Death of the minnow

Tonga's win over France has hopefully put paid to the intollerable 'minnow' term. Photo: rurgbyworldcup.com

Question: What's the collective noun for all international rugby teams that don't play in the Six Nations or the Tri Nations (or now the Rugby Championship)?
Answer: According to most journalists and rugby pundits alike, the answer is a 'minnow'.

It's a lazy and simplistic grouping that, based on the performances of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, is inappropriate and irrelevant. Indeed, Georgia, Samoa, Canada are no more the 'minnows' of Rugby than Scotland, Italy and England are the 'whales' of world rugby.

Rugby World Cup 2011 was a break-out tournament for a number of the emerging teams. Georgia have well and truly landed on the world scene and with the Government declaring Rugby the national sport and almost all of their players playing professional rugby in Europe, Georgia are here to stay and their appearance in the knockout stages of a future RWC is inevitable.

Similarly, Samoa had an impressive tournament in what turned out to be a formidable Pool. Although they will be disappointed not to have made the quarter finals, the Manu Samoa took both Wales and South Africa to the wire.

Pool A was intriguing. Japan started their campaign at a furious pace against France which, for mine, was one of the most enjoyable games of the Pool stages. At the 60 minute mark they were within a converted try of France and looking dangerous - only to fall away in the final 20 minutes. Canada played out of their skins to beat Tonga with clinical defence and had it not been for Tonga's brutal defeat of France in their final pool match, Canada would have automatically qualified for RWC2015.

In fact almost all sides, with the exception of Namibia and perhaps Fiji, gave their more fancied opponents a scare at some stage or another at RWC2011.

To collectively group all teams that don't have the privilege of competing in the Six Nations or the Rugby Championship as 'minnows' is fallacious. Rugby is growing at an impressive rate and the international competitiveness of all teams is improving markedly. As this Rugby World Cup has demonstrated, the minnow is dead.

Improving lives through sport

Sport is one of the most powerful tools to foster community development. Photo: Zoomfiji

A fomer colleague recently sent me a paper that I presented many moons ago on the power of sport to change lives for the better in small and developing countries. Whilst many of the examples in the paper, as well as some of the statistics, are dated - the hypothesis remains exactly the same today. That is - that sport remains one of the most powerful tools to foster community development in developing countries (indeed in all countries).

You can read the paper here to see my thoughts on the role of sport in developing communities and how I believe it should be used more in international aid programs to foster stronger communities. The paper was written on the basis of my experiences in the Pacific Islands and East Timor.

I recently read a piece by Australia's Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Julie Bishop, arguing for a stronger sporting diplomacy program under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can read the Deputy Leader's piece by clicking here. I completely agree and I wish there was a great impetus amongst international donor countries to use sport to develop communities in developing countries around the world.

I'm very interest in the thoughts of others on this matter.

Samoa Rugby Union High Performance Facility Open for Business

The Prime Minister of Samoa opens the new SRU High Performance and Administration facilities

On Friday 19 August 2011, the Samoa Rugby Union High Performance Facility was opened by the Prime Minister and President of the Samoa Rugby Union, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and IRB Council Member, Peter McGrath. The Press Release on the opening can be found here.

It was a grand occasion and a cause for great celebration in a country where Rugby World Cup fever has gripped the nation since their stunning win over the Wallabies last month. The opening has further mobilised a country which genuinely believes it has the team to rock the foundations of Rugby World Cup which kicks off next month in New Zealand.

Here are some photos of the new facility, and the opening, with thanks to IRB High Performance Manager Peter Horne who, thankfully, is a much better High Performance Manager than he is a photographer!

Enjoy.

One of two accommodation dorms which will provide accommodation for 90 athletes

It wouldn't be a Samoan celebration without a feast

The new Gymnasium and accommodation block

One of two ice baths that have been installed

The National Sevens team pose in front of the new facility

IRB Council Member, Peter McGrath

Samoa's New High Performance Rugby Facility to open next week

The SRU has started moving into the new gymnasium

Gymnasium and Accommodation Block

The hallway of the accommodation block

We are now in August and the Manu Samoa Rugby World Cup preparation camp starts this week as the final countdown to New Zealand 2011 starts. With the taste of Wallaby blood now just a pleasant aftertaste, the Manu Samoa's gaze is now fixed firmly on the main prize - and what better way to prepare than in a brand new High Performance Facility.

Meeting Room

Ice Baths have been set up in two recovery centres

The administration facility is complete and the gymnasium and accommodation block will be completed this week - with the SRU moving into the new facility over the next week. The formal opening of the facility will be on 13 August and by this time, the gym and administration facility will be fully operational.

Some late changes to the accommodation block - such as the inclusion of a recreation room and study, has pushed back the completion of the accommodation facility by a couple of weeks.

Samoan rugby is riding a wave of optimism now and the opening of the new High Performance facility next week will be a great celebration that will further mobilise a proud rugby nation ahead of Rugby's showpiece event.

Inside the sacred space of the Fijian Dressing Room

Many kids grow up dreaming of being selected in a National sporting team and one of the most sacred spaces of any sporting teams, particularly Rugby teams, is the Dressing Room.

Every dressing room is different but no matter what level you play at - be it for the National team or your local 4th grade side - those minutes in the shed before running onto the field can be the most intense of times.

I remember when I first heard the singing coming from the sheds of the Fijian National team several years ago. Impossibly melodic and sung with the skill of a church choir, I couldn't believe it was being sung by 22 men about to take to the rugby field of a Test match. This is a tradition amongst the Fijian Rugby team and it is sung before each Test match.

It's too good not to share and the Fijian Team were great this year in allowing our photographer extraordinaire, Bruce Southwick, into the sheds to film what I think is something special - check out all the big units wiping the tears at the end of the song. Bruce has added some images of the Fijian team at this years IRB Pacific Nations Cup to put this little compilation together. Enjoy.

This is Rugby Country: Day 6

Location: Nadi Town
Time: 1.30pm

School's out and I found these 'Kaji' rugby players practicing their kicking skills. Is the next Nicky Little amongst them?

This is Rugby country: Day 4

 Location: TD Naciqa Park, Nadi
Time: 12.00pm

It's not the state of the pitch that keeps them away. Yesterday this park was heaving with local rugby. Give a kid some open space in Fiji and you give them a stage.

Sunday in Fiji = no rugby. Sunday is for Church and family.