Brian O’Driscoll is open to the idea of creating a franchise competition to potentially boost a sport which he reckoned could have faded if the 2019 Rugby World Cup had not gone ahead as planned.
Late last year, it was revealed that a new global league had been proposed and was in the early stages of its development.
A competition featuring eight franchises and more than 200 players, who would travel the world, was suggested.
Comparisons to Formula 1
It has been compared to Formula 1, although reports suggest that it would be condensed into a 14-week season outside of the international windows to still allow the top individuals to feature in Test rugby.
It is a bold idea and one which was met with scepticism when initially revealed, but Ireland legend O’Driscoll remains open to anything which could potentially benefit rugby going forward.
“I don’t know whether we’ve discussed this rogue franchise league that is being touted. There was a bit of noise about a year or 18 months ago, like the ’12s’ that was suggested which vanished and never came back, but this has actually continued to bubble,” he told Off The Ball.
“There’s talk of 30 of the top 50 players in the world being interested in taking part in it. It would ultimately become a critical mass piece around enough players signing on and it becomes a thing. Apparently, there are very deep pockets.
“I’ve just heard that it’s not gone away so maybe that [can work]. I don’t know if any of the unions would be interested in that, whether they’re totally against it, whether World Rugby is for it, but it does feel as though rugby on a global stage needs change.
“What’s been happening previously is that we’re just staying afloat, just keeping the head above the water. Ultimately, you will run out of road in that regard.”
O’Driscoll’s comments came as part of a wider debate about rugby’s finances, with a number of unions struggling following the impact of Covid-19.
The 46-year-old was just thankful that the 2019 Rugby World Cup managed to take place, otherwise he feared what could have happened to the sport had that tournament taken place during the pandemic.
Change is needed
“We dodged a catastrophe with Covid not impacting the World Cup in 2019, it arrived three or four months afterwards. I would hate to think where the game would be if the World Cup was caught in those two or three years of Covid, of lockdown or no attendances,” he said.
“That could have really ended the game as we know it. The fact that we’ve avoided that, yet there’s still been repercussions, we’re still living it out, we’re still trying to keep afloat, there is change needed in there.
“Thankfully, I’m not part of the brains trust to work out what that is but maybe this franchise league in some iteration is the answer to the financial concerns that are impacting every nation.”
As a sport, there is significant interest in a number of countries, but it is particularly thriving in France, However, O’Driscoll thinks that even the French could be set for tougher times going forward.
“The reception is that there’s no union that has absolutely bolstered financially. Maybe in France the Top 14 seems to be going well but by all accounts the broadcasting deal there is going to be significantly reduced, as it is being done across the globe,” he added.
“There was big money paid by pay TV in France a few years ago because I think they lost the football and so they came in heavy on rugby. That’s not going to be the case next time it goes out to tender.
“All the broadcast packages are being reduced so the knock-on effect is less money into the unions, less money into the clubs.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/brian-odriscoll-rugby-avoided-world-cup-catastrophe-which-could-have-ended-the-game
