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So we keep getting told 5 teams in Australia is diluting our player base. I've NEVER liked this theory. But last night when i was chatting to one of my Sud African mates and he raised it about his country, I thought I'd google.
So dilution means you are over extending your pool of players right? Asking too much from too few.. So how big is our pool of players in regard to everybody else? I googled and found world rugby's 2016 census..
England = over 2 million people avoiding soap
Australia = more than 650k convicts and pick pockets
Sud Africa = more than 450k hole diggers obsessed with shiny rocks
New Zealand = about 150k blokes in gumboots checkin' sheep out..
There you go. Based on the dilution principal England alone should beet the all Blacks 20 to 1.
So I did a little maths and discovered about 1 in 30 Kiwis are rugby players. Surprisingly in Australia it's 1 in 35. Which I think derails the argument that
AFL, League and football dilute our player pool..
Let's talk of this no more..
I'm guessing New Zealand just has better coaching ideals, easier development pathways, a more confident mentality, a greater celebration of the grass roots game and A CENTRAL MANAGEMENT THAT KNOWS HOW TO ORGANISE AND ENCOURAGE THIS EFFECTIVELY...
Not something the ARU is prepared to put it's hand up and admit is lacking in Australia..