Back to Olympics for rugby

2003-10-02 22:14

De Jongh Borchardt

Pretoria - A lot has been said about players from smaller rugby nations preferring to play for their clubs or provincial unions, instead of representing their countries at the World Cup.

Sports promoter Willem Strauss, who is well-acquainted with the rugby set-up in South Sea countries, has suggested a possible solution to this problem.

Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Namibia and Georgia are among the countries affected by players who feel they can't afford to "take time off" to participate in the World Cup tournament.

"I don't think the clubs refuse to pay these players, but they use subtle methods in order to make it almost impossible for the players to do anything else but withdraw from the World Cup tournament" says Strauss.

He refers to experienced Samoan hooker Trevor Leota, currently playing in England, former Fiji captain Simon Raiwalui, who also plays in England and Hugo Horn, the Namibia's hooker who is representing Griquas in the Currie Cup competition, as examples.

"The players must choose between possible short-term glory at the World Cup or their future careers. They have families to support and can't afford not to be playing."

Strauss proposes the following steps, aimed at ensuring that rugby's so-called minnows will be at full strength and at their best when the 2007 World Cup tournament kicks off in France:

"Players and infrastructure should be developed continuously. It's important that these players - wearing their countries' colours - be included in bigger competitions like the Super 12.

"The rugby calendar should be drawn up in such a way that the World Cup tournament does not clash with other competitions.

"Major rugby-playing nations should do more to support the smaller countries. The South African Rugby Football Union plays its part by, for instance, sending an SA A team to play in Namibia and inviting teams like Samoa to this country.

"Rugby, perhaps sevens, should once again become an Olympic sport. Many of the smaller national rugby unions receive no money from their governments because rugby is not an Olympic sport.

"The smaller countries should thus become part of the mainstream. That would boost rugby as an international sport," says Strauss.

- Beeld