O'Neill wants to import Pacific Island flair to bring back Super crowds
O'Neill wants to import Pacific Island flair to bring back Super crowds
Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent SMH| January 31, 2008
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...369226585.html
The inclusion of exciting Pacific Islander players in the four Australian provincial sides is part of a plan to revitalise the Super tournament.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill yesterday provided enough hints that the union would next year end its policy of allowing only those who are eligible to play for the Wallabies to appear for the Australian Super 14 provinces. It is expected that the Waratahs, Brumbies, Queensland and Western Force will each be allowed one or two foreign players.
While the provinces hope the rule change will include marquee players who will boost home attendances - such as Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll, who has shown an interest in playing in the Super 14 - the ARU sees it as a way of promoting and nurturing promising Pacific Islands talent.
It also believes the Pacific Islanders would be a big draw and bring life to a competition which, like the Tri Nations, has become stale. On Tuesday, O'Neill said rugby in Australia was "at the crossroads", because of serious financial concerns, poor local performances and a slump in spectator interest. His aim is to breathe life back into Australia's domestic and international itinerary.
O'Neill yesterday said his interest in bringing Pacific Islanders into the Australian Super teams had been prompted by a discussion with the ARU's high-performance manager, Pat Howard, at last year's World Cup. Both had been enthused by Fiji's exciting performances in the tournament.
"After Fiji went so well in the World Cup, Pat put me through where they are all playing, which is the United Kingdom, and most of them weren't exactly on exorbitant salaries," O'Neill said. "And they should be playing closer to home. You can manage it."
Although O'Neill said the possibility of a combined Pacific Islands team in an expanded Super competition was "not off the agenda", he added that "in the short to medium term, it involves opening up the gates to allow five, six, seven or eight Pacific Islanders to play in Australia."
The ARU head said that foreign players who joined the Australian teams would "be carefully selected in positions which don't diminish the competitiveness of the Wallabies". O'Neill added: "There may be opportunities to have specific requirements that involves players from Samoa, Fiji and Tonga. It is obvious that Europe and the UK have been picking up a lot of those very entertaining, good players out of the Pacific Islands. And perhaps we could attract them into our Super rugby competition, without hurting their eligibility to play for their home countries.
"It is important that we do all we can to ensure the Pacific Island nations remain very competitive at the international and national level. But instead of having their players in Europe and the UK, perhaps they might play closer to home."
Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday endorsed O'Neill's Pacific Islander move.
"They have been providing players to New Zealand for quite a while," McKenzie said. "So there are already avenues that way. So we can also tap into that."
McKenzie has been a supporter of foreign players "for some time, because it is logical, as with four Australian teams we have enough diversity to supply the Wallabies".
He continued: "It will also be worth considering marquee players, because we all know that an extra 2000-3000 people sitting in the grandstand makes a big difference in terms of revenue. It would be great to get more bums on seats and create more interest.
"You hear on the grapevine that guys like Brian O'Driscoll want to play in the Super 14. Someone like that playing in the competition would have to help the profile of the game. You can't underestimate the power and intrigue of high-profile players coming into a competition. Maybe you can have one marquee player, and the other could be from a targeted developing nation. You don't take the player, but develop them on behalf of another country.
"We have to make the jump between not having foreign players to having foreign players. Once we make that jump, then we can start looking at the mechanics of it."
"It is important that we do all we can to ensure the Pacific Island nations remain very competitive at the international and national level. But instead of having their players in Europe and the UK, perhaps they might play closer to home."
Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday endorsed O'Neill's Pacific Islander move.
"They have been providing players to New Zealand for quite a while," McKenzie said. "So there are already avenues that way. So we can also tap into that."
McKenzie has been a supporter of foreign players "for some time, because it is logical, as with four Australian teams we have enough diversity to supply the Wallabies".
He continued: "It will also be worth considering marquee players, because we all know that an extra 2000-3000 people sitting in the grandstand makes a big difference in terms of revenue. It would be great to get more bums on seats and create more interest.
"You hear on the grapevine that guys like Brian O'Driscoll want to play in the Super 14. Someone like that playing in the competition would have to help the profile of the game. You can't underestimate the power and intrigue of high-profile players coming into a competition. Maybe you can have one marquee player, and the other could be from a targeted developing nation. You don't take the player, but develop them on behalf of another country.
"We have to make the jump between not having foreign players to having foreign players. Once we make that jump, then we can start looking at the mechanics of it."
