Gainline.us

The devil in the details, not the partner

In response to yesterday's brief about the National Guard agreement, a modest debate ensued regarding the suitability of relations with America's armed forces.

For me, the conversation is short and instinctive. I welcome any opportunity to attest the USA's uniformed services represent superb ideals of leadership and public service. I hope and expect USA Rugby is mighty proud to associate with the National Guard and its colleagues, particularly in wartime.

As I suggested, there are some operational questions about how the agreement works, such as what branding comes with (or is precluded by) the kit, who is the equipment vendor, what is the application criteria, etc. USA Rugby promised to send details 'when the launch process is complete.'

If the agreement is a deal for cash that will be partially channeled toward unencumbered equipment for college teams, then it appears business development lead David Voth and colleagues have struck one of the better pacts we've seen in the past four years. But without question, the devil is in the what and how, not the who.

Related: National Guard follow-up

Hercus in New York Times interview

A buoyant market and a travel day – little time to post. Here are some items I found interesting:

Eagle captain Mike Hercus is portrayed in a New York Times interview (subscription required). Confirming the stereotype, the story presents American rugby as something for upper-class tough guys, and overlooks growth and innovation, such as at the schools level.

Most Americans, myself included, have a vague impression of rugby as squads of 15 beefy brutes, many of them with master's degrees, clanging their heads together until blood streams down their ridged brows, performing unspeakable acts of violence down in the pile. Which turns out to be the case....

'It's as close to war as you can get," Hercus [says]. "You bash, barge and hurt, but at the end you always compliment your opponent. You respect a man who battles you. You know what he's been through.'

Thanks to Mike M. and others for spotting the story.

Only 14 of Canada’s squad play in Europe, according to Rugby Canada’s 'In Touch' newsletter (by way of another Gainline.us reader). The US totals 7, undermining the assertion by Peter Thorburn and others that Canada are so much more ‘professional’ than the Eagles.

Halfback Kimball Kjar, who started all three Churchill Cup games before being dropped out of the World Cup squad, has signed on as an assistant coach with his alma mater, Brigham Young.

On professionalism and our World Cup rivals

One of yesterday’s readers asked: ‘How many of [the USA’s World Cup] guys are professional? Can we assume all the other teams in our pool consist entirely of pros?’

Helpful as Gainline.us readers are, the first question already has been answered: seven are paid to play in Europe. In the regard to the second, Samoa and Tonga are not, and like America, their stars compete overseas.

There are two primary reasons why I would use an alternate yardstick for measuring our opponents. One, the IRB has devised a useful system of classifying countries in ‘tiers,’ and since Dublin effectively has been splitting the national team’s bills with CIPP dues payers, it makes sense to understand how we’re being evaluated.

Briefly, tier 1 comprises the traditional powers. Tier 2 includes Canada, Fiji, Japan, Romania, Samoa, Tonga, and the US. The characteristics of these countries vary – some are large, some are small, some have pro leagues and/or ‘cross border’ tournaments, some ‘export’ top players – save for the fact that none of them consistently defeat T1 countries. The rest of the world falls into lower tiers.

So, there are two countries in our pool which are considered to be in our class. Samoa is 11th in the IRB rankings (these guys think of everything), and Tonga recently moved up to 14th, passing the Eagles, now down to 15th from 13th at the start of May.

Two, ‘professionalism’ describes a competitive environment but does not predetermine outcomes. Commercial rugby entails more than advanced rugby infrastructure, defined as the quality of top leagues and the pathways leading to them. It also requires the ability and willingness of a country’s people and businesses to spend entertainment and/or marketing dollars in support of sports entertainment.

Neither Samoa nor Argentina have professional leagues, but one is T2 and the other T1. Japan is highly professionalized, but nowhere near Scotland, which also may soon export all of its best players, as two of its three pro teams are defunct or heading that way.

Now consider that Australia had just three pro Super 14 franchises (essentially 125 or so full-time players) when it won the 1999 World Cup.

Aussie-born Belmont Shore coach Jonnie Cox is among a growing number who suggest the US would raise its standards should top clubs became competitive with the world’s best amateur teams, such as Cox’s home club, Sydney University. Leading ‘Uni’ players go to the New South Wales Waratahs, and some on to the Wallabies, but note the basis of success is not a full-time, professionalized club competition.

(By the by, it is interesting to note that the ‘post professional’ Mike Hercus plays for Belmont while holding down a job arranged by USA Rugby chair Kevin Roberts.)

The USA has never beaten England or South Africa, falling 43-20 in its last match against either of two, versus the Springboks in Houston in 2001. America’s historical record against Tonga is 1-1; against Samoa it is 0-2 with both losses by 7 points.

Separately, flyhalf Hercus will captain the Eagles in France, US coach Peter Thorburn said yesterday in an email.

USA 2007 World Cup schedule
England          September 8      Lens   
Tonga            September 12    Montpelier
Samoa            September 26    St. Etienne
South Africa    September 30    Montpelier

Eagle squad analysis: what to make of our 'pathways?'

Alex Goff of eRugbyNews has published an interesting analysis of the 37 World Cup probables who mustered last week in Aspen.

He asked whether American internationals have played in high school or college, and more importantly whether they made the USA Under 19s or the Collegiate All-Americans. To measure quantitatively, he compared the Aspen pool with a 50-man Eagle pool named 18 months ago, in February 2006.

His findings (subscription required) include:

• Only 3 of the Aspen 37 (Todd Clever, Inaki Basauri, and Mike Petri) have represented the USA at the U19 world championships.
• The percentage of past All-Americans in the squad dropped to 22 percent in 2007 from 54 percent in 2006, a decrease of 59 percent.
• The percentage who played high school rugby in the US declined to 22 percent from 40 percent, a reduction of 45 percent.
• The percentage of athletes who played college rugby in the US fell to 35 percent from 64 percent, a 45-percent decline.
• The percentage of US-born players dipped to 70 percent from 82 percent, a 12-percent decline.

It would be easy to conclude that coach Peter Thorburn has replaced native-born athletes with foreign-born players. Thorburn is a New Zealander and his assistants also are Antipodeans.

That seems simplistic. It may also be the case that the Eagle coach does not like the players which America’s representative programs are ‘graduating.’ Developmental representantive programs ought to be judged primarily on the number of athletes they send to the next level.

So, it appears that either our ‘pathways’ are not functioning very well, or the coach’s choices are at odds with the country’s development system.

Setanta agreement: more questions than answers

news analysis USA Rugby’s newest television deal prompts questions about the fate of its recent partnerships, including its ability to hold onto them.

The union earlier this month announced a pact with Setanta to show Churchill Cup matches and August’s Munster fixture, plus perhaps one more. Terms of the agreement with the Irish satellite broaster, best known in the American rugby community for screening Six Nations games, were not disclosed.

In the meantime, neither CSTV or ESPNU are producing matches this spring. CSTV was not present at the collegiate championships for the first time in five years, and decided to screen footage only after webcaster MediaZone signed up to do the production work, according to people familiar with the matter.

ESPNU, much touted when it broadcast the 2006 Churchill, apparently has been supplanted by Setanta. Union executives did not return inquiries.

Both because television promotes the sport to a broad audience and since past licensing agreements have been lucrative, TV has been a major part of Boulder’s growth strategy. Absent a broadcast agreement, it will be that much harder for the union to climb out of its financial predicament. But the approach depends first of all on providing quality ‘product’ in steady supply, and then on delivering value for partners year after year.

In 2007, the Eagles won’t play a home international for the first time in a dozen years. In its second season, the North American 4, conceived as a Super 14- or Celtic League-style competition, has not yet been on TV, although MediaZone has made the games available online and Setanta also holds rights.

Prior to ESPNU, the team’s previous agreement was a long-term pact worth $10 million that ran a 10-year term from 1995 to 2005.

The USA 7s enjoyed ample coverage on Versus (formerly Outdoor Life Network) this past winter, but the tournament is privately owned and thus cannot be fully exploited.

Setanta also owns broadcast and “broadband” (online) rights to the World Cup. The semifinals and finals also may appear on Versus.

Related: Cashless TV pact inked with ESPNU

On Indian cricket

As Gainline.us readers are always interested to consider American rugby in light of sister sports, here’s an article regarding another game staging its World Cup this season: cricket.

More specifically, the Wharton School’s business review examines economic imbalances in India. Though it is ostensibly the most lucrative market in world cricket – the Asian giant has commanded $1 billion in commercial rights money – 70 percent of world revenues, according to Forbes – many players make their living from endorsements, not actually playing the game.

Incentives are therefore skewed, and it’s not hard to draw a straight line to such problems as the betting which has dogged cricket.

(Free registration is required. Disclosure: I sit on the advisory board of Knowledge@Wharton, the nonprofit publication’s formal title.)

A few snapshots:

"Under the existing system, 26% of BCCI's [Board of Control for Cricket in India] gross revenues were earmarked for player payments. The Men in Blue -- the Indian team -- got 13%, domestic cricketers got 10.6%, with the remaining 2.4% going to junior cricketers."

"India Team players also ignore the domestic leagues -- the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy and the Duleep Trophy -- though the BCCI requires them to take part. The only time they show up is when the BCCI declares that their performance in a particular match will be used for selection purposes. The net result is that domestic cricket in India is largely unloved and unnoticed. With no sponsors and very little money, cricketers can't treat this as a fulltime occupation."

Some businessmen are looking into established a professionalized domestic competition. That may be one way forward; but could it lead to the imbroglio now engulfing English and French clubs and their respective unions?

On Cal's home games

reporter's notebook Waiting in line Saturday to get into Witter Rugby Field, a fan groused at the lack of parking.

“They should have more temporary parking, you know, like the 49ers,” he said.

“When was the last time you had to worry about parking at a rugby game?” his buddy replied.

Indeed, when was the last time a rugby venue was compared to a pro football stadium?

Last weekend in the Celtic League, the Newport-Gwent Dragons hosted the Glasgow Warriors and drew 4,000, Edinburgh v Ospreys attracted 2,340, Munster v Cardiff 8,000, Connacht v Border Reivers 1,240, and Llanelli Scarlets v Ulster 5,641. For Cal-OMBAC, the near-capacity crowd approached 1,500.

These days there are several major universities including Dartmouth, Army, Penn State, and Stanford which can match Cal’s facilities, as well as perhaps a half dozen or so senior clubs. Yet few if any routinely stage home games – replete with ticketing, programs, concessions, and after-match functions – to rival the Europeans, or the Bears.

Cal doesn’t play fall matches, but this winter's lineup includes the University of British Columbia, OMBAC, and Stanford (for homecoming) before hosting a round of the national playoffs. More than simply matches, these are sports events, and they will outdraw most Super League and North American 4 contests.

Those who think all of this is because Cal has varsity status do not understand Title IX. In Berkeley, rugby men have grafted the sport onto the collegiate sports scene, and created a dynamic that strengthens the team on the field.

On CIPP and insurance

reporter's notebook Kristin Richeimer, who runs USA Rugby’s dues program, sent a lengthy reply to last week’s post on the union’s effectiveness in policing itself.

Her primary point has to do with insurance:

…There are several USA Rugby insurance policies, coverages from which extend to Board, Congress, Staff and all National Team players and staff when operating on behalf of USA Rugby, whether they appear on the public-facing membership roster or not. However, each individual Staff, Congress, Board member or National Team member is required to be registered appropriately before playing or participating on behalf of his/her home club and/or Union.

Regardless of whether one is persuaded that the union holds itself to the same standards as everyone else, there seems to be historical irony.

Some 15 years ago, Randy Stainer quarterbacked the dues program to controversial passages with the explicit promise that monies would never be spent on the Eagles. Afterward, Stainer said that were he to do it over again, he would have insisted on bundling health insurance.

The anti-Eagle provision was repealed in the fall 2005 budget crisis, and now it appears test players are insured though they may not be registered.

I’m all for special benefits which help compensate internationals for their opportunity costs, but don’t see why normal rules should be overlooked.

Here are some other gleanings. The full text is in comments (with Kristin’s valid email, of course):

Processing focuses on in-season clubs, and to date has registered some 28,000 players and 950 teams. It is the busiest time of the year. [Note: In an unusual move, the union opened 2007 registration in December 2006; The union opened 2007 registration in December 2006; in an unusual move, earlier the Board of Directors had minuted that the Arnot shortfalls meant the union would have to “bring forward” some of 2007’s revenues to 2006, as it did the previous year.]

The staff [comprising perhaps 30 individuals] are second priority. The by-laws don’t say they have to register but they do anyway.

The “majority” of the Board were registered in December and January.

The union often [unspecified] grants grace periods to touring clubs.

The union hasn’t yet hired the women’s national team administrator. [Note: Lazy wording was my error; fixed.]

Five-week suspension for grabbing a ref

reporter's notebook A Northern California player who grabbed a referee has been banned for five weeks.

Suspension following the January 27 incident could have been permanent, but for the player’s “immediately” recognizing his offense and making a post-match apology, according to Bruce Carter in the Pelican Briefs newsletter.

Without having looked into this – acknowledging the risk of a one-sided, cut-and-paste posting – the outcome seems right. In a physical, even violent game, the referee’s person should be inviolate so as to promote fair adjudication of the contest, and the result underlines the consequences of breach.

The incident follows the IRB’s October 2006 move to curtail player “backchat.” “Refs are spending too much time explaining their decisions to all and sundry when they should be concentrating on the game in hand. We just believe a referee doesn't alter a decision [and] so should be able to get on with the game,” IRB referee manager “Paddy” O’Brien said in an email at the time.

Also last year, there was a spate of domestic incidents involving referees and coaches, often a greyer area. Officials who cannot manage a bit of sideline jockeying wouldn’t seem to be in full control – not to mention out of touch with virtually every other American field and court sport – and thus open themselves up to the perjorative “diva referees.”

The modalities of American rugby’s sideline are inevitably organic and shifting. The NorCal incident, based on what little I’ve read, appears to have been swiftly and properly resolved.

On New Zealand's most famous championship

reporter's notebook You don’t have to be a New Zealander to appreciate North Harbour’s historic Ranfurly Shield triumph last Saturday, and that’s the point.

Away from home, Harbour mounted a fourth-quarter rally to upset august Canterbury and claim a prize many value more highly than the country’s national championship.

“For a lot of us [this] is going to be the biggest game of our lives so it’s just fitting we have played a team like you guys, and it’s going to be something we will remember forever,” captain Rua Tipoki said in the postmatch exchange of the famous trophy, the New Zealand Herald reported.

A 104-year-old tradition, the Ranfurly Shield competition comprises one-off challenge matches organized much like the children’s game “king of the hill.” If the holder wins, it retains the title; should it lose, the victor becomes the new champion.

Though heavyweights Canterbury and Auckland have recently dominated its possession, the “Log o’ Wood” has a lock on the public’s imagination. That’s because the Shield’s holder is morally obliged to defend against challengers great and small. One of the country’s younger provincial teams,  North Harbour had previously failed in all of its 11 Shield challenges over the past 21 years.

Great sporting traditions need little introduction. Their drama and passion are self-evident.

As fate would have it, OMBAC’s 2006 Super League-winning try was scored by a North Harbour ‘B’ player.

“I didn’t realize the meaning and passion [of the Super League championship] until today. It’s pretty humbling to be part of,” flanker Will Hafu said immediately afterward.

It is encouraging when those steeped in traditions like the Ranfurly Shield espy the beginnings of such history in America.

Coda: Interim USA coach Peter Thorburn used to lead North Harbour, while Eagle flanker Todd Clever is in the 2006 squad. Leaving today for Montevideo, Uruguay, neither will be present for Thursday’s team parade through several of suburban Auckland towns to North Harbour’s stadium.