USNAFU

USA Rugby fired three people last week. No notice. No discussions about job performance beforehand. Nothing that would indicate that the organization takes itself seriously as an employer. The terminations were guised as a layoff, but when was the last time an employer hands each employee a cardboard box and walks them out of the building in a layoff. Layoffs generally include some form of transitional strategy, with an admission that there is just not enough cash in the coffers and that reductions in costs are necessary for the long term viability of the organization.

While the point of this story could well turn into one about how employers should treat their employees, and that is a valid thread, the punchline here is that USA Rugby is still the same dysfunctional organization that it always has been. It is run on the agenda of a small scale fiefdom where personalities and the ability to kiss the correct buttock at the right time are the measures of merit.

Two years ago, the organization fired two of the better known and certainly more accomplished players ever to play for the national side. If nothing else, these two were ambassadors to the sport with international recognition. At least a handful of other employees at various levels were also let go. A new management team was brought in, including a funny-talker CEO, and everything was supposed to get better. I was told that we should give the new leadership a chance to let their model prove itself. Well, it didn't take long for the new administration to show that nothing had changed. USA Rugby was, is, and for the foreseeable future will continue to be the same small scale fiefdom that it always has been.

The basic problem with the organization is that it is the national governing body of a sport that nobody cares about, except for those of us who play the game and our relatives. Because nobody cares, there is little support at the national or local level. Since I started playing the game about 12 years ago, the US national team was ranked somewhere between 19 and 22 in the world, depending on the time of year. Today, the Eagles are ranked #20 in the world, despite new sponsors, a boatload of money from the International Rugby Board, a fundamental restructuring of the club level divisions, and a few palace coups at the national office. While soccer and lacrosse have both proven that building from the ground up with youth programs is an effective model, USA Rugby continues to pump money and resources into the top levels. The end result is that the sport has not increased the base of support, and the US is still an easy W for the opposing club in international competition.

When there is no performance to point to as a metric of success or failure, politics and bullsh*t become the basis for decision making. In a way it's a shame, because the whole effort is misguided. If you asked anyone who plays the game whether it was more important in the near-to-mid future to introduce the game to more youth or to actually win a match in the World Cup (let's face it, that in itself is a stretch goal), 95% of the respondents would vote for expanding the sport through the youth. We are after all the US of A. I can't think of a single silver medalist with an endorsement deal, so why waste the resources on a national side until we can actually compete?


The fly of the day is the Blond Wulff courtesy of the nice people at Fly Anglers Online




Tight lines,

Dave

9 Days to Santiago

"The best thing about Old Boys rugby is that it is 90% of the fun and 10% of the bullsh*t."
- Rich Frankendon'tforgettogivemeattributionheimer

In 9 days, Boulder Rugby's Olde Boys will be boarding planes to Santiago, Chile for a 10 day tour. There is a pool as to who will be the first player to interact with the local authorities and a few other items that should stay within the confines of the tour. Amidst all the revelry, we'll actually be mixing in some rugby. On the 22nd, we are scheduled to play in a round robin with a couple of clubs from Santiago, and possibly one from Argentina. On the 26th, we have a match against the La Serena Old Boys, closing out the tour with a match in Vina del Mare on the 29th. (Special shout out goes to our own Julie McCoy - Rich Etzkorn - who has navigated through the compulsory mountain of cr*p, laziness, and general abuse that go with organizing any event for a rugby club, particularly the Old Boys.)

One of the great things about rugby is its inclusiveness. Ruggers are an inbred society of folks who are always looking for an excuse to play the game, have a few grogs in celebration of the event, and regale each other with somewhat inflated stories of accomplishments that took place both off and on the pitch. Many clubs set up tours to domestic and international destinations solely for the purpose of playing a few matches. A club that is traveling through any place where rugby is played can almost always get a match arranged with a phone call or an email. Similarly, any player who just shows up to a training or match with a pair of boots and shorts is welcomed to the fray.

About a year ago, we started throwing around ideas for the next tour destination. Someone suggested Chile, because they had heard of another club going down there and having a great time. Piece by piece the tour started coming together. Judging by the photos on the web sites of our hotels, we will be traveling, or at least lodging in style. Spending a few days by the beach and getting my salt water fix will do this kid from California some good. There have been several emails going around the club list, discussing training, pre-tour matches, lodging, flights, kit, and all that good organizational stuff. I can almost guarantee that almost no actual training has taken place. In the spirit of fair play, that only seems right. Training is cheating, or at least it should be, in OB rugby.

It is guaranteed to be quite the adventure. I will post some updates when I get the chance, and possibly a photo or two that are fit for public consumption. Similar to the ad slogan of Vegas, what goes on tour, is supposed to stay on tour.

Fly of the day:
The Stimulator



Tight lines:

Dave

Last of the Men's Hiko's

One day last fall, I decided that it was time to retire my rugby boots. I had been playing with a pair of the Hiko model, made by Canterbury, for the previous 4 years. Not a record, but certainly a solid stint for a pair of boots. (BTW: Rugby has it's own terminology, cleats are referred to as boots) Hence, I needed a new pair. It started as a simple search, like many searches I have made before for rugby gear and just about anything I have ever purchased online. I went to an online retailer for rugby gear, found the pair of boots that I wanted, selected my size, entered my shipping and credit card information and confirmed the purchase. Pretty straight forward to this point. I even received the usual email, stating that my order had been received, and that the item would ship in the next day or two. This is where the story turns south.

Two days later, I received a phone call from the retailer, telling me that they were out of the Hiko's in my size, and that they were not sure when they would get any more. They did however have a pair of the new and improved boot by Canterbury, the "Rampage". The sales guy assured me that they were a great boot and that he had received positive feedback about it. Going against my gut instinct, I told him to change the order, and that I would take a pair of the new boot. The boots came in a few days. What pieces of cr*p those turned out to be. After one training (rugbyspeak for practice) and a match, those boots have sat in my office at home awaiting the decision about their final destiny. The only thing for sure is that they will never be placed on my feet again.

For some reason, Canterbury has decided to put a 'hard' toe on the boot. After getting stepped on once, there is now a crease in the toe of the boot that rubs against the foot. Nice design. The boot is made of some form of synthetic leather garbage that just looks cheap, even though they charge the same amount. The fit of the boot is just terrible as well. The foot bed is probably just wide enough for a rhino, but I would say a little large for the human.

As the spring season approached, I thought I would search around for another pair of boots. I found several online outlets who carried the Hiko, but all of sizes for the basic midget, 8's, 9's, and 10's. It was pretty clear that Canterbury had decided to discontinue one of the better and more popular boots ever sold in the US. The next day, I was having a beer with some teammates after practice, and the coach of the women's team who works for USA Rugby. (Living in Boulder, we are both blessed and mostly cursed with the presence of the headquarters of the national governing body.) I then found out that the US rep from Canterbury was coming into town to meet with USA Rugby, and he would be coming to the bar later that night. When he arrived, after going through the usual pleasantries, and finding out that he in fact played with a teammate of mine from a previous club, I asked him what happened to the Hiko. I was less than impressed with the response. Essentially, the Hiko was canceled and that Canterbury was going away from the high/mid top boot because only dinosaurs like me actually wanted them. They came up with the Rampage as a middle of the road boot to satisfy old timers who still think rugby is a game that requires strength and leverage. Apparently I missed the memo where it became a finesse sport.

My response was that if you are a forward, which this guy clearly was not, you were going to want a boot with a little more support, because in the scrum you are basically in a press. He told me that the scrum only makes up 3.5 minutes of a given match. Which is true, but possession of the ball is also being contested during all of those 3.5 minutes and if you can't push, you lose the ball.

Anyway, I will go on a diatribe about the euro-wannabe, self-appointed stewards of the game, but that is another post. When I got home, I decided that if there was a Size 13 pair of Hikos to be found, I was going to find them. Well, I finally got to the point of where I should have started, Google. I Google'd Hiko Size 13. Amazon had a pair through Red Rhino. (I've worked with RR before and they kick ... um... butt) I decided to call Red Rhino and verify that they actually had the boots that I was looking for. In talking to the very friendly person who answered the phone, I told her what the Canterbury rep had to say. She laughed. She said that they get calls for the Hiko all the time, and that it is a very popular boot. They also have nothing but problems with the Rampage. She also said that I probably found the last pair in the US. Because I'm in Boulder, "Sweet" was all I could say. (Sweet is a key term in Boulder, not sure why it just is)

I have to ask who is doing the market analysis for Canterbury? Clearly it must be their solitary and 26 year old rep for the US. No wonder Canterbury no longer is the manufacturer for the New Zealand All Blacks, the most well known national side in the world.

Whatever the case, I've got a few more years with a good set of boots. Maybe Canterbury will come to their senses by the time I have to retire these.

Fly Pattern of the day:
Probably the most popular dry fly of all time - The elk hair caddis , invented by Al Troth.




Tight Lines,

Dave