Rollo Manning has been a rugby tragic all his life since being named after a Wallaby winger and educated at a private boarding school in Sydney, Australia. Manning has been working in publicity and public relations for 40 years, and during that time has commented on the "game they play in heaven" through radio, magazines and newspaper coverage.
As a correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, he has broadcast in magazine style programs and live coverage of games. He is currently a regular contributor to www.scrum.com and radio shows in his hometown of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Manning has been contributing to eSports for six years and relishes the opportunity to express his views on the first of the two rugbies. He is currently completing work on a study of the inter play between rugby league and rugby union over the past 100 years, when league was formed as the professional arm of an otherwise purely amateur game.
Since 1995, both have become professional and the drift of players is going back from league to union. Where will it end? That is the question Manning is now asking himself.
Rugby in Australia needs an overhaul. Here’s a plan under consideration after a survey.
The year 2005 will go down as one of the most dismal in the Wallabies and Australian Rugby Union history. It ends a decade of success and failure and marks 10 years since the introduction of professionalism into the World stage of Rugby Union.
Back in 1973 the Australian Rugby Union held an inquiry as to why the Wallabies were doing so badly against International teams. They had just been beaten by Tonga on its first official overseas tour and lost three of every four tests played between 1967 and 1973.
It (ARU) chose not to mention the fact that 14 Wallaby players had defected to Rugby League (professional) over the previous seven years and this had decimated the National team. In fact it came after Rugby League changed its rules to allow more opportunity for fleet footed backline players.
The ones that defected held the key positions of fly half and centre three quarters. Three fly halves went in Phil Hawthorne, John Ballesty and Geoff Richardson. The Union code was shattered prompting Sydney Morning Herald columnist Greg Growden to dub the Wallabies of 1973 as the "woeful Wallabies."
The pity of it all is that now in 2005 the ARU can still not get it together despite the fact that there is a level playing field between it and the Rugby League version of the game. No longer do Union players go to League and a few high profile League players are contributing to the Union game having been bought for large sums of money ($600,000 a season).
However, the Union code has failed to attract the star young players even with the lure of world travel every year and the pinnacle of a genuine World Cup every four years. There have been players who otherwise would have been destined to League due to their heritage but have chosen Union from the outset.
Matt Giteau, Matt Henjak and Daniel Roche would have been expected to pop up in the League ranks, but have chosen Union. But how many others are there? Benji Marshall, Scott Prince and Braith Anasta would have been great for Union had they decided to see the world and play rugby.
Now, as it was back in 1973, an inquiry is needed with the game at its lowest ebb since that year and recognise that another form of the game exists in Rugby League.
Back in 1973 it was not talked about. This time the inquiry should be looking at why young players are not coming to Union.
In 1973 it should have been why the young Union players were going to Rugby League. The answer then was simple -- money. The answer now may reveal something that the ARU has not considered and could be to do with the culture of the game.
It starts from a very low profile amateur club competition run by officials from the "old school tie" brigade in their tweed jackets with leather patched sleeves and hunting cap. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but hardly enticing to the youngster just leaving school and thinking the bright lights means television coverage of their game every weekend and a lifestyle that is so scrutinized it must be high profile.
Rugby Union in 2005 saw only 5 wins from 13 Tests played and 2 of those over the minnows, Italy and Samoa. Six losses in a row against high caliber opposition did nothing for Eddie Jones, the coach, who was justifiably sacked after the end of year tour to Britain.
The lack of depth is apparent, but rather than looking to "buy" League players there should be more thought given, and a thorough survey done, on why young players are still going to Rugby League. This will allow the formulation of a plan for the future that will shape the Union code in a manner that attracts the young players.
If this means redesigning the entire club competition then so be it -- this is the World stage union is on now and gone are the days for the cow paddock at the back of the local as the pinnacle of success for a youngster.
May all readers have a great Christmas and we look forward to your company in 2006 for all the news and gossip from the World of Rugby (Union).