General Rugby Discussion 3

I've been thinking about this a bit as one of my kids is a decent player and absolutely loves playing rugby. He's almost 16 and fairly tall but not particularly big, he doesn't take supplements and isn't consciously trying to bulk up, though a lot of the kids he plays against are huge. There is a fairly decent Polynesian population where we are and those lads come in large sizes but even if that's particular to our area (northern California) it's the case that even among youth players there really is no comparison to the fitness levels, strength training, speed, bulk, etc of kids compared to when I played and before the game became pro at the elite level. My fella has been doing dozens of pull-ups since he was 11 or 12. I do some coaching and by the time these kids reach 16 or 17 they are closer to what pro athletes were 25 years ago than anything approaching youth payers in those days. I think the same applies in GAA (say minor county level) soccer, American football, etc.

All by way of saying it's very hard to put that genie back in the bottle. Many of these kids are total squares, don't drink or piss about at all and go to the gym several times a week. It's insane. Add to that the amount pf supplements they take on (and god knows what else) and you have, at the high school and college level, athletes who are as close to pros as it's possible to be without being a pro. You can bring in weight classes or whatever but it's no guarantee of anything, a 13 stone speedster gym bunny will do more damage than a 15 stone plodder in the front row.

I occasionally go to college games around here. You'll see the top teams (Cal, Life, BYU, a couple from Canada) and the players are just phenomenally fit across the board, also packing power. I'm not sure what the level is for comparison sake but the best players would probably compete in the AIL, though you'll see a few who make the pro league here and onto the US team. The average is fairly standard sub pro level but in the same way as above, the difference between these guys and their equivalents 20 or 30 years ago is night and day.

I've heard this suggested but if you look at some performances you'll see a lot of front rowers doing 80 minutes and scrum halves being subbed on 60. Hookers seem to have gotten leaner and meaner in the last decade, and some front rowers, big as they are are just insanely fast and fit. Guys like Sheehan, Kelleher and Porter can easily go 80, never mind some of the English players. Even Vinupola has played the full 80 oil a number of occasions. I agree it's a different prospect to have fresh monsters sprinting on at 60 to bring the pain and that should be stopped but I'm not fully convinced that guys will get smaller for having to play 80, anymore than they've already got leaner so as to stay relevant in open play.

I agree that reducing subs won’t bring a return to 90/00’s weights per se, and there are many outliers like you say (Porter is regularly in my gym, and up close he is quite simply “a f**king UNIT”) but it’s a start and I do think the average size will reduce. You mention scrumhalves often go off at 60 these days, and funnily enough that’s another position that’s noticeably bigger in recent years.

2 of Major League Rugby (US pro league) teams have gone bust.

The US pro league seem to provide accommodation to players as part of their contracts so they are losing their jobs and being evicted.

Debt collectors are going after the players despite the fact that players are owed months of salary.

Being an American sports league the players are being offered alternate contracts with other clubs via a draft. Once a team drafts you you have to take their offer or leave the league.

Given that most teams filled their roster they will be offering terrible offers to players who will have to take it or leave the country to continue their rugby career.

That's a pity, awful situation for the players. The inability to sustain a league in the US continues to baffle. US and Canadian unions have to be some of the most incompetent shower going.

I’ll play devils advocate and say the I nitial point of contact appears to be the tacklers bicep on the tackled players shoulder before sliding up to the head.

There were two yellows given yesterday (Mun v Uls & Sco v Aus) where both refs stated that the bicep making contact first and not the shoulder was the reason they were yellow and not red.

staying there. world rugby cover some of the costs. wouldnt make sense to fly in/out for some of them

If it comes down to their head to heads VDF takes it even though Savea was by far to strongest AB player in the series.

Shortlist announced tomorrow.

Apparently Sheehan and Hansen are shortlisted for breakthrough player of the year, per Sunday Times.

Dunno how to tell ya this…. But he has been nominated 😝

I think VDF will be a more than worthy winner. But his achievement would be even better if savea was on the list.

TBH down the years the awards have often gone to players (including kiwis) who weren’t the best that particular year and other players have missed out who had been in super form.

in a sea of AB mediocrity in 2022, Savea has been a beacon of top level consistency. Much like VDF except Ireland haven’t been mediocre.