Few rugby fans had heard of Enisei-STM before Saturday evening, but Russia’s second largest club sent shockwaves across the northern hemisphere as they became only the second club from a non-Six Nations-competing country to defeat an English side in the Challenge Cup.
Enisei’s powerful 24-7 victory over Newcastle Falcons not only reflects huge improvements in the domestic game across Eastern Europe, but also mirrors the determined and defiant performances of minnow nations like Russia and Georgia on the international stage. Back in September, the rugby-obsessed folk of Gloucester were treated to an enthralling clash between the Lelos and Tonga.
Georgia’s reckless abandon and free-flowing style earnt them many fans throughout the Rugby World Cup, yet their club teams are rarely afforded opportunities in Europe’s premier domestic competitions, and the national side is ostracised much in the same way as Russia.
Since 2000, the Six Nations has included Italy, and their two regional sides are represented in the Champions Cup, the Challenge Cup and the Pro 12. Yet despite their best efforts, Italy has rarely made an impact in any of these competitions, and the Italian national side has only won less than a handful of games in the Six Nations.
In contrast, despite the improvements made outside of mainstream Europe, with Portugal and Romania also having made strong showings in recent times, no movement has been made by the governing bodies of Europe’s major rugby nations to expose more of these teams to higher quality opposition. But how might this be done?
Some have talked of introducing promotion and relegation between the main Six Nations tournament and the European Nations Cup (often referred to as the ‘Six Nations B’ tournament). However, whoever finishes with the wooden spoon in one season would essentially be consigning themselves to potential financial ruin if they were to be relegated to the second-tier event. Turkeys do not often vote for Christmas and this case is no exception.
The RFU tried to assist with their now-defunct Churchill Cup competition and both Scotland and Ireland have sent second-string sides to Georgia in the past few years, yet these efforts seem somewhat paltry.
Once again, the northern hemisphere must look to the southern hemisphere for inspiration. Finally, after years of waiting, Argentina persuaded the powers-that-be at SANZAR to add them to the Tri-Nations, and since that time they have gone from strength to strength.
Argentina completely outclassed Ireland in the World Cup, but this was no fluke. Having already defeated South Africa away from home and Australia in Mendoza back in 2014, Argentina came into the World Cup on the back of consistently playing the top sides in the world. Furthermore, Argentina will be represented in an expanded Super Rugby tournament this year. For them, the sky is the limit.
One potential approach is to create a conference system in the Six Nations that would allow the more established teams to play not only each other but newer, up-and-coming nations. Although this would kill off the excitement of a ‘Super Saturday’ scenario, it would present the Six Nations committee with an opportunity to introduce a grand final between conference winners. As well as this, more and more non-Six Nations clubs must be allowed to establish themselves in both the Challenge Cup and the Champions Cup itself.
There are no easy answers in the quest to expand the appeal of rugby across the continent, but we must find a way to rid ourselves of European rugby’s iron curtain.
Paul Wassell, Pundit Arena
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar