(17) Welsh rugby – multiple affinities to offset lower population numbers?

“No matter that the Welsh Rugby Union has recently announced a record turnover of £63 million in the past financial year and that the national team have won three Grand Slams in eight years, last year reaching a World Cup semi-final, and undoubtedly entering their four-match autumn series next Saturday as Europe’s most potent team. No, Welsh rugby is in a mess. Or more specifically Welsh regional rugby is in a mess. After two rounds of European action its four teams have just one victory to show for their efforts, and that was a home success for the Ospreys against Treviso.” – Steve James, Telegraph, 3 November 2012 (link)

Three and a half years on and…well…frankly…plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose…

Yesterday was another grim day for the lower (non-Test) professional tier in Welsh rugby.  Ulster crushing the Ospreys 46-26 at the Liberty Stadium, the Scarlets falling 31-16 to Munster at Thomond Park.  For the second time in three seasons, no Welsh representation in the play-offs.  Leinster will host Ulster a week Friday evening, Connacht will (again) host Glasgow a week Saturday evening.

The Welsh professional game is empty of fixtures until England at Twickenham on 29 May, with little general interest in such an obvious £ only match.  The RFU’s World Cup permission bung to the PRL cartel, a “windfall” for the WRU’s coffers.  Over a month until the next and last meaningful rugby of the season, the All Blacks down in their lair.

Whilst all four Irish provinces qualified for the Champions Cup, only the Scarlets qualified from Wales.  For all this summer’s acquisitions, both this season’s dismal European campaign and their Pro12 form since the New Years suggests that the Scarlet’s pack is unlikely to provide a stable competitive platform for next season’s European campaign.  Wayne Pivac punching them above their weight, just like Danny Wilson at the Blues.  European hopes probably rest with the Ospreys and the Blues in the plate competition, especially with many French clubs disinterested in it.

We discussed in isolation the “affinity cap” in Essay 5 (link), especially in the East Glamorgan and Gwent context.  Now we turn to another aspect of the affinity problems in Welsh rugby.

I query when an element of Welsh rugby started to become “soccerised“, when the pyramidal foundational decline began in earnest.  When one was supposed to follow one leading club team, downplay international rugby, ignore the grassroots game and the “unlucky” part of the 1st class club game left behind, belittle the north of the country and to sneer at “pink cowboy hat” eventers (no more than young ladies putting £s into the sport).  1990 seems the decisive year in the erosion, just 5 years before the huge boost to the elite game with the end of the rugby league raids.

It didn’t used to be like this, for there were once so multiple affinities.  Your club.  Your 1st class club.  The Barbarians and the British Lions (sorry, no mention of Ireland as a separate entity in those days), going toe to toe with the Southern Hemisphere “super” powers home and away.  And Wales “B”, definitely not “A” (1 Test cap forever precluding selection) and usually against France at a 1st class club ground.  And of course, Wales.

People just enjoying watching and playing rugby; mini, school, youth as well as all of the above-mentioned.  All playing to the same laws, all at a different standard and all with unique challenges based on the level of player aptitude.  And one’s personal rugby journey, developing sporting affinities.

My own, at the spectator level?

My first trip to the Cardiff Arms Park, for that is what the National Stadium and subsequent Millennium/Principality Stadium is?  A site, inclusive of the club ground next door.  The West Stand.  And that most incongruous of teams to support, Wales/England versus Scotland/Ireland in the WRU centenary season.  Support a rugby team with “England” in the title, I hear you splutter!

A 37-33 “home” win.  Bill Beaumont being cheered for scoring a try in Cardiff, later in the same year of that most ill-tempered and brutal of England v Wales matches at Twickenham.  England securing the Grand Slam, a Twickenham home crowd tired of losing to the Welsh.  And perhaps, with hindsight, I was watching an ominous portent for the future, that some in Welsh rugby felt more aligned with English rugby and that precious land border/geographic proximity.  An inferiority complex.

And the scorer of the winning try and conversion against Scotland/Ireland?  One WG Davies.  Now Chairman of the WRU.

Some 18 months later and I attended my first Wales match, versus France and sat in the old South Stand.  And I mean the old South Stand, the rickety 1950s stand not the left side of the National Stadium horseshoe that was about to be built and would be under construction as Pontypool lifted the WRU Challenge Cup a season later and itself now long since demolished.  Terry Holmes scoring a decisive try in front of me in the south east corner in the 22-12 win.  A absolute gem of a world class player, until the constant bruising injuries finally took their toll.

My first taste of the craziness that is French rugby and the magic that used to be French rugby.  My back taking an inadvertent pounding from a row of excited French fans without any leg room.  My father was fine about that, character building, but drew the line at the mortified French solution of hip flasks of cognac to cure his pre-teen son’s Gallic inflicted rights of passage.

Oh for the old France, the 1980s of Philippe Sella, Serge Blanco, Eric Bonneval, Didier Camberabero and Denis Charvet.  They didn’t seem to know what they were going to do next, what hope for the opposing defensive planning?  Instinctively sublime.  A far cry from the modern France, the turgid Top 14 delivering flogged gym monkeys to the FFR.  “Diesels” to quote Philippe Saint-Andre, when they used to produce oh so beautiful “TGVs“.

And then Pontypool lifting the WRU Challenge Cup in 1983, interrupting the Cardiff RFC dominance for 1 season.  For it seemed that Cardiff RFC would forever be in the final, if they could avoid or overcome Pooler in the earlier rounds.  When they didn’t, as in 1983 and 1988, the natural order fell away.  What, no Alan Phillips on finals day?!

The difference between the Pooler team that was blown away 9-33 at St Helens in September 1982 and the 18-6 Cup winning team of April 1983.  The maverick of all mavericks, David Joseph Bishop.  A Lloyd Lewis trophy collected.  Ultimately, a prodigious natural talent unfulfilled at the highest level.  But the player that “made Pooler tick“.  A strong pack without him, almost a juggernaut with him “pulling the strings” at 9.

Another overriding memory, Wales v England in 1993.  Again, in the South Stand and this time of the horse shoe.  The lower tier, so hated by regional season ticket holders on Judgement Day.  Any seat will do, when England are in Cardiff.  Wales mugging a 10-9 win over the old enemy, thanks to Ieuan Evans, and I mean mugging.

For just about the entire elite player pool that were good/big enough and could pass a rugby league medical had decamped to the M62 over the previous 5 seasons. Backs to the wall stuff, against double Grand Slam opponents, but the win.  How did Wales do it?  Who cares?  They did.  A more lasting impression than being at Wembley in 1999, as things were already stirring under Graham Henry and rugby league was no longer such a devastating threat.  But 1990-93 had been so relentlessly grim.  “Thank god we only played half of Samoa“, the 1991 gallows humour.

Ah yes, the old scourge, before Shaun Edwards became pivotal to the Welsh Test team, of rugby league.  Amazing that, when Welsh rugby was unpaid (or at least poorly shamateur paid), so many wanted “the challenge of rugby league“.  And once professionalism came to Welsh rugby, nobody ever again wanted “the challenge of rugby league“.  Maybe it was all about the money all along, and nothing to do with “the challenge“.  Another warning of professionalism ahead, upon signing for a northern club, intelligent interview replaced by meaningless coached rehearsed soundbites.  Professionalism.

Skip forward to 1996, and I was working in Cape Town.  Rugby was changing, SANZAR was born.  A Springbok fan for the day, with my South African friends in the Grandstand at Newlands.  And the All Blacks were in Cape Town, for the greatest rugby rivalry of all was being renewed in what would be Francois Pienaar’s last Test match (link).

You know when the anthem turns to Die Stem, “Uit die blou van onse hemel“, spine chilling, for Cape Dutch Stellenbosch in the Western Cape remains the cradle and spiritual home of Akrikaner rugby despite all the intimidating Boer stadia on the High Veldt.  Doc Craven ensured that, in perpetuity.

Perhaps a reluctant Springboks fan, having been held vicariously liable on nationality grounds for Clive Norling apparently awarding a controversial series winning penalty kicked by All Black Allan Hewson against the Springboks in 1981!

You see, the Springboks had won a Test series in New Zealand in 1937 but (until 1996) the All Blacks had never won a Test series in South Africa.  These things matter.  And 1981 would have made it 2-0.  29-18 to the All Blacks in front of me, having been trailing 6-18 on the hour.  Never write-off the All Blacks.

And never being allowed to forget that controversial 1981 Test series in New Zealand, for I was Welsh and so was the “allegedly miscreant” referee in question.  A Pooler fan being held personally responsible for Clive Norling, adding Saffa insult to Eastern Valley injury.  Who says only the Welsh are emotionally irrational about rugby?

Twenty years later and I still keep an eye on Springboks and Western Province results.  Even the Stormers, the regional offspring then not even born.  History and tribalism matters, if positively channelled.  South Africa v New Zealand.  Western Province v Northern Transvaal (the latter rugby province now the more politically correct Blue Bulls, the Bulls their regional offspring), the Cape Dutch v the Voortrekkers.  Affinity for the Western Cape and its rugby culture.  Precious memories.

Positively channelled, I said.  Cardiff v Pontypridd is great.  Cardiff 2nds v Pontypridd is absolutely no use to anybody.  One set of fans ignoring “the region“, the other “their rightful club“.  An East Glamorgan region, to preserve the club rivalry and build-up its own regional rivalry against Gwent and the West/North in addition to the Irish provinces, if you please.  Over to Peter Thomas, John Smart, Martyn Ryan et al…

But South African rugby understands multiple affinities, and nowhere more so than in Cape Town and where the regional Stormers consistently attract the highest Super Rugby crowds at Newlands.  Absolutely fierce and brutal club rivalries underneath between clubs such as Stellenbosch, Hamilton, Villagers and UCT.  All boasting a distinguished Springboks alumni.  But also mostly all active Western Province and Springbok fans and, since 1998, fans of the Stormers region.

One team, per tier. Not one team, full stop.

And equally in New Zealand.  Ponsonby v Marist might not be a club match for the faint hearted, but the fans are mostly active Auckland province and Blues region.  No chants of “I will never be a Blue“.  The Blues, and indeed the Auckland province, are neutral towards the clubs.  What’s the problem?  None whatsoever.  This is not Wales.

Onwards to October 2001, watching an Auckland v Wellington provincial match at Eden Park.  The ITM Cup.  Horrendous evening weather, the ball seldom reaching the latter’s Tana Umaga, Christian Cullen and Jonah Lomu in the downpour.  But I could never quite warm to Auckland.  Maybe a little too Cardiff for my personal taste, great province and great club that each are, both now living on professionally as part of “the Blues“.

Personally preferring the Canterbury approach.  That great side of the early 1980s, coached by Alex “Grizz” Wyllie and captained by Don Hayes.  An intelligent team, a cerebral team, out thinking sometimes more skilled and/or more physical opponents on the way to a then record 25 Ranfurly Shield defences over 3 years.

Perhaps as you would expect from a team including as players such great rugby minds as Wayne Smith, Robbie Deans, Warwick Taylor, Craig Green and the late (NZRU Chairman) Jock Hobbs.  And what about the current NZRU CEO, Steve Tew?  A former Crusaders CEO, obviously.  It almost goes without saying he would come from that part of NZ rugby.

Some of those players as coaches/administrators later revitalising that province and the later region, a wider South Island regional business and brand but operating heavily in the Canterbury provincial environment out of Christchurch.  Further generations of intelligent players in Christchurch, within the laws, bending the laws, outside of the laws; Justin Marshall, Andrew Mehrtens, Aaron Mauger, Todd Blackadder, Reuben Thorne, Norm Maxwell, Daryl Gibson, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Sam Whitelock & Kieron Read to name but a few.  A virtuous cycle.

Yes, the north of the North Island didn’t quite capture my affinity.  It is a Crusaders broadcasted match or result that I look out for.  Affinity again.  Nothing about money and the current strength of their team or balance sheet or the earthquake loss of Lancaster Park.  The north of the South Island it is for me.

Of course there are issues in New Zealand rugby.  The Taranaki province has switched allegiance from the Hurricanes region to the Chiefs region.  But many in the Naki have now developed an affinity for the Hurricanes.  To complicate matters further the poster boy of Taranaki rugby, Beauden Barrett, is currently the star player at the Hurricanes.  But generally, New Zealand rugby is structurally/systemically in a very good place.  And nicely plugged into South African and Australian broadcasters.  Naspers in particular.  Oh for Super Sport TV in South Africa, if you’re an Antipodean.

And many many other matches that I could recall, as a player and as a spectator.  And watching many grassroots level matches.  Plenty of memorably brutal Welsh District A and District C derby matches, with final scores easily mistaken for a football score.  Valleys rugby at its most devoted.  No quarter asked, as none would be given.

There was no greater demonstration of a true World Class half-back than when he dropped down a few levels, usually on the injury come back trail.  And to watch how he successfully coped and changed things, without his usual elite protection and keeping his pack on the front foot.  Easing them up field.  Driving them up field.  Watching Joel Stransky playing for Villagers, not for the Western Province or the Springboks.  Class will out.

Rugby is rugby, not some piecemeal offering and you should fanatically fixate on one segment only to the exclusion of all others.  Or worse, be coerced into doing that.

We know we don’t have a relatively large population in South Wales.  We may have the ability to grow the 100% figure through adding a North Wales region, but that’s just about it.  If it ever comes down to our regions attracting the same % of the population as spectators or TV viewers as in London and Manchester, then the regions are financially and commercially dead.  It’s that brutally simple.

So if one can’t increase the overall population figure, one has to maximise what one can out of what one has already got.  We have to better penetrate what we have.  Funnily enough, when Welsh rugby truly was the national sport in Wales, when Cardiff City and Swansea City were in the lower football leagues and the derby match was attended by only a few and by almost as many police as fans, Welsh rugby had a natural solution to the problem that wasn’t then even apparent.

If there were not enough exclusive fans of the 1st class fans, from those towns/cities themselves, it did not matter because much of the community game fans in South Wales had a “big club” affinity.  It kept the crowd numbers respectable on a Wednesday night, for even the most committed community game fan was available then.  There was nothing unnatural about somebody supporting Penallta and Pontypridd, or Llandaff North and Cardiff, or Llandovery and Llanelli.  Same game, different tier, different affinity.  Other than a very rare Cup clash or a pre-season friendly, not even a potential conflict of interest.

But from 1990, it all starting going wrong.  Multiple affinities were gradually stuffed out of the Welsh game, just as we needed them the most.  What stands between Pontypridd and Wales?  “A void“, is the honest answer.  A respected rival club of 130 years, maybe, but not a shared region with neutrality between clubs.  And the tragedy is that, ultimately, both fan bases and the rest of East Glamorgan will sink or swim together in the professional era.  On the current trajectory, both recriminating in 20 years time over why the nearest competitive professional non-Test rugby team is in Bristol or Bath.

Thank god the British Lions survived the transition to professionalism, keeping the multiple affinities beacon alive at the very highest level.  Grassroots, semi-pro, region, country and Lions, with a couple of “A” teams also thrown in.  None are in competition with each other for your sole attention.  Getting into the habit of attending or watching one will increase the likelihood of your engagement with another.

And in Ireland, thanks to Syd Millar and Tom Kiernan, where no AIL club rivalries were imported into the professional game.  Club neutral provinces, and watch the crowds gradually dwarf the stagnant Welsh.

If you want one team, football is the sport for you.  Shout for Manchester United and you can ignore the bolt-on international game.  You can even “respectably” shout for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich when they play Manchester City and Liverpool, anathema behaviour in rugby union.  For all the criticism of the “super” club botch job, you will never see me supporting Irish provinces against them.  A lower professional tier, a tier currently of indifference to me and to many others.  But a Welsh tier nevertheless.  Begrudging respect for the Ospreys, shaking one’s head in utter disbelief at the sheer lack of rugby nous and commercial acumen at one or two others.

Semi-pro and community rugby is a Saturday afternoon pastime.  Regional rugby should be a Friday evening and a Saturday evening pastime, whether in attendance or an TV.  God only knows what to do about the Sunday afternoon fixtures that absolutely nobody wants, how to move S4C back to a Saturday evening slot with the consent of SKY.

But there is hope.  We saw nearly 10,000 watching the Ospreys yesterday, despite the match having to be played on an “anti-regional” Saturday afternoon.  Why?  Because, with the semi-pro season over and (but for a poor winter weather backlog) the community game over, rugby fans were released to watch on that usually most unfriendly of regional rugby kick-off times.  Not rugby competing with rugby.

The fans needed by the Ospreys’ region most Friday and Saturday evenings, all season long.  Ospreylia, the “one true region“.  At least reaching out.  Plugged into West Glamorgan rugby.  Plugged into the Liberty Stadium Premier Club income stream.  Plugged into the market for WRU dual central contracts.  Nearly recovering from the decimation of its squad during the Rugby World Cup.  Nearly, but not quite…

And there is hope in North Wales, with RGC1404.  No sign of any District J community club versus RGC1404 mentality.  Just a love of rugby.  Logical, given the away match distances with the community game on one’s doorstep.  A sizeable crowd at Pontypool Park this season.  A sizeable crowd at Sardis Road and probably Eugene Cross Park next season.  For some others, why bother travelling such away distances?  With one or two, a magnificent “A” licence but few actual fans.  Watch your local club in Caernarfon or Wrexham those weekends.

But how did we get in this mess?  The country of rugby as the national sport, struggling for want of multiple affinities and demanding that the East Glamorgan and Gwent valleys basically follow Cardiff RFC and Newport RFC…?  As productive as attempting to convert Everton and Manchester City fans into Liverpool and Manchester United fans.  People don’t readily switch club allegiances, so we need to build additional tiers and affinities.

And multi-affinities requires strategic thinking.  The painfully slow direction of travel of Welsh rugby this century.  Tentatively, nervously, half-heartedly, but undoubtedly.  Unavoidably, with high barriers to entry to a professional game unsuited to any 4 “surviving” clubs.  Welsh 1st class club rugby was always too diverse, unlike Welsh professional football.  Regional rugby, ring fenced rugby, regional player development pathways, the RGC1404 project and dual central contracts.  All strategic thinking, regional thinking, not the meritocracy of club rugby.

All laying the groundwork for the next steps in relation to the rugby consumer.  The multi-affinity sporting offering.  A WRU Chairman who was not Tumble, or Cardiff, or Wales, or the British Lions.  But a product of them all, and naturally and happily so and without any sense of conflict.

So back to the future, with several decades wasted…