The Last Word: Rugby World Cup

A new approach
I don't know Greg Glendining of Glenross (try saying that five times quickly) but I do know he's made one of the most interesting suggestions in recent times.

On the Otago Daily Times letters page last week, Glendining wrote of his scepticism of the worth of New Zealand hosting a Rugby World Cup expected to lose as much as $40 million.

He wondered if the Government and the New Zealand Rugby Union shouldn't simply tell the International Rugby Board to take a hike, and invite other major nations to tour here on our terms.

Afternoon tests, midweek matches and full-strength touring sides could all make a welcome return, Glendining proposed.

"What would future Rugby World Cups be without the All Blacks anyway? A non-event, surely, as every recognised rugby nation wants to play and beat the All Blacks."

Putting aside the infinitesimal likelihood this sort of thing will ever happen, I absolutely LOVE this idea.

No more meaningless tests, no more playing Australia and South Africa three to four times a year, no more nakedly commercial games in Asia and no more endless northern tours.

It can be pointless to hark back to the good old days in sport.

But common sense needs to be applied to the business of All Black rugby before it implodes.

Tenth not good enough
How odd to see some Otago players throwing their arms in the air in jubilation at the final whistle in the game against Counties at Carisbrook last weekend.

To celebrate what, exactly?It can be dressed up however people like but the fact is Otago finished 10th for a second straight season.

Tenth! A few years back there were only nine teams in the whole first division.

Two days after Southland produced a display of guts for the ages, Otago was struggling on its once-intimidating home ground to beat a team full of no-names with PAKNSAVE and POKENO BACON on the backs of their shirts.

The really weird thing is that some Otago players did well this season.

Ben Smith was a star, Ryan Shortland looked lively, Glenn Dickson took great strides, Tom Donnelly played his way into the All Blacks and Alando Soakai, Jason Macdonald, Sean Romans and Paul Grant were generally very good.

But it seemed Otago was unable to put its parts together to form one cohesive, enthusiastic unit.

That's the No 1 priority of the new coach.

Awards? What awards?
Apparently Otago rugby held an awards function at Carisbrook the Saturday night after the Counties game.

Apparently - and predictably - Ben Smith won most of the major awards.

I'm forced to say "apparently" because, true to form, the Otago Rugby Football Union did not tell my newspaper the event was happening, nor did it send us a list of award winners.

We've struck this before, when the Highlanders established awards and didn't see the need to alert the press.

I just don't get it.

Cricket, netball, basketball . . . these sports and others in Otago hold annual awards and let us know about them.

Why does rugby keep that sort of thing in-house? Share the news and let us celebrate the leading achievers.

Abbotsford mystery
Last week The Last Word reported Ben Smith was - here it comes again - apparently the second All Black to come out of Dunedin's Abbotsford School.

The first, according to a New Zealand Rugby Museum profile, was Alexander "Sandy" Kerr.

Small problem. Kerr played for the All Blacks in 1896.

Abbotsford School opened in 1953. Now it seems Kerr may simply have lived in or near Abbotsford for a time. Any further information would be welcome.

The forgotten candidate
It's bordering on the bizarre that outstanding Otago cricket coach Mike Hesson is not being mentioned as a possible successor for Andy Moles.

All the talk has been of Stephen Fleming and John Wright and Steve Rixon and Matthew Mott taking over now Moles has gone.

How about the guy who has been New Zealand A coach for five years, who has promoted five players into the Black Caps and who has won two limited overs trophies?Hesson has all the credentials for the job.

Most of the others don't even seem particularly interested.

Festival of football
Watching some highlights of the under-17 world cup in Nigeria brought back memories of the 1999 tournament.

Dunedin hosted a pool that year.

Paraguay, Jamaica, Qatar and Burkina Faso came to town and Carisbrook went football-mad for 10 days.

It was colourful and exciting and it was brilliant.

Here's hoping the Glasshouse at Awatea St can attract events like it.

hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz