With a command via his microphone, referee Mathieu Raynal stopped the clock at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon after 82 seconds. The repetition of Charlie Ewels’ tackle on James Ryan on the big screen caused sighs in the stands. England’s supporters, aware of the rugby rules, knew what time it was. A red card in the Six Nations cracker against Ireland was inevitable.
Raynal, a Frenchman, left no room for doubt. Ewels failed to tilt his torso, causing his head to hit Ryan’s. The perpetrator apologized and accepted his sentence as befits a rugby player. Calm, respectful and without a cross word. Whoever jeopardizes the well-being of an opponent does not have to count on any leniency.
Ireland won in part thanks to the numerical surplus against England 32-15, but the international match will not go down in the books as a duel that resulted in a torture for the vice world champion due to early intervention by the (video) arbiter. A classic emerged in the stadium that was credited with decorative letters in the annals. Free from nerves, the home side fought for every meter, until the energy seeped away.
In the ITV studio, guests beamed with pride about the spectacle. The trio did not analyze so much, but declared their love for the tournament as the ‘crown jewel’ of the sport for good reason. Jonny Wilkinson, famous for his winning ‘drop goal’ in the 2003 World Cup final, former national team coach Clive Woodward and Irish legend Brian O’Driscoll spread the rugby gospel to millions of TV viewers.
If the Six Nations needed an impulse not to disappear under a thick layer of dust, the marketing department could rub its hands. But the event, steeped in tasty traditions, does not need advertising at first glance. The number of spectators at the matches between France, Wales, Scotland, Italy, England and Ireland could hardly be higher. Rugby’s showpiece sells itself.
President Barack Obama alluded to the tournament’s global impact at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day in 2014 by figuratively taking his hat off to one of the greatest Irish players of all time. “I understand that tomorrow the legendary Brian O’Driscoll will play his last international match,” he said to the delight of his audience. A day later, Ireland won the Six Nations by beating France.
Hunt for more glamour
Rugby bosses in Europe like to point to this incident in Washington to maintain the status quo. Slaughtering the goose that lays the golden eggs in the pursuit of more glitz and glamor to interest a wider audience is like swearing in church. At least, gold. The corona pandemic has hit rugby at the heart. Revenues came to a standstill and dried up.
No country noticed this more than South Africa. Under pressure from New Zealand, Super Rugby, a competition between provincial teams in the southern hemisphere, continued without the teams from Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. They did not have to look for a new home for long. The commercial value of the representative clubs of South Africa, the winner of the last World Cup, was embraced in Europe.
To include the Stormers, the Lions, the Bulls and the Sharks in its bosom, one of the leading leagues was renamed. The Pro14 – the flagship of teams from Italy, Scotland, Ireland and Wales – went on to become the United Rugby Championship. From next year, the South African clubs will also participate in the European Rugby Champions Cup, the equivalent of the Champions League in football.
If the ‘Springbok’ have their way, it doesn’t stop there. Within a few years they want to be added to the field of the Six Nations. Italy, which has only been participating since 2000 and lost to Scotland for the 36th consecutive time in Rome on Saturday, would then have to give up its spot. Italy vetoed the plan last month, but insiders expect that cherished traditions will soon give way to the wishes of the lenders.
CVC Capital Partners is taking the lead in this. During the corona crisis, the investment company bought a seventh part of the Six Nations, for 425 million euros. In exchange for this financial injection, the policymakers want to wipe the cobwebs from the household effects. Rugby’s cash cow has ‘failed to fully exploit its potential’ summarized an article in British daily The Telegraph this view succinctly.
Modernization
In a broader sense, South Africa plays an excellent role as the flywheel of modernization. The 1995 World Cup marked the start of professional rugby. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch took full advantage of the attention for the sports fairy tale in Johannesburg. The world was delighted to watch as the Springboks, with President Nelson Mandela as the figurehead, defeated New Zealand in the final at Ellis Park, romanticized in the film Invictus†
Thanks to TV funds and sponsorship deals, the sport developed with seven-mile boots. The draft, as the world rugby union acknowledges, has nevertheless been in it for some time. Despite initial opposition from the Europeans in particular, their desire to establish a Nations Championship is taking shape. In this format, the Six Nations serves as a stepping stone to a Grand Final against the best nation from the rest of the world.
Approval will follow before the summer, now that the plans can count on support in both Europe and the southern hemisphere. The addition of South Africa to the Six Nations is likely to be on the agenda within five years. The tournament, which will probably be won by France next week, will have to make a sacrifice to make rugby future-proof, according to the opinion.
Purists like O’Driscoll, Woodward and Wilkinson don’t like such a revolution, but few sports have modernized as quickly as rugby since 1995. The show, like Saturday at Twickenham, is slowly gearing up for a refreshed act with South Africa as a new, very appealing actor.