I was quite surprised to learn that Bill Beaumont beat Agustin Pichot to the top job at World Rugby.
I know I shouldn’t really be, because the powers that be will remain in the north - they have strength in numbers.
Anyway, it’s not like I expected Pichot to win - I wanted him to win.
My reasoning has nothing to do with the promises he made during the campaign or his stance on rugby matters, as a player the Argentina legend was one of my favourites.
If you had asked me to pick between him, George Gregan and Joost van der Westhuizen back in the day, I would have opted for the Los Pumas playmaker.
As for the victorious incumbent Englishman Beaumont, he has one heck of a job lined up.
MASSIVE JOB: Bill Beaumont
Post-corona rugby will be something else.
Firstly, I would like to see the chairman make good on his promise to look after the Pacific nations.
I want to see a strong Pacific Islanders team touring like the British and Irish Lions. Perhaps on an annual basis and not once every fourth year.
Fund them, and have the islands play as provinces in local competitions, with one big united team competing on the international stage.
Closer to home and maybe not in the hands of Beaumont, I expect some big changes as well.
It seems like the guys Down Under want a franchise rugby world excluding South Africa.
I’m good with that.
In fact, I’m more than happy with that.
It can only strengthen our local game and with more strength
versus strength derbies, I believe we will bring back some lost pride in our provinces.
It is my opinion that money trumps loyalty in this day and age and now is the perfect time to turn that trend around again.
If South Africa are forced out of Super Rugby, I am pretty sure we will join one of the European
competitions.
But let’s look at a model that will make the Currie Cup strong again, with the finalists qualifying for the European Champions Cup.
If my name was Bill Beaumont, I would try to do the same thing on a global scale.
Altesame, there were 134 players playing for adopted countries at last year’s World Cup.
Daai is amper10 starting line-ups.
I believe this has to stop.
Players should only be allowed to play for the countries of their birth - or at least the countries where they have lived in until they finished high school.
What Beaumont has is time on his hands and an opportunity to vee skoon.
He is under pressure to make some big changes, but is not under pressure time-wise.
Take your time to fix rugby once and for all.
The key to a successful second term, in my opinion, will not be the amount of money Beaumont has made for the game - although this will be important.
Instead, it should be about bringing back local pride in the jersey you wear. In a truly global game, representing your own and knowing what that means to you and your countrymen must be the ideal of the game.
As for the money, bring back tours as I mentioned before and go bos with charity matches.
If they can’t squeeze in all the rugby that needs to be played this year, scrap’em all and organise fundraisers.
I see events such as a Springboks versus the rest of the world at
Newlands tie, I see the All Blacks touring South Africa for three matches or the Boks going over there.
I see a Super Rugby XV against a European Champions Cup XV, I see the club champions of the north against the Super Rugby champions.
I see ex-Stormers who now ply their trades elsewhere (Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe en so aan) playing a match at Newlands against the current crop.
FAREWELL: Stormers must host ex-Stormers in a Newlands showdown
Mense, the possibilities are
endless, making those matches truly unmissable.
So stop looking at what this
coronavirus pandemic has taken away from you, instead look at the possibilities it has presented.
Lastly, don’t be silly - when you see there are too many people jogging outside in your area, draf maar om jou eie huis.
Stay safe and God bless.