Editorial: Is rugby in big trouble?

OPINION: Rugby's not often associated with chickens, unless of course one is thinking of the French cockerel, as the All Blacks will be this week.

But there are indications that the sport's chickens may be coming home to roost, in a manner of speaking.

Last week it was announced that the Crusaders had posted a loss for the last financial year of close to $300,000. The loss was widely expected as a result of building going on at AMI Stadium in preparation for the 2011 World Cup, the recession and the fact that 2009 was one of the years in which the team had six home and seven away games in its Super 14 pool programme.

No doubt the fact that no playoff games were held in Christchurch was also a factor, as they surely would have produced sellouts.

No matter; indications have been that the problem is going to be addressed, partly through lower ticket prices aimed at putting more bums on seats.

Then, at the weekend, came the announcement that all Black captain Richie McCaw would be missing the Crusaders' first three games of next year as a result of an agreement between the Crusaders and the New Zealand Rugby Union. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder was forthright in saying the skipper had been "bashed up a bit" during the season.

It seems a reasonable arrangement and there can be no denying that McCaw is one of the hardest-working players around and needs the recovery time.

But what will it mean for the Crusaders in terms of the potential knock to attendances in their first two home games at a time when they're trying to increase numbers through the turnstiles? After all, McCaw is undoubtedly a crowd-puller and the franchise could do with his presence.

Then again, the All Blacks need a fit McCaw, not one who will miss important test matches.

The bottom line, surely, is that there is too much rugby. Not only does that give rise to the possibility of player burnout, but it means fans' appetites for rugby, and their financial ability to keep attending games, are compromised.

Ultimately, it's a problem that must be said to have its roots in the quest to maximise financial returns from rugby. Expecting players to be training and playing for 10 months of the year and still performing at their peak was never a sustainable concept. Nor was expecting fans to attend games for 10 months.

The question now is, how does rugby manage its stars' workload and still ensure healthy attendances throughout a season? It's not one with easy answers.

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