Jeff Probyn: Lack of rugby stadiums means shortage of legacy
Although, if we are honest we all know that there aren’t that many rugby clubs (Premiership or otherwise) in the country that have stadiums that are up to even the Premiership entry standard, let alone staging an international match, there was an unspoken expectation that at least some of the minor nation games would be given to the rugby clubs across the country to stage.
Given that the IRB had expected to make a substantial loss at the 2011 Cup in New Zealand (in fact they made a profit), the problem the Union faced was that in order to secure the World Cup in 2015 the RFU had to give an £80m guarantee which, despite the government’s generous grant of £20m towards that onerous sum, changed the whole dynamic of how the event is to be staged.
What should be an opportunity to showcase how far rugby has progressed as a major sport and the heritage of England as the birthplace of the game has been turned into a vehicle purely to make as much money as possible.
The hope is that by doing so it will enable the RFU to meet their commitments and still make enough money to fund a worthwhile legacy from the usual boost in numbers at club level throughout the game which follows a World Cup.
The last time England staged the World Cup final in 1991 there were just 28 games played in 19 stadiums spread across the Five Nations countries, with eight venues in France, four each in England & Wales, two in Ireland and one in Scotland.
Since then, the competition has changed to being staged in just one country, so in 2015 all 48 games will be played in a maximum of 12 venues all in England, bar Cardiff.
In 1991, the venues were all rugby stadiums which explained why so many games were played in France where all stadiums are municipally built and owned and so provided an adequate number of seats. Of the English club venues – Leicester, Gloucester and Otley – only Leicester could match the spectator capacity of the French clubs.
In 2015, apart from Twickenham, there will potentially be just a single rugby club venue – Gloucester, the rest being made up from the soccer world with the possible addition of Wembley (the sometimes home of Saracens) and the Olympic Stadium in Stratford which beggars the question, how will this help encourage people into rugby clubs?
As a friend of mine said to me the other day, architects are clever people; they design buildings that are fit for purpose.
In other words, a football stadium is a football stadium not a rugby stadium and as most people who attend those Premiership matches that are currently played in football stadiums will testify, they somehow just don’t work the same as watching rugby in a purpose built rugby stadium.
Travel to Exeter’s Sandy Park, Bath at the Rec, Worcester’s Sixways, Leicester’s Welford Road, Quins at the Stoop and even Sale at the new Salford City stadium and the atmosphere is like being at Twickenham on an international day with fans from both teams mixing and drinking together, discussing the match before and after the game at the ground with a feeling of camaraderie.
Going to Sarries at Vicarage Road or Wasps at Adams Park is a soulless experience that does little to inspire even the dedicated fans of those clubs to turn up regularly, let alone stay and chat after the match – hardly the right atmosphere to draw in the casual rugby supporter.
I know a Rugby World Cup is different, not least because a number of those that will be watching will be foreign supporters who will have little or no experience of our club game, but surely that is more of a reason to welcome them into our rugby clubs, to mingle with local supporters who are the heart and soul of the game.
Rugby World Cups give a unique opportunity for clubs to open their doors to a host of new people drawn to the game by the fact that a World Cup is taking place.
Most people would not attend the pool games were it not a World Cup, so unless you can make it a friendly, and possibly an exciting, experience they are unlikely to return once the Cup is over.
A game played at a football stadium with a mix of foreign fans who go home after the tournament, corporate guests and those who support any England team no matter what the sport, is less likely to hang on to those new to the game than the friendly atmosphere of a rugby club, packed with loyal supporters where the drinking, singing and conversation can go on late into the night.
Even the distribution of the venues seems not to be balanced in favour of rugby with the south west potentially served only by Southampton and Bristol. The hot-bed of rugby, Cornwall, would surely have been better served by matches played at Exeter’s Sandy Park.
The north, with potential venues in Manchester, Leeds, Sunderland and Newcastle (none rugby grounds) may feel a little under-represented given the fact the two counties with the largest number of rugby clubs in the country have just one venue each while the north east, without a particularly strong rugby following, has potentially two.
The six potential venues in the Midlands, (Derby, Leicester, Gloucester, Coventry, Milton Keynes and Birmingham), appear to show an understanding of the massive contribution that area has made, and continues to make to rugby through clubs like Tigers and Saints, but with Gloucester the only rugby club venue that could alienate other clubs fans.
That leaves three potential venues in London and one in Brighton to cover the eastern counties and south east which I find a little disappointing.
Essex are the newest constituent body in the Union and were created in recognition of the growth of the game in the east of London, eastern counties and Essex area.Yet the nearest venue, if it makes the final cut, will be the Olympic stadium which is over 100 miles away from parts of that region.
By going down the football stadium road the RWC may make the money – but it may not bring the legacy the game deserves!
