Rugby's long hard trek that shouldn't be endured

BY TOBY ROBSON IN MARSEILLE

OPINION: It should not be posed to the powers that be as a question, but rather a statement.

The rugby season is too long.

If they haven't heard the warnings then someone needs to post a hearing aid to the New Zealand Rugby Union headquarters in Wellington.

Everyone knows there is money to be made, but the All Blacks are in danger of being flogged into the ground.

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Three matches, the extra Bledisloe Cup test in Tokyo, Wales and the Barbarians were tagged onto this tour for financial reasons.

The NZRU must put its foot down and demand their fair share of away tests on the IRB schedule. It is whispered that the Italian Rugby Union made seven million euros from playing the All Blacks in Milan.

Such imbalance cannot continue.

But first a misconception. The All Blacks do not play more games now than they used to.

As far back as 1992 they played 20 matches, albeit including midweek tour games.

The number of times the All Blacks run out has been relatively stable since, and they played more games last year than in 2009.

However, it has become clear this week that NPC, Super 14 and All Blacks commitments have simply become too great.

Consider lock Brad Thorn, who has played every minute of every test, bar the Italian one, on the end of year tour.

''Is this it? Are those other guys [reporters] going to come over too?

''I don't want to answer the same questions twice,'' Thorn said as he sat down at the pre-test press conference yesterday.

He wasn't being rude. The big fella has fronted the media a million times this season at various levels and his concern was fair.

What the punter forgets is that professional sports, and touring in particular, is not just the 80 minutes they see each week.

It is the trainings, the gyms, the hotels, the airplanes, the interviews, the sponsors' commitments, and the shared hotel rooms.

It is Skype being the only contact you have with wives, girlfriends and children.

The other night my own three-year-old, Brad, waltzed past the computer without a glance and his dad has been gone only four weeks.

New Zealand's top players are gone for triple that each season unless they are injured.

The demands that stretch from January to December are at their limit.

Thorn has four young children and there are tears, tantrums and stubbed toes that cannot be attended too from faraway lands.

Physically he is a machine and will front up and perform against France as surely as night follows day.

But mentally he, like other players, is clearly jaded.

There are those who will say if the players don't like it they should find another profession. That is a simplistic view.

Top line professional rugby players do not grow on trees.

Centre Conrad Smith articulates the challenges of touring.

''Each week you take a bit longer to wind into it. When you first come on tour you could probably play the test on the Tuesday, then slowly it gets longer.

''Against England we were ready on the Friday. We will probably just be ready by Saturday this time around.''

Smith has been an All Black since 2004 and is on his sixth straight northern tour.

He admitted this year had taken more of a toll than the previous five.

''It's different for different guys, but for me it's the mental thing.

''I've never experienced that before, I've always just loved every chance to play for the All Blacks.

''I'm not saying thats different, I'll be jumping out of my skin on Saturday, but it has been tough.''

- © Fairfax NZ News