We, the rugby mad community, have all given our impressions, solutions and cures for the fatigue factor and player burn-out suffered by players…. but would ONE GLOBAL SEASON not alleviate all these concerns?
Think about it for a while… let the concept sink in….
Is’nt this a radically different but plausible solution? Is’nt this what we should have done a long time ago, in the world?
At the moment we have two seasons world wide, a Northern Hemisphere rugby season and a Southern Hemisphere season, respectively!!
Why is this necessary… is plain stupid stubborness standing in the way of our beautiful sport?
Let’s lobby for ONE INTERNATIONAL SEASON!
It will mean 1 International window and NOT TWO (June as well as End of Year) windows.
It will also mean that the Teams are at the same levels of fatigue world wide, no Hemisphere will be at a disadvantage (European Sides are at a disadvantage in June at the end of their season, Southern Hemisphere Sides are at a disadvantage during the End of Year Tours when it’s the end of their season).
Will it ever happen?
I doubt it!!
The IRB should play a leading role here but as you know, the questions are numerous and serious… When will the season start? When will it end? Which Hemisphere will have to budge the most? What are the financial ramifications? What are the pro’s and what are the cons? How does it affect sponsorships and broadcast rights and schedules?
In a perfect world considerations like the usually foul winter weather and milder summers (generally) in the Northern Hemisphere compared to the glaring heat in summer in Africa, Australia and Argentina, it would make sense to adopt most of the Southern Hemisphere winter rugby calendar… it would also make sense considering the Festive season at the end of each year….
The year could roughly be scheduled as follows:
- The Super 14 / Heineken Cup ect [Feb – May]
- The first part of the International window – Tri-Nations / Six Nations [May, June & early July]
- The second part of the International window – Southern Hemisphere vs Northern Hemisphere Tours [July & August]. Teams could Tour every second year, meaning one year you play at home and one year away, ALTERNATELY teams could have abbreviated tours and still have their home component every year. The main aim here is that the previous International window which was split into 2 sections (June Tours by Northern Hemisphere to the South and November Tours by the Southern Hemisphere up North) will be slightly shortened and combined into one.
- The Domestic Competitions – Like the Currie Cup in SA, the New Zealand NPC, the French Top 14 and the Guiness Priemiership [Sept, Oct, till middle November]
- A 6 – 8 week enforced break where NO TEAM ACTIVITY IS PERMITTED over the Festive Season. ALTERNATIVELY, split the break into 2, a shorter break mid-year and a longer break end of year.
Would that make too much sense for people to take seriously?
As the Christmas Party Season is about to get underway :
A guy’s wife stays out all night after her office party, walks in the next morning looking all roughed up, when he asks her where the hell she was, she replies that she slept at her mate’s place. So he phones 10 of her mates and not one confirms that she was there. All p*ssed off he decides to get her back by doing the same after his office party. When he walks in the morning after being out all night, she asks him where the hell he was all night. He replies that he slept at HIS mate’s place. She then phones 10 of his mates. The first 8 confirm he did sleep there and the other 2 sit trying to convince her that he’s still sleeping on the couch.
It pays to get your story straight !
Agood one Ash. 😆
Like the idea BUT
It gets pretty hot during latter May – early September – just seems that the weather is always cold here.
Hi all
63@ Oirish – Hellooooooooo
In Feb and March here it is still full-on summer, during the first 2 months of the Super 14… we’re talking about 35 degrees plus sometimes, same in October and November….. and our players manage in that heat.
Would’nt it be nice to actually go watch rugby up North and not shiver your way through a match on the stands… grab a bit of a tan while you’re at it, for you pale people up North?
Cant see their being only one Rugby season and wouldnt want it if it meant getting rid off either the Curry Cup or Super 14.
And as for player fatigue, maybe we should pick a larger squad as no one likes to be called the B team and try picking all the players on merit for a change.
WE WOULD BE INDESTRUCTIBLE 🙂
Hi GBS have been sitting at hospital for last week as well and could not read everything on the cell phone, could only read the last page. Used to be able to read all.
Pleeeeeeeeese fix.
So since i can finally sit at my laptop was anyone else in Midlands Natal hit by a typhoon/hurrican/gale plus monsoon last night 😯
Any one know whats happened to Sharks-lover? he has been very quiet for a while now.
Is ever one on leave? been very quiet here, so you need to sort the cell phone thingie out then they can still connect useing them if they dont have a computer at home.
GBS leave the stoepkakkers alone 👿 rather cuddle up to one in bed
Things That Are Difficult to Say When You’re Drunk
Innovative
Preliminary
Proliferation
Cinnamon
Things That Are VERY Difficult to Say When You’re Drunk:
Specificity
British Constitution
Passive-aggressive disorder
Transubstantiate
Things That Are Downright IMPOSSIBLE to Say When You’re Drunk:
Thanks, but I don’t want to sleep with you
Nope, no more booze for me
Sorry, but you’re not really my type
No kebab for me, thank you
Good evening officer, isn’t it lovely out tonight?
I’m not interested in fighting you.
Oh, I just couldn’t – no one wants to hear me sing
No, I wont make any attempt to dance thanks, I have zero co-ordination.
Where is the nearest toilet? I refuse to urinate over the nearest cash
machine or shop front.
Things that are EASY to Say When You’re Drunk:
Leave me alone – I’ll be alright to sleep right here!
On a flight to Chicago, a gentleman had made several attempts to get
into the men’s rest-room, but it had always been occupied.
The flight attendant noticed his predicament.
Sir, she said, “You may use the ladies room if you promise not to
touch any of the buttons on the wall.”
He did what he needed to, and as he sat there he noticed the buttons
he had promised not to touch!
Each button was identified by letters WW, WA, PP, and a red one
labelled ATR.
Who would know if he touched them? He couldn’t resist.
He pushed WW. Warm water was sprayed gently upon his bottom.
What a nice feeling, he thought.
Men’s rest-rooms don’t have nice things like this.
Anticipating greater pleasure, he pushed the WA button.
Warm air replaced the warm water, gently drying his underside.
When this stopped, he pushed the PP button.
A large! Powder Puff caressed his bottom adding a fragile scent of
spring flowers to this unbelievable pleasure. The ladies rest-room was
more than just a rest-room, it is a tender and loving pleasure.
When the powder puff completed its pleasure, he couldn’t wait to push
the ATR button which he knew would be supreme ecstasy.
The Next thing he knew he was in a hospital, as soon as he opened his
eyes. A nurse was staring down at him with a smirk on her face.
“What happened?” he exclaimed.
“You pushed one too many buttons,”replied the nurse.
“The last button marked ATR was an Automatic Tampon Remover.
Your penis is under your pillow.”
GBS,
I do not like the global season because I think the idea of too much rugby is rubbish.
For me there is not enough rugby during the year.
When we have our off season, I enjoy the French leagues and UK leagues.
I enjoy the 6N when we dont have any tests and I believe there should be more.
The problem where all this stems from is fatigue, fatigue is not in my point due to the rugby calendar, it is there because we have no clue how to manage players.
Hi Morne.
Both you and GBS make sense.
However your last statement about player management is the crux of the problem.
The beginning of player management should be the intention to build with carefull consideration a very strong squad of high calibre players all capable of playing winning international rugby.
The weekly selection and management of this squad of equally recognized Boks should eventually be the way in which we look after individual players along with the other factors that go towards protecting our player assetts.
Of course we both know that there are a number of factors that all need to work together to get the ideal scenario.
However it goes back to our lack of professionalism, as we could start be adapting far more scientific training methods, which in themselves will go a long way towards eradicating player fatigue.
In a truly professional game like NFL or Aussie rules no fatigued player is considered, but then again if he is fatigued fingers need to be pointed at his coaching and management, after all highly paid athletes are the prime assetts in any truly professional sport and need to be managed accordingly.
Lastly with the enormous talent and player numbers we have in SA the above should be attainable and we should be the envy of others.
Of course we know that we are simply governed by people without the vision descibed above, and possibly without the right motives.
Hi TH,
Spot on but you and I are repeating ourselves all the time.
Commercially I just do not think a global season will work. Does other world sports have global seasons like soccer?
Or do they have local leagues and international windows similar to rugby?
I think that would be a good case study to start off with.
However, it all comes down to handling the game of rugby professionally.
Exactly Morne.
We keep saying the same things about unprofessional management in a professional sport.
As much as I understand some of the logic behind a global season, I cannot see it happening.
As I mentioned earlier, there is a culture of winter rugby in Europe and I believe people will always be protective of “Their” rugby and will resist change.
Apart from the sentiments surrounding the issue, you also have to remember that both the SH and NH use vastly different sponsors.
If we have a global season sponsors from both sides will compete with one another as there is now competition of which games from which hemisphere will attract the biggest audience (television).
If sponsors feel they are investing in a losing battle (currency is already a problem) then they will eventually pull out.
We are already now seeing how cricket, and especially test cricket is suffering because of the advent of 20/20 and the Indian influence (read money) of the game.
Neither we nor NZ and Aus will be able to compete with the NH when it comes to money in the game and not only will our local leagues suffer, but ultimately, test rugby might suffer greatly.
I also think we do not fully appreciate the effect Sevens inclusion in the Olympics are going to have on rugby…
75@ Morne & 76@ Tight Head – If you guys look right at the top in my Article, you’ll see that I said I doubt it would ever happen that we have a Global Season… there are simply too many ego’s and questions and considerations… it’s simply easier for the IRB and member countries to say, keep it as is… PEOPLE’s NATURE is to resist change or the unknown… only the bold go where nobody else has gone before.
Certain things really appeal to me regarding a Global Season, very SPECIALLY the fact that all players in the world would be at the same fatigue levels because all would be at a similar stage in their season… the other positive would be that one could have a proper rest period…
One should weigh up the PRO’s & CON’s and then decide… is this a regression or a positive progression… if the answer is that it would be a positive, then one should go for it, guns blazing, if it’s a negative then shelve the freegin idea…
But at least explore the possibilities, I say, then make an informed decision.
The powers that be are usually quick to experiment with Law Variations… why is this so different?
1. ASH – thanks for the good laughs – the drunk ones are spot on!!! experienced them too.
2. Think watching rugby in summer sounds good – but spectators will rather be in Spain, Portugal or Croatia sapping up the sun.
3. Agree that rugby season is far too short – so what will I do in the off season!
4. I will be concentrating too much on hurling and that hurts too much.
Have a good day buddies – the sun has just peeked its head out – for a second.
Hey Irish, hurling is something we do in SA after about 27 beers!!
Also known as opgooing!!
You know, talking to that big white telephone!!
GBS,
Does soccer employ a global season?
tighthead @ 81
also known as calling “N-O-A-G!” (the sound one makes while talking over that big white telephone)
morné @ 82
never heard of him
is he bafana’s assistant coach?
When do we get our next South African rugby game ? Thou i do enjoy the English rugby.
Havnt seen any French Top 14 thou, would like to see Frans Steyn play.
Hi Ash loved your jokes, the curry one is a fav. First time i read it had tears running down my face and was gasping for breath i laughed so much.Have a vivid imagination. 🙂
treehugger @ 86
same thing happened to me
in fact, i had to stop reading halfway through it, because i was disturbing the guys around me
btw
if you want to copy and send it to someone else, remember that last line of “looking for something” doesnt belong there … guess i’m not that good at copy and paste!! 😆
82@ Morné – What I know or care about soccer is dangerous…. I do not like the round ball, poofball game!
A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence: he’s allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. “Cold floors,” he says. They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. He clears his throats and says, “Bad food.” They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. “I quit,” he says. “That’s not surprising,” the elders say. “You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here.”
89@ Asbakkie – My two words…. Ag Flok!
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