The Player Drain

The player drain from the Irish Provinces continued earlier this week with the confirmation that Marty Moore would be joining Wasps from Leinster. This news came swiftly on the back of news that Ian Madigan has signed for Bordeaux Begles. This started as a drip with Madigan leaving and then it was rumoured that James Cronin was on his way to London Irish but he later signed a 3 year extension to his current deal.

 A number of other players have been linked with moves away from each of the four Irish Provinces to foreign fields including Conor Murray, Simon Zebo and Keith Earls to name just three. Both Earls and Zebo have been rumoured to be on the move to the Top 14 in France and the Aviva Premiership in England. Now while neither move has been confirmed there have been really strong suggestions that both moves aren’t too far off completion. Now while at this moment these moves are just speculation, they have gathered pace in recent days.

What this sort of thing has proven is that the IRFU is facing its biggest challenge since the early days of professionalism. They are competing against extremely well-funded French and English clubs. Couple that with the fact that the Salary cap is higher in both England and France than it is for the Pro 12 clubs. This can’t be used as an excuse because it can then trotted out as an excuse every time things get tough.

The Pro 12 sides need to come up new revenue streams to help supplement their incomes. From an Irish point of view, I doubt that they will let the Provinces into private hands that might just redress the financial balance that is not just a gap in the market it is now a huge hole. The players that each Province are producing are of a top quality standard, with Leinster being the leading Province in letting young talent take their chance.

 Connacht have done the same with players like Caolan Blade , Shane Delahunt and Ultan Dillane making the most of game time earlier in the season during the World Cup. Connacht and Leinster have also shown a way out of the current situation by trusting the young talent they have in there academy systems. Munster have done likewise with Jack O Donoghue pushing his way into the Munster squad with other academy graduates like Dave Foley , John Ryan and winger Ronan O Mahoney.

All of the Provinces have to face up to the current reality that times are tough and they may just have dig a little bit deeper and come to trust the young talent within each squad because as sides like Clermont Auvergne and Bath have proven money doesn’t buy you success although Mourad Boudjellal might disagree. 

His fortune has been the backbone that has seen Toulon rise from Pro 2 in France to the top of the Top 14 and three time champions of Europe. Players like George Smith , Tana Umaga and Sonny Bill Williams were early signings of the Boudjellal era , this heralded the dawn of a new era in European club rugby where money is king well that is certainly the case in France and England where owners from the top flight clubs have carved up the best club competition in rugby.

To sum up , the Irish Provinces have had tough times before and will rise again but it may take time and patience from supporters and pundits alike…

By

Cian Mc Gibney

27/01/2016