Some big decisions lie ahead for the IRFU, writes Ryan Cullen
To say that this is an important summer for Irish rugby seems something of an understatement. With a Lions tour to Australia likely to take the best this island can offer down under and the tours of North America and Eastern Europe to look forward to, we are likely to have a bumper summer of on-field action that will shape the national team for the next World Cup and beyond. What happens off the field, though, may turn out to be more important than anything that happens on it.
Two huge issues hang over Irish Rugby as we approach the summer tours; who will replace Declan Kidney and the shape of any future European competitions.
On the face of it, the head coach conundrum seems much the easier one to solve. Over the past seven days we have seen Joe Schmidt move into pole position after his admission that he is meeting with the IRFU this week. The Kiwi certainly ticks the majority of the boxes any appointment committee must have. Proven at the highest level of the club game, Schmidt is also fully aware of the uniquely Irish Rugby Union system and has already built up a wealth of knowledge on all Irish internationals.
The style of play Leinster have adopted throughout his time there must also be an attraction to all Irish fans as he hasn’t just won trophies, he has won them playing a progressive, attacking brand of Rugby. Further, he has demonstrated he can come in and make already high performing players better and work well with youth to aide their transition into the professional game. Perhaps the question should be ‘Why wouldn’t the IRFU want him?’
The sometimes fractious relationship Schmidt has had with the IRFU throughout his Leinster tenure may be one reason they may not. Schmidt certainly hasn’t shied away from giving his opinion whilst in Ireland and this has been cited in some areas as a reason he may not be offered the job. An upfront, honest and confident head coach certainly doesn’t strike me as a bad thing though and I find it hard to believe that his relationship with any of the key players at the IRFU is so bad he wouldn’t be offered the job for that reason.
Of course there are also plenty of other hats that have been thrown into the ring. Ewen McKenzie of the Queensland Reds was one of the first candidates to be linked with the position after he announced his intention to leave the Reds in order to seek an International job. Nick Mallett, Jake White and Mark McCall have all been mentioned also, as well as a plethora of others to boot. Yet when qualifying their credentials against Schmidt, it is still hard to see how any of them quite merit the job instead.
Undoubtedly the IRFU needs to undergo some structural change also but if Schmidt were to take over as head coach it would undoubtedly be a good start to an important summer. Whether it will quite as positive at club level is another issue entirely.
As things currently stand, Munster will be the last Irish representatives in the Heineken Cup and Leinster the last in the Amlin Challenge Cup. The impasse over the future of European club competition continues with the IRFU taking the entirely justifiable stand that they will not move past the line they have drawn in the sand. As this year’s European competition has already shown us, competing with the French clubs is becoming increasingly difficult. Conceding further ground can’t be an option.
The entire debate is much too intricate and nuanced to go into here but it is safe to say neither of the current options will do anything to improve the game on this island. Ireland as a nation has thrived since the introduction of Europe-wide club competition. Irish provinces have excelled at the highest level whilst the national team, although stuttering of late, has come on leaps and bounds from the days when they were perennial wooden spoon candidates.
The clubs and IRFU coffers have also been boosted with the rise of European Rugby. Three extra guaranteed full houses a year is just the beginning. The extra sponsorship, media interest and the money the IRFU has received for hosting several of the finals has also been a major boost. Money has been set aside to improve the academy systems in each province and the results have been there for all to see.
What Irish rugby would be left with if the European Cups were to disappear is another source of worry. Whilst the Pro12 is a grand competition as a backup to the Heineken Cup, imagining it as the only competition is not pleasant, and that’s before we have even taken the Welsh dissenters into consideration. How could we sustain player development without developing a different way forward?
Then of course the impact the lack of European competition would have on Irish fans must be considered. Would the next generation of fans be inspired to get behind their province without the Heineken Cup as a lure? Will current fans want to come week, in week out to see league fayre alone? Would we have the high quality foreign imports?
All in all there are lots of questions the IRFU must find the correct answer to this summer and it is not too far-fetched to suggest this summer’s outcomes will affect the professional game in this country for the next ten years. Resolve both situations positively and the future of the game on these shores looks rosy.
Should they take the wrong options, it is likely we will all remember this summer as the point at which Irish rugby’s fortunes started to decline instead remembering only the victorious Lions down under.
My name is Ryan Cullen and I am a 25 year old Ulster season ticket holder. I was introduced to the game around 15 years ago and have loved it ever since. I have an interest in pretty much all sports though so don’t be surprised to see a few football (Liverpool), Golfing and Racing interests (to name but a few) thrown in from time to time.
