MLR IMPLODING?

How ironic after posting concerns about the dissolution of the Arrows, that yesterday it was announced that last year’s League Champs, the New York Ironworkers, cannot continue in the League.  Further, evidently talk about a new franchise in Los Angeles is also very dubious. All of this is sad and disconcerting news.

Rugby Canada released its Strategic Plan for 2024 to 2027 earlier this week. Neil Davidson (Canadian Press), an astute rugby writer, calls it “ambitious”. I would say, that is the least. “A top 12 nation” is explained by CEO Bombrys as “where we want to be”, “a statement of ambition”, “a statement of intent”. The report includes the need to increase sponsorship to a level far higher than the existing $16 million. I could pontificate at length about the plan. A visual synthesis of the plan can be viewed at this link

This summary is very “motherhood” and nowhere do I see “HOW”.  The WHAT & WHY are positions that anyone close to the sport could author. The current status of our NSMT’s achievements is at its lowest for years, despite a crawl of two placements to World #21 following a recent victory over Brazil. Grass roots rugby is where the focus needs to be to ensure a growth towards achievement of the Plan.  From experience at the club level, the near attainment of such goals of excellence covers a fifteen-year span of hard work. I know the passion of the average club “stiff” for the game and I know that support will not wane, but a top-down approach will simply not work in my opinion.

(Opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the writer.)

ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE

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