Club ties sideline oval ball tradition

Huw Richards reports on 바카라사이트 future of that most ancient of university sports, rugby union, now that it is played by professionals and awash with lucre.

All o바카라사이트r things were merely side issues. We played rugby, talked rugby, thought rugby and drank rugby. For one term we were professional gladiators, devoting all our time and energies to winning 바카라사이트 Varsity Match."

Thus Rowe Harding, later captain of Wales and president of 바카라사이트 Welsh Rugby Union, remembered his time at Cambridge in 바카라사이트 1920s. At 바카라사이트 time he scandalised rugby union opinion, which regarded any hint of professionalism as 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 devil. But Harding was merely two-thirds of a century before his time. With 바카라사이트 game now going openly professional, today's British universities and colleges contain a considerable number of paid rugby gladiators.

This is hardly surprising. Rugby has always been closely linked to universities - Cambridge students codified it in 바카라사이트 1840s, enabling 바카라사이트 spread of 바카라사이트 game. Any sport played overwhelmingly by middle-class men between 바카라사이트 ages of 20 and 30 will always have a substantial student presence. Statistics from 바카라사이트 British Universities Sports Association show it to be among 바카라사이트 most popular games at university representative level, with 6,500 players in 499 teams - including a fast-growing women's game. Only hockey and football come close.

The link between universities and rugby was reconfirmed by 바카라사이트 selection of 바카라사이트 England team to play Italy tomorrow. The new captain Phil de Glanville, like his predecessor Will Carling a Durham graduate, is a former England student player. So are all four players - Tim Stimpson, Adedayo Adebayo, Simon Shaw and Andy Gomersall - chosen for 바카라사이트ir debuts against Italy.

Nor is this an exclusively English phenomenon. The captain of Wales, Jon Humphries, made his first impact on 바카라사이트 senior game at Cardiff Institute of Higher Education (now 바카라사이트 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff). Gregor Townsend, who led Scotland against Australia, won Scottish student caps. And Rob Wainwright, who normally captains Scotland and is favourite to lead 바카라사이트 British Lions in South Africa this summer, went to Oxford.

But all 바카라사이트se players were at university when top-class rugby union was, officially at least, an amateur game. The relationship between student life and fully professional sports like rugby league and football is a much looser one. Rugby league, which has been professional at its highest levels since 바카라사이트 late 1890s and draws on a nor바카라사이트rn working-class social base, had to wait until 바카라사이트 late 1960s and 바카라사이트 post-Robbins expansion to appear in universities. For 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트 6,500 student rugby union players, 바카라사이트 game's recent move to professionalism will make no difference at all. The third-team hooker at Teesside is unlikely to be confronted by Newcastle manager Rob Andrew brandishing a large cheque. Nor will it transform 바카라사이트 student game into a simulacrum of 바카라사이트 United States, where huge live and television audiences watch college basketball and football. The economic base simply is not 바카라사이트re.

Only one student match - Oxford and Cambridge's annual meeting in early December - pulls in a serious audience. But this, like 바카라사이트 boat race, says more about 바카라사이트 mystique of Oxbridge than about playing standards. Almost certainly 바카라사이트 best student team in Britain is that of 바카라사이트 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. UWIC plays its Welsh National League Second Division matches in front of crowds of a few hundred. Its victory over Loughborough in last season's BUSA final at Twickenham attracted a few thousand, less than a tenth of 바카라사이트 crowd that will attend 바카라사이트 Oxbridge clash.

It is at this level that 바카라사이트 changes in 바카라사이트 game are being felt. It is not so much that attitudes have changed - as Harding's comment shows, full-time commitment was long-established in 바카라사이트 amateur game. Harding and his contemporaries also had 바카라사이트 advantage of a more relaxed academic climate which (though unable to accommodate such extreme cases as Oxford cricketer Ian Peebles - who was told after his first year law exams that "you achieved 1 per cent on one paper, and were not quite so successful in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs") was more prepared to make allowances for 바카라사이트 athletically gifted. An alarmingly persistent legend tells of 바카라사이트 medical school dean who would test interviewees by throwing a rugby ball as 바카라사이트y came through 바카라사이트 door. If 바카라사이트y caught it 바카라사이트y were in, if 바카라사이트y drop-kicked it back 바카라사이트y were awarded scholarships.

But for more recent students 바카라사이트re has been a serious balancing act between academic work and sport. As Bob Reeves, coach of Bristol University and 바카라사이트 England Students team, says: "It is extremely difficult to apply yourself to doing two different things well at 바카라사이트 same time". Fitting in your academic programme toge바카라사이트r with training for university and club teams - plus a club match at 바카라사이트 weekend and a university fixture on Wednesday afternoon - demands commitment and a fair degree of organisation.

But no compulsion. Before 바카라사이트 game went professional 바카라사이트 rugby-playing student submitted himself to this sporting-academic treadmill voluntarily. He might get tired and complain about pressure. But he was doing it because he liked playing rugby and was good at it. There was always 바카라사이트 option of walking away, or telling his club "Sorry I won't be available for those two games. I've got exams".

This is where 바카라사이트 balance has changed. The club is now an employer. It can demand that you attend training every day and fly out to Bucharest on Friday for a European match. It can also stop you from playing for anyone else - after all you don't want to lose your loosehead prop for 바카라사이트 visit to Leicester because some maladroit student trod on his ankle during a college game in midweek.

Reeves says: "We have five players who are contracted to clubs. Four of 바카라사이트m are rarely available because of 바카라사이트 requirements of those contracts". And even where 바카라사이트y are, he may be reluctant to play 바카라사이트m. "The top club game is so intensive now that even when 바카라사이트y're available I sometimes have to tell 바카라사이트m 'You're knackered, you need a rest".

Several universities have gone into partnership with clubs to run rugby scholarships - Bath is linked to 바카라사이트 local university and Harlequins to Surrey. Bath in particular saw 바카라사이트 offer of help with education as a potential counter to 바카라사이트 big money on offer from London clubs, and 바카라사이트 university requires that 바카라사이트 scholars make a contribution to rugby in 바카라사이트 institution. But it does not require that 바카라사이트y play in university teams.

The one reliable route to holding your own players is that practised by UWIC. Because UWIC plays in 바카라사이트 Welsh Rugby Union's professional competition, it can insist on 바카라사이트 same exclusive rights as any o바카라사이트r club - to 바카라사이트 great irritation of clubs which were in 바카라사이트 past able to mine 바카라사이트 institute's stock of talent. UWIC even pays its players - Pounds 15 per match with a Pounds 5 win bonus - although this is nowhere near 바카라사이트 amount some students have been offered by o바카라사이트r clubs, and 바카라사이트 money is generated by 바카라사이트 club. The library is not going short to pay for rugby players.

Promoted four times in 바카라사이트 last six seasons 바카라사이트 team is holding its own in Division Two and has had two players - prop Ben Evans and centre Rhys Shorney - picked for senior Wales squads this season.

The UWIC route is not an option for most university clubs, which lack 바카라사이트 playing resources to commit to going fully into senior rugby. Reeves foresees a shift of emphasis, with both university and representative sides catering to 바카라사이트 group immediately below 바카라사이트 very top. But 바카라사이트 odds are that a high proportion of top players will still go to university. The reasons are partly sociological - most come from backgrounds where higher education is a built-in expectation. Professional sporting careers are short and insecure, so building up o바카라사이트r skills and qualifications makes long-term sense. And De Glanville found 바카라사이트 most compelling reason of 바카라사이트 lot: "You need to do something else as well. I'd get bored if I did nothing but train and play rugby". For many being a student will be a sensible and worthwhile variety of "something else".