There is always a temptation to look at rugby through the prism of my own experiences. In those circumstances, I have to stop myself from holding the past up on a pedestal as if it was some sort of golden age that had all the answers to any modern ills in the sport.
Having said that, there are times when a comparison helps to clarify how I feel about something. I have been reflecting on the current state of professional rugby and how I view it. For me, rugby used to be a game built on momentum, shifting sands, sudden breaks and a chance of the unexpected – a virtuoso moment to change everything.
Lately, it feels more predictable, less exciting. I’m always conscious of sounding like some old curmudgeon who thinks that things were better back in the day. Maybe my feelings are governed a little by not being involved in the maelstrom of playing.
Were the IRFU right to cut the men’s Sevens?
Heavily prescribed rugby is not my cup of tea and that’s probably why Sevens, in small doses, captivates my interest. There’s always a spark, a moment of supreme athleticism, a stunning burst of acceleration or mesmerising footwork, or a great lung-bursting cover tackle that quickens the pulse.
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Sevens rugby has always offered that spark, a space where raw, often overlooked talent could break through. The IRFU’s recent decision to disband the men’s elite programme has shut down a rugby pathway, one that was less travelled.
Financially, the move is understandable as rugby globally is under pressure from unsustainable revenue models. England’s Premiership has presided over the demise of clubs such as London Irish, Wasps and Worcester Warriors. The United Rugby Championship is attempting to juggle ballooning travel costs and modest money on offer for TV rights.
Even the wealthiest unions are feeling the strain. Ireland is certainly not immune. This week, as the Champions Cup final draws near, the focus has shifted, unexpectedly, to the IRFU‘s decision to cull the men’s Sevens programme.
Although that choice may feel like a step backwards, it is a pragmatic and ultimately necessary one in today’s economic climate. Against this deteriorating financial backdrop, Ireland has chosen sustainability over sentiment.
The Sevens programmes, while valuable, lacked the depth of infrastructure and pathways needed for consistent long-term success. That’s not a reflection on the players, who have achieved a great deal over the last decade, but rather on the structure of Irish rugby itself.
For years, the professional game has been prioritised at the expense of the grassroots. That imbalance is beginning to show. A clear example is the women’s game, which is chronically underfunded at club and schools level, which produces just enough elite players to compete internationally.
Standouts such as Amee-Leigh Costigan, Stacey Flood, Erin King, Béibhinn Parsons and newly crowned Six Nations Player of the Championship, Ireland number eight Aoife Wafer, are succeeding despite the system, not because of it.
The private school system, funded and managed independently, has done the heavy lifting
There is logic in retaining the women’s Sevens programme. The same players often compete in both 15s and Sevens, and in the absence of a competitive 15s domestic league, Sevens provides them with crucial high-performance exposure.
The reality is that the men’s 15s team is the financial engine of Irish rugby. It drives revenue, fills the Aviva Stadium and attracts sponsorship that sustains the entire system. The provinces on their own would struggle to stay afloat.
With Sevens and women’s rugby generating minimal income and most aspects of the professional game running at a loss, the decision to double down on the men’s 15s game makes hard economic sense.
But at this moment, it also exposes the flaws in our system. For the first time in the professional era, attention is being directed to elements below the academies. And rightly so. Academies don’t produce players, they refine them. Young players who make it into the provincial hothousing structure come from the schools and/or clubs. One of those pathways (clue – it is not the clubs) is vastly better funded and carries a clear geographical bias.
Academies reflect the quality and volume of youth participation, as well as the standard of coaching. Neither of which have seen meaningful investment – or perhaps the right governance is a better phrase – from the IRFU in the professional era.
The private school system, funded and managed independently, has done the heavy lifting. That has kept annual costs down, but it has also meant the union ceded control over player development. There’s now an acknowledgment that the existing one-size-fits-all model isn’t fit for purpose. The main underage pathway needs reform, urgently.
This decision, while painful, could be an opportunity, an inflection point
While this might be a hard pill to swallow, the IRFU has consistently demonstrated sound financial principles in overseeing the sport and been prudent in managing the money. They’ve spent within their means and resisted the pressure to overextend.
When Covid hit, Irish rugby emerged in relatively robust health. The ongoing crises in Wales and England only highlight the prudence of the IRFU’s approach. And let’s not forget, outside of France, Ireland was the only Six Nations side fielding both men’s and women’s teams on the World Sevens Series circuit. That commitment wasn’t cheap.
This decision, while painful, could be an opportunity, an inflection point. If Irish rugby uses this pause to rebuild its house, particularly around the player development wing, the long-term benefits could outweigh the short-term loss.
David Humphreys has said he wants to see all four provinces competing in the Champions Cup. That’s ambitious. It will take time. But he is confronting the biggest problem in Irish rugby head-on.
If we can fix the foundation - our 15s structures, our academies and most importantly, our grassroots - then it’s possible to protect, nurture and grow the core elements of Irish rugby.
This can be done, even if it means temporarily closing a door that led to a magic kingdom.
