Connacht plans are in line with IRFU policy

Gerry Thornley On Rugby: So Connacht are reaching another crossroads in their turbulent history? With the Westerners, it appears to be ever thus in the professional age. In the next few weeks they will either be given the green light to press ahead with their most ambitious plans to date, or will apparently be kept on a drip feed, either to continue as a quasi "development" province or to fade away altogether.

Establishing which is the more credible route isn't helped by the conflicting massages emanating from the west and 62 Lansdowne Road. That the IRFU initially baulked at Connacht's proposal to use private sponsorship to bring home the likes of Johnny O'Connor, Gavin Duffy, Colm Rigney, Damien Browne, Simon Easterby and perhaps others, is clear. That it was rejected on the grounds Connacht ought to be spending money on reducing their off-field expenditure, which the union claim is in excess of the other three provinces, either betrays a lack of understanding as to why private backing might be attracted to the province's team or a desire to keep Connacht in their box lest they become too competitive.

No private backers will be inclined to invest money in the Connacht set-up to offset the costs of airplane tickets, tackle bags, etc. But one could understand they would be willing to invest in a more competitive Connacht outfit, with a level playing field when it comes to qualifying for the Heineken European Cup.

However, the union are entitled to demand Connacht back up their plans with funding details. One cannot quibble with IRFU chief executive Philip Browne's assertion the union need to be convinced they, ultimately, will not be underwriting the investment. The tone of Browne's comments indicated there remains a residual anger amongst some of the IRFU hierarchy over the way Connacht and their supporters went about fighting for the province's existence two years ago. "Some people in the IRFU have bent over backwards for Connacht and have had nothing but abuse in return for their efforts," he commented angrily last week.

Browne and some of the IRFU hierarchy possible remain a tad over-sensitive. Are the IRFU never to be questioned? Were Connacht and their supporters meant to roll over rather than fight for their existence? Nevertheless with the IRFU's sensitivities in mind, the statement by the Dublin Branch of the Connacht Rugby Supporters Club late last week threatening more of the same was ill-timed and ill-conceived. That will merely serve to get the IRFU's dander up.

Coach Michael Bradley and Connacht CEO Gerry Kelly distanced themselves from the supporters' statement. One can well understand the latters' frustrations over what they see as the IRFU's hidden agenda against the province, but it would be far better if everyone in Connacht started singing off the same hymn sheet.

Connacht, for sheer demographic reasons, will never be the power of any of the other provinces, at least not on a consistent basis. But given a chance, a professional Connacht team could punch above their weight and could have a major role in the continuing evolution of Irish rugby.

Saturday's defeat to Cardiff merely underlined why Bradley feels it is imperative for his squad to be strengthened. Aside from the likes of Ronnie McCormack and Rowen Frost at Ulster and other former players dotted around the provinces, who's to say Paul Warwick, Andrew Farley and others won't become viable contenders for the Irish jersey in a few years' time when they qualify by dint of residency eligibility? It was with that very purpose in mind Bradley brought them to Ireland, and, by the by, Bradley's own development as a coach can only have been enhanced by his time with Connacht.

The Irish professional game isn't over endowed with opportunities to blood the many ex-players coming on board the coaching ladder. To cut Connacht off would reduce those opportunities further. Browne, and no doubt others in the IRFU, make the point they have nine non-Irish qualified players in their squad. I'm not so sure about this, but in any event, no one in the IRFU ever made similar complaints about the Southern Hemisphere influence in the Ulster dressing-room under Alan Solomons.

Indeed one could point to a host of flawed overseas imports at Munster and Ulster in the professional era which might just as easily question their "business plans". Few of them were signed with declaring for Ireland eventually in mind, many of them were poor value for money. The other provinces make mistakes too, as happens in all professional sports, but Connacht seem to be judged by a different set of rules to everyone else.

Connacht are endeavouring to bring home their prodigal sons and the likes of Easterby besides. If they can vow to underwrite the cost of signing them, say by half of the anticipated €1 million which they estimate would be required over the next three years and spell it out in the context of a viable business plan, then it surely behoves the union to listen to their proposals with an open-mind. Bringing home indigenous players is in keeping with union policy.

Were they not to, it would give the distinct impression the union's all-powerful Players Advisory Group (Neil Jackson, Pat Whelan, Eddie O'Sullivan, Eddie Wigglesworth, John Lyons and Browne) are as much a hindrance as a help to the provinces. Were any of the other provinces denied such a lifeline, and consigned to the Challenge Cup for ever more, they too might struggle commercially.

Of course the IRFU need to have a controlling influence on the province's spendings and player investments, but if the provinces are to become more autonomous and self-financing, they need to be pro-active as well. That's all Connacht are trying to do. ...