Rugby controversies

As the Six Nations battle resumes in earnest after the lull last week, a controversy is building up by way of the generous sponsors, The Royal Bank of Scotland. It is believed that since 2003 they have been dumping money into rugby. The recent Six Nations sponsorship is reportedly worth £43 million. 

The four years sponsorship 2010-2013 is said to have cost them £26 million, translating into a 65% hike. The issue appears to stem from the fact that the bank has ignored the “opportunity to give back” to the people who involuntarily kept RBS afloat when appalling mismanagement and bad business practice would otherwise have sent it crashing a few years ago.

The sum of £43 million is considered by many as a piffling amount in the context of the £390 million that RBS was fined for its part in alleged LIBOR scandal whereby the rates were fixed from 2005-2010. Incidentally the CEO of Barclays, Bob Diamond was fired. The management of banks has often been referred to as ‘pinstriped pirates’ drawing heft bonuses.  During the hearing by the Parliamentary Select Committee, Diamond was at pains to tell how much he enjoyed working at Barclays for 16 years – during which time he earned more than £100 million – and insisted that he believed there had been pressure from ‘senior Government ministers’ over the bank’s high borrowing rate. I guess this statement may sound familiar in local financial circles as well.

There are those that seek to defend RBS and say that the bank, now more than ever, needs to heighten its profile. On the flip side, what would the bank say if its customers are found living the high life while defaulting on their mortgage payments; it does not need an Einstein to guess. As if the above was not adequate to whet one’s appetite, a great furore has erupted with regard to the appointment of Warren Gatland as the Lions Head coach. Critics have opined that it is desperately sad that someone with so little understanding of the make-up of British and Irish rugby and the history of these nations has been put in charge of the Lions tour.

The track record of Gatland, which reads as 11 defeats from 12 internationals against Australia, is now looking dippy than ever before. It has also been argued that the appointment of fellow New Zealander Graham Henry as Lions head coach in 2001 was a gaffe and, by appointing from outside the Lions nations again, that gaffe has been repeated. Maybe in certain instances lessons are never learned. It is said that in one’s lifetime there isn’t adequate time to make all the mistakes and learn from it. The recent interview by Gatland started the ruckus, and his explanation in an attempt to do damage control made matters worse. The Papal resignation last week made headlines around the world. It was amazing to see that the same was discussed in Parliament in Sri Lanka minus the usual heckling that one is used to nowadays, so much for discipline and maintaining the right decorum. History tells us that five of the last seven Popes have died in the years when Wales won the Home/Five or the Six Nations Championship as it is now styled. They were Benedict XV in 1922, Pius XI in 1939, Paul VI and John-Paul I in 1978 and John-Paul II in 2005. Having said that, Sam Warburton’s Wales team do not appears to be serious title contenders for the championship this season. So much so that Sam will be on the bench for this week’s game against Italy.  On the super rugby front, some Key Aussies, such as Pocok, O’Connor and Quade Cooper are back in action having missed out on a number of games for the country during the latter part of 2012. There is loads of rugby to look forward to over the weekend, with Monday’s holiday being available for recovery.

(The writer can be reached via [email protected].)