D'Arcy Waldegrave: The expendability of the modern rugby player

Gregor Paul, a colleague of mine here at NZME, the home of Newstalk ZB and the New Zealand Herald, wrote this about the just announced All Blacks v Springboks match in Baltimore:  “This seems to me to be the most egregious money-grab in rugby’s history: a decision that sells the genuine rugby fan short, compromises the physical well-being of the players and disrupts the nostalgic narrative of this being a traditional tour.”   These are all fair points.   I enjoy Gregor’s writing. I love his succinct summary of the state of New Zealand rugby. His irascible Celtic mindset regularly holds a candle to the feet of NZR, for that we should be grateful.    That sentence I referred to, bristling with indignation, maybe accurate and grim but sadly that’s what rugby is and will continue to be.    NZR have a duty of care with regards the financial security of our national game and recent history suggests they’re trying hard to plug the fiscal leaks in the game, with the likes of the controversial and still-to-be-proven-astute Silverlake dive into the murky swamp of private equity.    The fact that home test matches are dwindling in frequency, that players are being squeezed physically at every juncture, and that tradition has been pushed in front of a bus is of no surprise.  Like Formula 1 drivers of the 50’s and 60’s, the modern rugby player is expendable and although they won’t be killed as a result of their working conditions, if they burn out too early, never mind, here’s another one to fill the breach.    Some players appear intent on doing it to themselves, the much vaunted and demanded sabbatical, a concept based on rest and recovery, is now just a cash grab greedily swallowed by players with no apparent care for their own physical health.    Bigger squads, higher player turn over, all drenched in money – all acceptable in the current rugby climate.    Gregor is sadly right, but that’s the nature of progress. If that’s what we call this. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.