Latest news with #MartinAnayi
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Owen Doyle: Conflating cheating with ‘character' will make refereeing rugby impossible
If you've an old dictionary lying around, you'll see that the words 'character' and 'cheat' are separated by about a mere 10 words. Notice also, that they are both many tens of thousands of words distant from 'respect'. Martin Anayi has undoubtedly done some good things as chief executive of the URC. But his recent comments on the Shark's Jaden Hendrikse's ' cramp and wink ' left me perplexed, worried too. Incredibly, Anayi did not condemn the gamesmanship around the whole incident. Instead, he was delighted that it had created a big leap in viewership. And, that the game needs characters. It is so much more about generally approving player actions which sail along, and across, the borders of cheating 'There are heroes and villains in all great sporting stories,' he suggested, making light of the incident, but forgetting that villains in fairytales get punished. The same as in rugby. Most of South Africa seems aligned with the chief executive's view, but we might well have been listening to a different tune if the boot had been on the other foot. But that wasn't likely, it's not in Munster's DNA. READ MORE However, it's not about this one specific affair. It is so much more about generally approving player actions which sail along, and across, the borders of cheating. French scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec took a dive recently when playing for Racing 92. The whole of France screamed in outrage, and nobody shrugged an indifferent Gallic shoulder in his defence − that's what should happen. Le Garrec apologised. In the 2015 World Cup, Stuart Hogg went down, as if poleaxed, after minimal contact with an opponent, ironically a South African. There was a lot of it about at the time, and World Rugby reacted by introducing a new law in 2016. It specifically forbids play acting, referred to as 'simulation'. Cardiff 1978: Wales played New Zealand, not having won against them since 1953. They still haven't. Andy Haden infamously threw himself out of a lineout, earning the winning penalty for the Kiwis. Referee Roger Quittenton maintained he penalised a separate offence, but Haden's dive demonstrated a totally unsporting preference to win without honour, rather than to lose with it. No respect either for the opposition. Was Haden a character, or simply a cheat? Thierry Henry's handball that led to France's goal against Ireland in the 2010 World Cup qualifying playoff. Screengrab: Sky Sports In football, we regularly see unacceptable antics. Every single sportsperson in Ireland was incensed when, in the 2010 World Cup qualifying playoff, Thierry Henry used his hand to keep the ball in play, enabling France to score seconds later. His handball put Ireland out of the competition, and earned the FAI a €5 million compensation cheque. Quite the character, our Thierry. If this catches on, the very difficult task of refereeing rugby will become impossible. We would watch it spread like slurry into the AIL, into schools' rugby too. It will be accompanied by foul-mouthed sledging, which, very unhappily, is now commonplace in the pro game. So, World Rugby should make clear their position, as well as the individual unions, and referees must come down hard - straight red cards are the answer. The idea of attributing it to 'characters' is totally skewed. It creates a cheats' charter, and is contrary to WR's own playing charter, which includes these compelling words: 'Integrity is essential to the fabric of the game, and is generated by honesty and fair play.' Lose integrity, and rugby itself is lost. I rest my case. In 2021, under Nucifora's watch, 62 current and former women players wrote to the government, seeking help 'Respect' got an airing recently from former IRFU performance director, David Nucifora. In decrying the decision of his successor, David Humphreys, to halt the men's Sevens programme, Nucifora lamented the lack of respect shown to the players. Should we heed his words? In 2021, under Nucifora's watch, 62 current and former women players wrote to the government, seeking help. They stated, among other damning stuff, that they had lost all faith and trust in the IRFU. Seriously misreading the situation, the IRFU reacted by rubbishing the letter. The government, distinctly unimpressed, fired a rocket across their bows. We then witnessed the greatest climbdown since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay successfully descended Everest. Former IRFU performance director David Nucifora. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho The outcome has been very positive for the women's game, with chief executive Kevin Potts taking constructive steps to ensure that it gets the status and investment it deserves. The outcome, though, was not so good for Anthony Eddy, imported from Australia by Nucifora to run the women's and Sevens games. He returned home shortly after the debacle. Homesickness was the reason given. And, lest we forget, David McHugh, head of referees, was dismissed without even a hint of a warning, terminating the employment of a valued, senior staff member, of 20 years standing. That ended up on the steps of the High Court. Respect? I don't think so. The above is all a matter of public record. So, lecturing the IRFU on the subject of respect is indeed rich coming from Nucifora. It's also hard to countenance that a former director, of any company, would turn his guns on the organisation he has just left. Finally on this matter, whoever or whatever is responsible for the current somewhat troubled state of Irish rugby, it is not David Humphreys. He's barely in the door. Both URC semi-final referees, Andrea Piardi and Andrew Brace, did well. Brace had the greater challenge, and was stronger than he has been in his communication and decision making, including three first-half yellows to the Bulls. Strong, calm refereeing is the only pathway to earning essential respect. The raging Bulls were unrelentingly ferocious in their victory over the Sharks, the final is certain to deliver a battle of fearsome intent. No place for the faint of heart.
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
URC considers shock US expansion as it waits on WRU decision over cutting teams
URC considers shock US expansion as it waits on WRU decision over cutting teams The URC is considering further expansion The United Rugby Championship could look very different in the future (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) The United Rugby Championship is considering expanding into the US, with Chicago and Miami potential destinations for two new franchises, WalesOnline has learnt. There is a big push to improve rugby in the US given the fact they are hosting the World Cup in 2031, and the URC could include two American sides in the future. The URC is no stranger to expansion having initially started as a Celtic league before inviting Italian and South African teams into the competition. Georgian outfit Black Lion have also been in negotiations with the URC but the US route is being seriously considered. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Were the URC to allow two US sides into the competition there would have to be a significant financial uplift to its current shareholders, while the cost of travel and player welfare would also have to be taken into consideration. News of the US interest comes as the URC are engaged in ongoing talks with the WRU over how many Welsh teams will participate in the competition going forward. The union is strongly considering cutting down to three or even two professional clubs after serving notice on the current status quo of four equally funded sides. If the WRU does decide to cut teams, a potential expansion into the US could be more attractive to the current URC shareholders. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Article continues below While the quality of the sides competing in the URC cannot be questioned it is often criticised for its excessive travelling, especially since the introduction of teams from South Africa. There is already a professional league in the US called Major League Rugby which was only founded in 2017 with 11 teams in total but it is nowhere near the level required if the US are to compete with tier one nations. 'As the URC, we have always had expansion in DNA," said URC CEO Martin Anayi in a press conference last week. "We have been the Celtic League, and we moved, and we have tried to grow each time. And we have done that. "I think we have genuinely made it a better league. 'I think it is important that we continue to look outwards. But also, the bar is very high because, for every game you add, there is a player welfare issue to engage with. 'And that is something you have to make sure you aren't compromising. "You have logistics, especially when we are transcontinental, and then you have the sporting element, and we want it to be as competitive as ever. 'So I would never say never, but I think the bar is very high to do that. "We play less rugby with the URC model and format. We don't have home and away games in every match. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. 'And it also allows us to not play across international weekends. "We have almost 320 internationals playing in the league, which is almost double what you have in the Premiership or Super Rugby. Article continues below 'If we do expand in the future, it has to be in the right way, and we don't fall into the traps of those who have done it in the past, and it hasn't been successful."
Irish Times
05-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
‘Crampgate' tells us rugby's code of dignity counts for little when lucrative online views are at stake
There was indignation, outrage, pique and scorn emanating from Durban's Shark Tank last week . Huff went viral. Umbrage took off. Rage and resentment flooded the zone when the effrontery of Jaden Hendrikse was broadcast from Kings Park. The knowing smile and the wee wink from the Sharks' place kicker as he lay on the ground having his hamstring stretched and happily obstructing the disbelieving Jack Crowley's attempt at goal. Fans in Limerick were livid . Cork was on the cusp of rebellion again. We thought it might prompt some kind of a scathing rebuke from the United Rugby Championship in a Zoom call on Wednesday with chief executive Martin Anayi. But, no. READ MORE This week, platforms and eyeballs, YouTube figures and broadcast peaks – and the URC brand raking in 150 million viewers since it started in 2021 – were the main talking points. Anayi then freely skated over Hendrikse's antics and Crowley gamely effing the Sharks officials and players as an emotional tsunami washed over Irish rugby. Instead, he pivoted to the benefits to the URC of the whining Irish, the underhand South Africans and some of the merits of Crampgate. The URC attitude seemed more shaped by the payload of page impressions and scroll depth it delivered than by the shamelessness of the act itself . 'Ultimately, we want characters in the sport and when you have characters and when you encourage people to show their character, that can be positive and negative,' said Anayi. 'There are heroes and villains in all stories, great sporting stories. I think that's kind of what is emerging here, isn't it? Needless to say, it certainly spiked an interest in the league.' Well, that's it, isn't it? Spiking interest in the championship, gaining greater purchase in the market. Still, the URC are only picking up on what the World Rugby website told them when they clicked on the About Us icon. It wasn't Maradona's Hand of God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup 'World Rugby recognises that rugby union is competing for the public's attention in an ever more varied and complex media and entertainment-driven world, but also that the federation properly embrace matters touching on social responsibility,' it begins. What langers we were for living in the old world of respect and integrity and not stepping into the new rugby vista of broadcast viewership, YouTube, X and Instagram. The match and its acrimonious end was the most viewed highlights over two days that the URC has ever had. In terms of turning a negative into a positive, this was a stunning performance by the URC chief, with the unsaid part being that we can park the rugby values piece and talk about that another day. And of course, he had a point. United Rugby Championship CEO Martin Anayi was not overly concerned about the fallout from the Sharks-Munster match. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho Reducing the number of Welsh clubs in the league to two or three, the emergence of the Club World Cup and Italian rugby's place in the European game were 10-fold more important talking points for the URC to consider. It wasn't like it was Bloodgate, where Tom Williams used a blood capsule to feign injury and be replaced by a better kicker against Leinster. It wasn't Maradona's Hand of God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, nor was it USA figure skater Tonya Harding's plot to attack and injure her arch-rival Nancy Kerrigan. It certainly wasn't Lance Armstrong's entire career or Dr Eufemiano Fuentes's 211 blood bags with 35 athletes' names attached. The Hendrikse cramp and wink malarkey wasn't a full-frontal assault on rugby's regulations and it didn't fundamentally threaten the innate integrity of the game. But the idea that rugby is a righteous and honest sport was damaged in a way that enhanced viewership figures can't paper over. It also excited a lot of people in the wrong kind of way because the act was fraudulent and deceitful. It is not difficult to understand why the URC preferred to concentrate on the perks attached to the controversial incident than deride the gamesmanship involved, as the latter benefits the former with more attention and engagement. It is also not hard to understand why the business of rugby leans heavily into figures. Understandably, it swooned at 2022, the year the URC league set a record high of 34.6 million for its broadcast audience. It went weak at the knees in 2023, when the figure rose to 37.2 million. It was better again in the 2023-24 campaign, with 47.7 million. In the light of players' wages and vanishing clubs like Wasps, London Irish and Worcester, it is the numbers that move the dial more than anything. But blurring the lines about what is legal and illegal and what belongs in the game and what doesn't is important. It is particularly important in a sport like rugby because it is played along the thin boundaries of thuggery and fair play. In that scenario, any kind of erosion of behaviour is problematic. The URC choosing to see Crampgate as 'intrigue' is the modern take. They view gamesmanship as 'the rivalry between Ireland and South Africa, which is really bubbling along'. While the URC might choose to embrace the inflated numbers that rage and distain deliver, there are those who believe rugby must be as much about the unwritten rules and codes that the Sharks shattered as the established laws of the game.
IOL News
05-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
SA Rugby to unlock new revenues as full shareholders in URC from next season
South Africa will see a bigger revenue picture when they become full partners in the United Rugby Championship (URC) from the end of June this year. While the URC has treated the South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) and the four franchises the way full members have been treated, CEO Martin Anayi confirmed this week they will be granted equity in the URC and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions. SA Rugby's status as a full shareholder promises better financial gains for them, with the mother body no longer required to pay annual participation fees to the URC. The broadcasting and sponsor revenue will now be redirected directly through the URC structure from which SA is set to benefit. 'We effectively treat the South African Rugby Union and the four franchises the same way we do all our members already,' Anayi said this week. 'They are on the same boards and committees. They have the same decision-making. The key thing is they become a full shareholder from the end of June and that is a process that is on-going. From the impact point of view, it is substantial, most importantly from a competitive point of view. We've had three finals in South Africa. 'Yes, we've had two away wins, but those teams (from South Africa) are super competitive, and we've seen over 34 000 tickets sold for the Bulls vs Sharks game (the semi-final at Loftus) already. We had a huge number of tickets sold (last week) for the Sharks game (vs Munster) in the quarter-final. There is a huge engagement which drives everything else. 'It is a very positive relationship with all of the stakeholders in South African rugby, and they want to be part of the league. They are putting the league first. That is a massive boost for the URC. It is fantastic, but ultimately it starts with the most important thing; competitively, those teams are right up there, and they are pushing standards.' Anayi added that the addition of the South African teams made the league more competitive than before. He said it's an important change in June, because South Africa becomes a full shareholder with it. Meaning, they will have equity in the league. He continued that there is no indication that the local sides failed to live up to expectations in the tournament. 'That is a very hard argument to make seeing that SA had three finals in three years. I haven't had that, and it is not something that's been discussed around our table.'
Irish Examiner
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
URC chief realistic about Croke Park crowd numbers in event Leinster make final
BKT URC boss Martin Anayi is 'being realistic' about a likely attendance at Croke Park in two weekend's time should Leinster overcome some concerning form and qualify for the league final against one of two South African opponents. The choice of GAA headquarters was made last summer when the URC's teams were asked to pencil in potential dates for the calendar ahead. It appeared at that time as if the Aviva Stadium would not be available for a theoretical decider due to soccer commitments. So it is that Leinster and one of the Sharks or Bulls would compete for the league title on the northside of the Irish capital in the event that Leo Cullen's side makes it that far. And that would create a challenge. Leinster did draw a capacity 80,000-plus crowd to Croke Park for a regular season meeting with Munster back in early October, and for a Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints 13 months ago. More recent crowd figures at the Aviva Stadium give cause for concern while Munster's elimination at the last eight stage last weekend in Durban deprives competition organisers of a potential all-Irish clash that would have generated enormous interest. Timing is another factor with ticket offices and marketing departments having just seven days to drum up sales, and early indications are that it would be a bridge too far to have Croke Park anywhere near half full. 'We've got a really good relationship with the GAA and the leadership there, working very closely with Leinster,' said Anayi. 'There's a lot of tickets to sell in a very short period of time, that one week. 'We're being realistic about what can happen, but it's exciting. We'd love to have that as a spectacle, which is one of the brilliant things that is happening in Ireland, that we're seeing rugby being played in GAA stadiums very successfully.' The first three URC finals have all been played in South Africa with a figure of 31,000 in year one jumping into the fifties for the next two. Over 33,000 tickets have already been sold for the Bulls-Sharks semi-final at Loftus Versfeld. Should Glasgow win this weekend, another final would go down south. Ultimately, there is no sure way of ensuring high crowds given the vagaries across five competing nations and the compacted rugby schedule, but Anayi did confirm that there will be a week off between the final two rounds next year. Now in his tenth year as CEO, the Englishman started off an hour-long media briefing by highlighting the journey taken by a league which has clearly improved from its days as the Celtic League, Magners League and PRO12 or 14. Attendances, he claimed, are up 14% with an average of just under 12,000 per game, and broadcast figures are improving every year since the URC's inception with over 150 million viewers logged since 2021. New TV deals through to 2029 were announced for the various territories earlier this year. Total earnings have supposedly shot up by 33% in the competition's new guise, with another 15-16% bump predicted by 2027. The South African union (SARU) will become a full shareholder in the URC as of this summer, but then change is stitched into the DNA of this tournament and there may be more around the corner given the turbulence in Wales. The Welsh union's contract with the URC commits them to four participating clubs. That is at risk with suggestions that one of the regions may go out of existence, although Anayi said the league would work with the WRU which is, again, one of its shareholders. Whatever about losing a team or two, it doesn't look like the URC will be admitting any more for now regardless of speculation in the last year about the possibility of teams like Georgia's Black Lion or London Irish coming on board. Anayi referenced player welfare, logistics and the league's current competitiveness as potential barriers and remarked that 'the bar is very high' for further expansion. Not that any such concerns stopped the establishment of a World Club Cup. Due to start in 2028, it will replace the knockout stages of the Champions Cup that year, and again in 2032. The URC, as a stakeholder in the EPCR organisation that runs the European competitions, is fully on board. 'We've supported the EPCR and it is very much something that our partners in England and France feel strongly about it. It seems it could be quite intriguing … to see the likes of the Brumbies and Crusaders compete against the best teams in Europe, and South Africa. 'We have a couple of touch points in that, where Crusaders came up and played against Munster in Pairc Ui Chaoimh when Munster had won our league and Crusaders had won Super Rugby Pacific. 'That got a really good attendance, a sellout. That was one little nugget to say, 'okay, there is an interest in that'. That was one of the areas that we focused on.'
