider letting their children play sports where proximity and contact are unavoidable. This perhaps presents an opening for individual sports like swimming and diving, golf and tennis, where athletes can be farther apart."
To that you could add other sports such as darts, various track/field disciplines and endurance pursuits.
New Zealand has escaped the worst of the virus but the effects will still be felt. The issue of head injuries, rather than the virus, is the real problem for contact sport. But the pandemic will help push people in new directions.
A great mystery of New Zealand sport is why tennis collapsed, why the thin line of respected world professionals came to an end.
We have the climate. We have the space.
Tennis does not require a lot of expensive equipment, is also a terrific social sport, holds no great injury fears, is good for fitness, does not take many hours to play (like cricket and golf), and is perfect for social distancing.
For tennis, this is an opportunity.
As many as four rookies could force their way into Scott Robertson's All Blacks squad.