Player revolt at Pugh's match

By WYNNE GRAY

Irate international players are determined to red card the proposed Northern v Southern Hemisphere match at Twickenham unless the International Rugby Board deals with their concerns.

The International Rugby Players' Association has questioned the motives, purpose and rationale behind the November 29 game.

It said its members had been screaming for some time about the dangers of a cluttered rugby season.

Players in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England and France are united in condemning the match and would refuse an invitation to be involved unless the IRB has a rethink.

Under the New Zealand collective agreement, the New Zealand Rugby Union cannot force players to participate in the hemisphere match and has apparently conceded that to the IRPA.

Originally, a Pacific Lions side was to play several matches in New Zealand next month to help to raise money for island rugby.

But IRB chairman Vernon Pugh decreed that his pet hemisphere match project was a better method of raising that money and the Pacific Lions tour was cancelled.

The hemisphere match has been timed to follow the All Blacks tour to England, Wales and France.

Australia and South Africa will also tour Europe at that stage.

New Zealand association manager Rob Nichol made his players' objections clear several months ago when he labelled the game as "inflammatory."

"Within a suitable global season, this kind of game, with its focus on benefiting smaller rugby-playing and developing nations, may have some merit, but given the current demands on players it is nothing short of destructive.

"We have no doubts that if we are not successful in getting the situation sorted out, international rugby will become plagued by frustrated, disillusioned and tired players who are continuously having their long-term careers jeopardised because of the excessive demands being placed on them."

Until the IRB dealt with the safety issues, the IRPA would not support the hemisphere contest.

It gave the IRB a detailed document last November highlighting worries about burnout and the high injury rates of fulltime professional players.

The Australian-based chairman of the IRPA, Tony Dempsey, said there had not been a satisfactory response from the IRB, which was in danger of abusing its duty to "promote, foster, develop, extend and govern" rugby worldwide.

"This failure, coupled with the IRB's recent proposal to add yet another international fixture to an already cluttered playing schedule, might be interpreted by some players as having a blatant regard for the issues concerning player burnout and injury rates."

He said the IRB had to address all the problems and provide some plans for its members.

"It's not enough to simply refer these matters to medical advisory committees. History has shown this to be ineffectual.

"If the world's best players are constantly suffering burnout and injuries, then the game will suffer as a spectacle and thus be thwarted in its attempts to grow and prosper.

"The key decision-makers within world rugby need to get together and urgently sort out this matter so as to protect the game's most valuable resource, namely the players."

Dempsey said the IRB had suggested the North v South match was necessary to raise funds for the development of second-tier rugby nations.

"However, this begs the questions - what is being done with the A$130 million ($156.2 million) net profit the rugby World Cup made in 1999 and of the £50 million ($162.85 million) held by the IRB in reserve accounts?

"What is to be done with the millions to be made from next year's World Cup?"