Another week goes by and another severe blow to sport. No rugby last weekend on this island, no rugby again this weekend, no AIL matches, no matches in the concluding stages of the Schools' Cups in all four provinces. All that and March not even at the halfway point. The pangs of sudden withdrawal are already hurting. Meanwhile, the attitude of the English clubs seems to be more to do with foot-in-mouth than foot-and-mouth.
Sport has taken a severe hit in the attempt to stop an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Republic. That is unfortunate. But it would be a lot worse were that dreaded disease to spread to this State. Then rest assured sport, not to mention other aspects of life and the economy, would take an even bigger hit.
You can legislate for the possibility of many happenings, but such is the tightness of the schedule in rugby in this era that that no longer obtains, a few match days lost to the weather and the problems mount. Remember last season and the problems that existed in relation to the closing stages of the league section in the first division of the AIL. The fixture list last season had been set in a manner that did not make allowances for the possibility of one or more of the Irish provinces progressing to the final of the Heineken Cup. There was a lesson there and it needs to be addressed.
A look at the position that still obtains clearly indicates it is still unsatisfactory. It is going to increase the clamour for a first division of two sections of eight clubs each. But what is due to happen next season is that the fixture list will be even more crowded with the advent of the Celtic League.
Having made those points, you cannot legislate for an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Fortunately that disease has not hit the Republic for almost 60 years.
In more recent times when there were postponements in the Five Nations Championship, such as in 1982 and 1985, the position was much more flexible. There was no AIL, no Heineken Cup and the game was amateur, with players not depending on the game for a living, at least not here.
The current situation is imposing huge difficulties on every strand of the game in this country. The problems are wide embracing and finance is just one of the major concerns for the clubs. Another is getting suitable dates for the matches already postponed. In Ireland's case that now means three matches, against Wales, England and Scotland.
As of now the Heineken Cup semi-finals are unlikely to be disrupted. However, from a Munster perspective, with their players not playing matches it scarcely helps their cause, nor that of Ireland. Nor will it the majority of the Munster players now likely to find themselves playing Heineken Cup and internationals week after week at the end of April and in May.
The postponement of the Wales-Ireland match was a huge blow to Ireland and to Munster. With the matches against England and Scotland also deferred it imposes more problems.
THE Ireland-Wales match is rescheduled for the last weekend in April - one week after the Heineken Cup semi-final. A huge gap between Ireland's last match against France and the next international against Wales presents its own difficulties in relation to preparation and continuity. This country has been hit hardest of all in relation to postponements, something that does not appear to have dawned on some across the water.
It is ironic, if not surprising in view of past events that, at a time when the England team is playing so well, that their union and their clubs are still at war. This is an ongoing dispute that once more involves threats that, were they carried out, could have major repercussions for the concluding stages of the Six Nations Championship. The English clubs main concern is their own welfare. They do not want anything, not even foot-and-mouth disease, to disrupt their domestic schedule, especially arrangements for their Premier play-offs. Those kind of problems beset all the unions not just England. Remarkably, after an initial decision in England that the league title would be decided by play-off, the decision was revoked and the team that finishes top of the league will win the title.
But they will have their Premiership series. Unlike this country the English club schedule has not been in any way disrupted.
The clubs believe they have been treated "disgracefully" by their union to whom they give the players for international duty. Unlike here the players are contracted to their clubs. The clubs are again threatening to go it alone. Whatever right may be on their side in relation to aspects of the dispute, going it alone is much easier said than done.
The English first division clubs say they will withdraw their players from the England team if their side is scheduled to play on Premiership play-off dates in May. Would they also withdraw the players contracted to them from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In fact the clubs do not have such power by International Board laws, but the players themselves do and could withdraw from national teams.
The English clubs believe their union and the Six Nations Committee has shown "total disregard" and a lack of "respect" for them. But the Six Nations Committee embraces representatives from all the nations and all the nations have to endure disruption not just England. What has happened over the foot-and-mouth disease and the difficulties it is causing can scarcely be attributed to a lack of respect for any club. Six Nations internationals in May are not a question of a lack respect for any one or any club, they are a very unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances.
