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#Post#: 64186--------------------------------------------------
Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: DOK
Date: April 22, 2021, 4:54 pm
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Make rugby a summer sport and we will reap the benefits
HTML https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2021/04/19/make-rugby-summer-sport-will-reap-benefits/
Northern hemisphere can step up as skill levels will have chance
to shine and game can be truly global
BRIAN MOORE
19 April 2021 • 8:00am
[img]
HTML https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/rugby-union/2021/04/18/TELEMMGLPICT000256219970_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq-PE8O2WSMbNfi_45L1krq4r_0UfDFHwccT5ijM_OVhE.jpeg?imwidth=800[/img]
Stuart Hogg dazzled in the Sandy Park sunlight on Saturday
afternoon CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
While watching Exeter v Wasps, Northampton v London Irish and
Bath v Leicester the same thought occurred to me – professional
rugby is a far better product when played in clement conditions.
Firm pitches and warm weather allow players to excel; sodden
turf, high winds and driving rain limit what even the most
talented players can do.
Watching Stuart Hogg dancing his way round Sandy Park is a
remarkable sight. Perfect balance, great acceleration over the
first 10 yards, and an instinctive awareness of space, he is
glorious to watch. A stark contrast to seeing him struggle with
wind and rain in some of the Six Nations games.
It was the same watching Northampton playing with aplomb and
running in six tries and seeing London Irish scoring four in
response to take a try bonus point. Then switch to the Rec to
see Anthony Watson and George Ford thriving without having to
deal with the notoriously boggy pitch at Bath.
I make no apologies for returning to this subject because each
year I believe there is more evidence to support a move for the
professional game in the northern hemisphere to move to being a
summer sport. When I first suggested this, it was a minority
view, but over the past several years I believe the attitude of
many supporters has changed and this move now has majority
support – professional club rugby in the northern hemisphere
should be a summer sport.
I understand the objections but the advantages far outweigh the
negatives.
A point which is overlooked but of huge import is that without
this change, men’s rugby is highly unlikely to achieve its
stated aim of having a global calendar. One or other half of the
rugby world is going to have to shift its season and it makes
far more sense for it to be the northern part of the game. The
Six Nations and international tours could take place at or near
the start and end of the season without much difficulty. Hot
temperatures in southern France can be accommodated with evening
kick-offs and so on.
It is all about tradition, say some fans who seem to wear the
travails of watching in winter as a badge of honour. They would
soon get used to watching without several layers of clothing and
enjoying a cool beer without shivering.
Rugby league fans were equally sceptical about their sport
moving from winter to summer. I don’t know any league fan who
genuinely wants to go back to enduring a cold, rainy night in
Castleford; union fans would be no different.
Some critics have raised the issue of different skill sets being
required – this is illusory. Handling, carrying, running; all
are improved when you practise and play in good conditions and
you can adapt to occasional bad weather. You cannot train and
play for good weather, and the extra pace and faster reactions
required, by slogging about in poor conditions. It is a myth
that northern hemisphere players like playing in bad weather,
they do it because they have to, and it does not help them
against southern hemisphere opponents.
This is by no means definitive and there are might be other
contributory factors, but I find it telling that the total
points scored in a Premiership weekend is well below 300 until
you get to the beginning of March. Four out of five of the last
rounds since then have produced well over 300 points scored. The
average points per game pre-March is below 50 and sometimes in
the low thirties. The past five round’s averages have been 51,
42, 62, 57 and 57. This is not just about how many tries are
scored, it is about the speed of the games, better handling,
fewer kicks and more ambition to run with the ball in hand.
What about cricket? What about the bi-annual major football
tournaments?
What about Rugby League? What about the Olympics? Rugby would
have to compete against those factors but it should not be
difficult to schedule games to avoid clashing fixtures. As it
is, rugby already competes with club football for its whole
season.
If you leave the amateur game where it is, you will also give
its players a chance to watch professional rugby, which they
cannot do now. Lots of upsides and no insurmountable downsides –
what is there to argue about?
#Post#: 64187--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: Rocker
Date: April 22, 2021, 5:00 pm
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No
#Post#: 64188--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: Bolly-Quin
Date: April 22, 2021, 6:48 pm
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Naughty Brian - he didn’t mention Quins...
#Post#: 64190--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: DAF
Date: April 23, 2021, 1:11 am
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I like the idea.
#Post#: 64191--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: J Scott
Date: April 23, 2021, 1:48 am
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I agree it would bring out more of the rugby we've been
enjoying. I’m not sure a complete switch to summer would work
but a shift to better weather certainly would. I’m not sure
anyone enjoys the cold, wet and windy conditions players or
fans.
#Post#: 64192--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: Mayor West
Date: April 23, 2021, 2:35 am
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The only problem I can see with summer rugby is how much
attendances would be affected by people being on holiday. The
heat could be a problem but not a frequent one and you can water
pitches. Pitches would actually be much better as the grass
would be growing at its maximum thus keeping them at their best.
#Post#: 64193--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: Surbiton Quin
Date: April 23, 2021, 3:15 am
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There are a few issues I don't like about this but in no
particular order
This is, in my view, a Trojan Horse for permanent ring fencing.
The idea is to disconnect the amateur and professional games, as
stated in the article, once that happens the pyramid of
promotion/relegation is broken. Then we will get two conferences
made up of all the clubs that wish to be professional.
Rugby league tried this, complete with defacto ring fencing, and
the crowds melted away like dropped ice cream cones, the
consultants were long gone however.
Once Union is ringfenced and in a bad as state as league the
consultants will be back with a unified code (the world season
having been a failure and the Super [insert number] continues to
lose support) so we can ditch flankers change a law or two and
have basketball scorelines - as apparently the only reason
anyone watches rugby is for tries being scored. Everyone's
happy, well the consultants are and no one else is watching
anymore apart from the crowds building up at Roslyn Park,
Bedford Esher etc.
What's wrong with winter and summer sports? Watching a rugby
match in the rain and discussing it in the pub afterwards is
part of the rhythm of winter just as sitting by a field getting
slightly toasted watching men in white is part of summer.
#Post#: 64194--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: Rocker
Date: April 23, 2021, 3:27 am
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Agreed Surbiton Quin
👍
Rugby = winter
Cricket = summer
#Post#: 64196--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: SwindonQuin
Date: April 23, 2021, 3:38 am
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I would like more games in the summer, who can honestly say they
they love sitting in an open stadium in minus 2 degrees with a
wind chill of minus 5 and peeing down with rain Vs 15 degrees
sunny with cloudy intervals with a gentle breeze?!
However, could the players cope with playing in mid 20's for a
full 80 minutes.
Sunshine, Quins, Friends & Beer.... What's not to like?
#Post#: 64197--------------------------------------------------
Re: Brian Moore: Make rugby a summer sport
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: April 23, 2021, 3:49 am
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I agree that the attendances will most likely suffer if a full
summer schedule is implemented. I could see a Spring/Autumn
split season being a go-er though. March to June/July have the
domestic season, and September through to November have the
European games. Internationals taking place in July &
November/December, 6 Nations in February/early March, SH Rugby
Championship in August/early Sept.
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