As its theme song, the United Rugby Championship (URC) should consider adopting Paul Kelly’s From Little Things Big Things Grow. While Kelly’s beautiful melody is not the pounding anthem that will bring the crowds to their feet, it tells the tale of a small concept that over time grows into a colossus.
In the turbulent years of early professionalism, the Celtic nations realised that if they were to survive, they had to take control of their destiny. The giant English and French domestic competitions were poised to drain the Celtic nations of their talent. So the Celts unified and co-operated. Two words that were almost unheard of in the previous century of their relationship.
When the Scots, Welsh and Irish Unions announced they were forming their own domestic competition, there were far more sceptics than supporters. The first Celtic League competition began 25 years ago in 2001. It was born not of love, but of necessity.
How all four Irish provinces can make the URC knockouts
While the introduction of the Italians was a logical step, money speaks all languages and when the South Africans heard the call of the euro they headed north, bringing a powerful brand of competitiveness, aggression and skill that has challenged the European teams and created the unique character of the URC.
In the bitter cold of a Glasgow winter or the oppressive summer heat and oxygen-depleted air of South Africa’s Highveld, the URC spans both hemispheres. No other rugby competition has dared to think so boldly.
This weekend, in the final round of what was once the Celtic League, the URC has nine teams from four nations fighting to make the quarter-finals.
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The margins between these nine teams are so tight that predicting the make-up of the quarter-finals is close to impossible. Which is exactly what every high-quality sporting competition desires: close contests with unpredictable outcomes that create sporting drama.
This season, every Irish province has defeated at least one of their domestic rivals and all four can still make the quarter-finals. This is proof of the benefits the URC has created for Ireland.
The rise of Glasgow as a powerhouse is another example of an organisation reacting positively to the competitiveness within the URC. Even in Wales, the URC has stimulated regeneration in Cardiff Rugby, who have delivered a season of wholehearted, determined rugby that shows us they are on the path to renewal.
Twenty-five years ago, the standard of Super Rugby was miles ahead of the Celtic League. Super Rugby in those days was a brilliant product. The competition structure and the composition of the clubs were easy for the rugby community to understand. Every team was a traditional province, representing their people in the world’s first international club competition. The interest in Super Rugby was global.
Then they started tinkering, killing off the goose that had been laying golden eggs. Teams from South Africa, Argentina, Japan and Australia came and went. The Western Force in Perth were kicked out of the competition, only to be reinstated a few years later. Poorly conceived conferences were created that made the structure unequal and confusing. To the extent that supporters simply lost interest.
TV audiences evaporated. Bums on seats radically declined. Income streams drastically decreased and the South Africans went north. It is a case study in exactly what not to do to a sporting competition. It is also a cautionary tale for those who think it would be a good idea to bring the Springboks into the Six Nations.
The law of unintended consequences materialises when administrators dream of ways to create more revenue and begin to tamper with the structure of highly successful, long-standing competitions.
Unlike the French Top 14, which is a marathon of 26 rounds, or Super Rugby’s sprint of only 16 matches, the URC has hit on the Goldilocks number of 18 games before the playoffs.
This number of games allows the clubs to generate sufficient income from home fixtures while not overtaxing the player pool with a prolonged season.
As Bordeaux prepare for next week’s Champions Cup final, their players will have competed in 34 matches this season before possibly facing three more Top 14 playoff games. In comparison, Leinster will have played only 26 matches before the URC playoffs. That is the equivalent of two months fewer games.
Many of these players also have international commitments. So while the Top 14 is without doubt the premier rugby club competition in the world, you can see why many believe the French system pays only lip service to player welfare.
Organisers of the URC should take a bow. The way the competition has been structured after bringing the South Africans to the north has lifted the playing standards and expanded the URC’s audiences, making the length of the competition financially responsible and physically manageable for the players.
Each season, the quality of the matches and the standard of play have improved. That is why it is close to impossible to predict the exact make up of the playoffs.
Now, dear URC administrators, please sit on your hands and leave the structure of your competition alone.
It is extremely rare that common sense prevails across rugby administrators for long periods of time. There is always a marketer tempting them with a plan to tweak the competition with the promise of higher revenue, trying to fix what is not broken. Please ignore them because you have created a competition that is growing in both global interest and quality of play.
To keep it that way, all that is required of the URC administrators is to sip on their chardonnay and do nothing.
A dark and dangerous job. But someone has to do it.
