OPINION:
The Black Ferns and a great World Cup final dominate the awards this week, but the rugby fairy tale did lose badly in some areas.
WINNER: Ruby Tui
She is the Black Fern who has connected most with the public, in a way that no one else has
Chris Rattue’s winners and losers: How the magic of Black Ferns star Ruby Tui could turn into Jonah Lomu
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The big question is this: what comes next for Ruby Tui and teammates, the Black Ferns brand and women’s rugby?
The World Cup took off in a big way in the latter stages of the World Cup tournament, which had been hidden away in Northland/Auckland and on an outlier subscriber channel.
Building on this explosion of interest is no easy task.
Other New Zealand sports have failed, when presented with what appeared to be a golden opportunity. Even rugby struggled to take full advantage of hosting the 2011 tournament.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
It’s an even tougher gig these days because there is so much competition in the digital age.
Permanently elevating women’s rugby will take dynamic action and thinking, not exactly NZR hallmarks.
WINNER: (Sir) Wayne Smith
I’m not a fan of the honours system, but since we have one, it’s got to be used fairly, and for good purposes.
If it’s good enough for All Blacks coaches to get knighted when they win Rugby World Cups the same must be applied to the women’s game.
Smith should be offered the ultimate gong, after the Black Ferns he rejuvenated beat England in the Eden Park World Cup final.
And New Zealand Rugby gets some rare kudos in this column, for putting Smith in charge of the failing national team. It was an inspired choice.
(Smith deserves a knighthood just for finding a way to bring down the boring English maul.)
LOSER: Rugby…
…if England dominates.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Their women’s team have even less imagination than their men’s team, which is saying something.
The Red Roses came here with a one-weapon approach, a rolling maul that has thundered around the upper North Island for the last couple of weeks.
It was one long melee. England made the game look like Queen St at two in the morning, except there weren’t any cops.
They’ve clearly got the jump on the rest of the world in terms of professionalism, and are using it to bash their way to victory. BORING.
England were hurt by a red card in the final against New Zealand. But they got what they deserved in the end.
As the pack leaders in women’s rugby, they need to show greater ambition and imagination.
WINNER: Rugby
I’ve met so many people who said they watched and were enthused about rugby for the first time, or the first time in a long time, thanks to the women’s World Cup.
The tournament got them talking about the game, and that talk continued at work on Monday.
These people found women’s rugby refreshing, and they also found it, finally, on free-to-air TV. Just saying.
LOSER: Rugby
It was a brilliant World Cup final at Eden Park. But it also had a significant concussion problem.
Portia Woodman, one of the game’s greatest stars, can’t even remember the game after being the victim of an illegal head clash.
Hearing that from Woodman is actually frightening, and it will hardly promote the game to parents and kids.
In other words, even the goodness and light of the women’s game can’t escape this alarming scourge.
It was also yet another big game decided by a red card — a factor that will be magnified at next year’s men’s World Cup.
WINNERS/LOSERS: All Blacks
Full disclosure…the way outstanding coach prospects Scott Robertson, Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown were cast aside for company man Ian Foster taints my thinking.
But no one who saw the All Blacks bumble their way to victory against Scotland could say that Foster’s regime is drawing the best out of the country’s players.
At least they won and test rugby is a very topsy-turvy place right now, but they are hardly progressing.
As for Australia, losing to Italy is about as low as it gets. Then again, Australian rugby is so shaky it has even further to fall.
WINNER: Kane Hames
Brilliant to hear Kane Hames back behind the microphone for the Murrayfield test.
He slots in some great editorial and gives an insight into the game you don’t hear every day, or ever.
WINNER: Samoan rugby league
Rose from the ashes of their disastrous World Cup opener to beat England and make Sunday’s final against Australia.
Thankfully Samoa’s captain Junior Paulo has again escaped suspension to make the final at Old Trafford.
But Australia will win the big game on Sunday morning, IMO.
Their danger men — notably Cameron Munster and Latrell Mitchell — failed to fire against the Kiwis and will be primed for vigorous attacking games.
Just as they locked up Kiwi fullback Joseph Manu, Australia will put a strong ring around Samoa’s raw-boned kid Joseph Suaali’i.
As for the Kiwis, they have failed yet again when it counts. Michael Maguire’s men began to tread water when victory was in sight against a lacklustre Kangaroo side there for the taking.
WINNER: Joseph Suaali’i
The league World Cup needed a superstar, and Samoa’s teenage fullback Suaali’i answered the call.
It highlighted the Sydney Roosters’ embarrassment of riches at fullback, with James Tedesco, Joseph Manu and Suaali’i in their ranks.
LOSERS: Kiwi cricketers
But the Pakistan supporters were amazing at the Sydney T20 World Cup semifinal. What an atmosphere…we don’t do sports enthusiasm like that.
WINNERS: Kiwi golfers
Led by the charging Ryan Fox, resurgent Lydia Ko and golden oldie Steven Alker.
We’ve struggled to deliver on our promise in golf but this could almost be called a golden age, with success spread across the men’s, women’s and senior tours. Every week brings great and/or interesting news.
WINNERS: Everybody…and nobody…you must view this on Netflix
The Fifa World Cup starts next week. Yahoo.
For those who don’t want to get in the mood, there’s an excellent four-part Netflix documentary series on Fifa’s history of corruption.
‘FIFA Uncovered’ details the men who turned football into a superpower and turned a nice little profit for themselves in the process.
I’d give the series a two-thumbs-up rating.
