Coaches and players to be consulted in January review of new league

THE IRFU conducted a media briefing yesterday “of its ongoing strategic plan programmes and development structures for this season”. There was a presentation by Australian native Scott Walker (domestic games manager) and Allen Clarke (high performance manager) full of abbreviated phrases but precious little solid information.

Still, it was a welcome environment to hear about ongoing IRFU activity at all levels of the game.

Here’s what we learnt. The newly-condensed AIB All-Ireland League, which begins with Garryowen against Shannon on Friday night, will be reviewed from January with any glaring faults corrected ahead of next season. Both the players and coaches will be consulted. One presumes the Division 1B leaders progressing into the 1A play-off semi-finals will be queried simply because it is illogical and unfair.

“It would be unwise to launch any review until we have gone at least through two-thirds of this season,” said Walker. “The changes in Division One could have a very positive impact. They could also flesh out some other issues and challenges we need to take on board.

“We will engage with the key stakeholders. We will ask them what the league looks like but, at the end of the day, the union will make a decision based on what is best for Irish rugby.

“An area we missed out on in the past is the guys who actually play the game. What’s their view on the league? They are the ones who get up and travel to Clonakilty, to Derry each week.”

Tomorrow the International Rugby Board, armed with Jonah Lomu, appeal to the 106 IOC membership in Copenhagen to vote by simple majority for Sevens rugby’s inclusion in the 2016 Olympics. Ireland are the only major top-tier rugby nation yet to seriously invest in this version of the sport despite its rapid global growth.

Walker was adamant that the union “won’t be caught off guard”, despite the long-term structures already in place in other nations. “We have put a significant amount of thought into it but the 2nd of October is a key date,” he added.

The briefing focused primarily on realignment of the IRFU workforce and continued development of the highly-successful academy system. This, the union have identified, is crucial to denying English, French and even Welsh clubs from cherry-picking our best talent straight out of school.

“There is a lot of talent coming through the system,” said Clarke, a former international hooker.

In recent years academy coaches have been permitted access by the traditional rugby schools to their best players so as to ensure they are adequately conditioned for the under-20 international age grade on leaving school.

“We have got to recognise that the game is played in the school. It is about the game. There is no point in just working on the skills and then saying he is going to be a professional rugby player.

“We know some Irish internationals who, if they were judged on current skill ability, they wouldn’t be playing for Ireland in a green jersey during the Six Nations. But, put them in a competitive game and suddenly that competitive edge kicks in.

“They are the ones who give you the go forward. They are the ones who bust their asses to make the tackle in the corner of the field . . . We have got to judge a player on a game environment.”