Rugby World Cup 2023: Alice Soper - Coaches should be held to same rules as players

From left: Charles Piutau, Malakai Fekitoa, Michael Cheika and Jo Schmidt. Photos / Photosport, Getty Images

OPINION

The first men’s Rugby World Cup I can remember watching was in 1999. I was 10 years old, rugby mad but had no idea of the history I was watching.

The 14-inch screen in our living room, beaming us to the first World Cup of the professional era. It was also the last tournament before the hammer fell on player eligibility, locking them into one country for life.

It’s been a long road to walk back, but at this World Cup we will see players take advantage of second chances. Changes in the eligibility rules meaning you can change sides once, so long as you haven’t played internationally for three years and have heritage or residency in your new nation. Of the announced squads, 11 players have made the jump.

Among these, six former All Blacks have made their way home to Samoa and Tonga. Welcome back, Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa! Given how much these nations have given to New Zealand rugby, it is only right to see these players run out for their islands of origin. We are already seeing their impact, Samoa unlucky not to topple the world No 1 Ireland in their warm-up match in France.

Many years of advocacy and paperwork have seen World Rugby tilt slightly back towards the ambitions of its player base. But what about the biggest egos of the modern game? How do our coaches travel?

If we look at just the quarter-finalists of the 2019 World Cup, only three head coaches remain. Jamie Joseph is still in place leading Japan’s Brave Blossoms, while Fabien Galthié continues to hold the hopes of France. Warren Gatland has boomeranged back to Wales after a hiatus at the Chiefs. Twitter’s favourite, Rassie Eramus, is still involved with South Africa as their Rugby Director but no longer carries the head coach title.

You’d be mistaken if you thought the rest were on the circuit now as after-dinner speakers. No, these men have been busy playing musical chairs, trading places in the coaches’ box. Jo Schmidt left Ireland and has ended up in the All Blacks staff. Meanwhile Steve Hansen has helped out in Australia’s camp alongside Eddie Jones (formerly of England). Leaving Michael Cheika to be bumped over to Argentina.

Forget three years, Jones didn’t even step down for 30 days in his switch between England and Australia. Cheika was delayed in his arrival to Argentina by the travel restrictions of the pandemic, physically joining their camp 10 months after leaving his head coach role in Australia. By contrast head-coach-turned-assistant Schmidt did manage to stand down for a couple of years between gigs.

Much is made of intellectual property in the arguments against players engaging in such free-flowing transfers. None of this holds water when the folk who wrote the gameplans we are scared of players sharing can walk freely between nations. Surely a stand down period for international coaching appointments is only fair when you consider you are sidelining players who have limited career time on the clock. We could generously let them off the one-nation clause should they agree to check their hubris.

I remember talking to Frank Bunce, about his time in rugby. One of the last to play at World Cups back to back for different nations, he told me about how his path in the game mirrored the life cycle. Rising up through the ranks and then returning back to where he began. How at each step, he gave his all until he couldn’t anymore. Finally we are restoring some of this natural order back to our rugby life cycle. But what’s good for players must also be good for their coaches. There is no “I” in team.