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OPINION: A lot of sporting teams' successes are built on bonds and strong relationships.
These are formed between those players that rely on each other every weekend. Whether you like it or not, alcohol plays a significant role in forming such relationships.
To read the article from Gregor Paul having a go at the drinking culture of the Barbarians where a couple of players showed up in good form from the previous night was, frankly, a disgrace.
He likened the Barbarians' situation on the weekend to the Chiefs' stripper scandal of two years ago. Now let's be perfectly clear here, at what stage did they cause a public nuisance? At what stage, did they abuse any members of the public? At what stage, did they use homophobic slurs? No stage at all, good sir. So why on earth have they been compared to the Chiefs?
"Somehow their insistence in observing the team's age-old culture of getting hard on the booze is the acceptable face of excess."
Everyone knows that playing for the Barbarians is a chance to let your hair down at the end of the season and have a few drinks, whilst making new friends from all over the globe. I was still intrigued however, so I rang three players, who've represented the Barbarians, to get more of an insight into the drinking culture and what's expected or what's asked of the players in terms of socialising.
They all said, without hesitation, that in no way was there any heavy binge drinking, (like court sessions), nor were they peer-pressured into drinking. In fact, they said on two of the tours they were on there were three players not drinking and that was fine with everyone.
"And without question, there would have been peer pressure - real and subliminal - to ensure that anyone reluctant was swept to the bar, had their arm literally twisted and gullet opened."
I then asked if they had any organised team functions where drinking was encouraged.
They said they had a 20 minute "meet and greet" drinking game and some nights they'd have an entertainer (magician or comedian etc.), perform at their hotel, whilst the players had a few quiet drinks. Is that not fair enough? Bearing in mind they were private functions, closed from the public eye.
Then they said, after such events were finished, the players were left to their own devices. Some called it a night and some went to some bars (which they are well within their rights to do). These are grown men, just finished a long season and they're keen to enjoy the company of one another over a few beers. Is that so bad?
I then turn my attention to our own backyard and the drinking culture within NZ Rugby. I nearly want to write "supposed drinking culture." Why? Because we're only talking about it because a certain few are on a crusade and a lot of the reporting is grossly over-exaggerated.
I've spoken to a lot of people involved in NZ Rugby on various levels and within various teams and, shockingly, Super Rugby teams do have a court session-type event behind closed doors at the end of a long hard season.
My goodness! How dare a team, who has trained and played hard for eight months of the year, have a private drinking session and have a laugh?
Such is the demand of Super Rugby on the body, teams only schedule events or functions when they have a long turnaround or a bye. Most of the time these functions involve wives and partners, go for a few hours and then they fizzle out. Players then make the choice to either go home or kick on for a few more drinks, which has happened countless times without causing any public nuisance or abusing the public in any way. You'll also find that players that are injured aren't allowed to drink. If they do, then they'll be fronting the leadership group.
The fact that Gregor Paul said when rugby teams drink like this it's only luck that has saved them from another Chiefs saga, is absurd.
That Chiefs saga was two years ago and there's been barely a blip on the radar before or after that incident. Sure, some individuals will make a mistake, they're only human after all. But let's stop with the crusade about drinking culture in footy teams and how it shouldn't be allowed. Not only are they professional athletes who know what's required to perform at the highest level, they're also grown men mature enough to make smart decisions.
The best days of your life as a rugby player are in the changing rooms or behind closed doors, hanging out with your teammates. You don't have to be drinking a beer, some players don't even bother. But that's where the friendships, the camaraderie, the mateship is born.
That's where teams are born.
So, if they want to have a few drinks then, well …
Cheers to that.
- Sam "Lashes" Casey is The Country's social media guru and part of the on-air team. Catch him on The Country weekdays 12-1.