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'Can you help Qatari rugby?': The 'super-corny' URC debate

By PA
(Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

The United Rugby Championship (URC) views staging non-competitive games in Qatar as the first step towards establishing itself in the region. Chief executive Martin Anayi has ruled out taking URC or European matches to the Arab nation in the immediate future but is willing to explore other possibilities in the wake of signing a three-year sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways.

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While partnering with the state-owned airline will help with the logistics of travel, following the entry of South African teams into the URC, there are hopes it will also enable tentative expansion into the setting for this year’s football World Cup. “It’s a process actually and I know that sounds super-corny,” said Anayi at the 2022/23 tournament’s launch in Slough.

“Our championship games, whether that is URC or Champions Cup games, are so important to our clubs and the fans of those clubs that to take any of those games away from a home crowd is really difficult.

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“We have had this conversation around ‘can you take games to the US’, which is slightly less challenging logistically or from a conceptual point of view because there have already been games in the US. It’s going to be really, really hard to take a championship game there, but can you take baby steps?

“Can we have winter training camps like football have in Qatar? Can you take pre-season matches to the air-conditioned stadiums and take full advantage of the legacy that they want to achieve there? Can you set up new competitions? Can you help Qatari rugby?”

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URC share an office in London with Six Nations and Premiership Rugby in a recent move designed to coordinate efforts to grow support for the game, particularly by enticing international fans to follow the club game. It is a goal shared by the URC and the English league, but both competitions have been shaken by the financial crisis that has engulfed Worcester who are fighting for survival while choked by debts thought to exceed £25million.

Other Premiership clubs are suffering while Welsh regional rugby is also financially vulnerable, prompting Anayi to consider the benefit of a game-wide ownership model. “The importance of Worcester to the community of Worcester means that it isn’t something that can be owned by one or two individuals,” Anayi said.

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“It should be something that is more widely owned and therefore something that is more robust if something does go wrong with those individuals. But no one has got the answer. We need to sit down as a game and ask ‘how are all these clubs going to be owned in the future?’ Can we learn from football? How are they owned elsewhere in the world?

“We don’t even have one ownership model in the URC, never mind the game. So it’s 100 per cent time to have that conservation about how should a professional club be run and owned and what’s its role within the game? It can’t be on its own in a little silo over here because the economics don’t work like that. There has to be a better way.

“We need to have a conversation and unfortunately Worcester is the reason that conversation has been accelerated, but it’s not just Worcester and the Premiership, it’s elsewhere. Clubs are not making the money they should be making and that’s because we’re not working together yet.”

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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