AB's coach laments young Kiwis being lured overseas...

AB's coach laments young Kiwi players being lured overseas...



Many of New Zealand's young rugby players are being lured overseas, much to the disappointment of Graham Henry. Their incentive must go, says Lynn McConnell, senior editor of Sportal.co.nz.



You do have to wonder where New Zealand's young rugby players are getting their advice.



All Blacks coach Graham Henry is reportedly upset that so many young players are heading offshore in the pursuit of foreign dollars before they have completed their run at the great New Zealand dream: winning All Blacks status.



Players do have a limited time in the game, and they do have to maximise their abilities — as does anyone in the workforce. But being stuck in some British backwater, training and playing in conditions far removed from the generally better weather struck in New Zealand, during the Super Rugby series especially, can't be the greatest dream in the world.



However, in the free market the world has become, the market forces provide the opportunity and there is not much the All Blacks coach, whoever that may be, can do about it.



There is the cynical viewpoint to be had that every place taken by a New Zealander in Britain is one less place for a homegrown player to develop over there. And if the Brits are happy having their rugby competitions looking like a sporting version of the United Nations, as English football does, then good on them.



Impatience is a vice of the young and if the chance is there they are going to take it. But at least some of the criticism should be aimed at New Zealand rugby thinking itself. It involves releasing some of the bonds that hold the game in New Zealand.



It is well past time that New Zealand Rugby looked to establish a fighting chest to keep these players in New Zealand and to create an atmosphere that prevents players looking overseas. The old catchcry that the New Zealand dollar can't compete with British payments can only be used for so long.



A professional administrative approach would see a more public ownership of the game for the All Blacks and for the Super Rugby franchises. That would allow rugby employees to focus more time and effort into maximising the opportunities to keep players in New Zealand. This could be a wide-ranging concept aimed at providing education for players built around their rugby requirements so that the need to cater for their future by playing rugby overseas is removed, or made less appealing.



There must be any number of opportunities that could be developed by working in with reputable entities to allow this to happen on a much wider scale than is the case now.



Education is just one area that could be involved. There could be many others. Rugby might say that it is already doing its bit in this regard, but the evidence is that it is not making any impact with the players concerned.



Continuing monetary losses are going to be a problem for a long-time yet — some extraordinary thinking is required, but is rugby prepared to make that move?



Acknowledgements: MSN Sports

http://anzacbloggersunite.co.uk/

The Melbourne Cup great - The mighty Kiwi...

The Melbourne Cup:

Kiwi - one of the all time greats. The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major annual thoroughbred horse race. Billed as 'the race that stops a nation', it is for three-year-olds and over, and covers a distance of 3200 metres. The event has been held on the first Tuesday in November since 1861 by the Victoria Racing Club, at Flemington Park in Melbourne. It is generally regarded as the most prestigious "two-mile" handicap in the world.

The race was originally held over two miles, about 3,218 metres, but following Australia's adoption of the metric system in 1972 the current distance of 3200 metres was adopted. This reduced the distance by 61ft 6in, and Rain Lover's 1968 race record of 3min.19.1sec was accordingly adjusted to 3min.17.9sec. The present record holder is the 1990 winner Kingston Rule with a time of 3min 16.3sec.

New Zealand success:Since the race was first run; New Zealand-breds have won 41 Melbourne Cups starting in 1883 with Martini Henry. In recent years their success has been remarkable with NZ breds taking 28 of the past 50 Melbourne Cups.

Famous NZ-breds to land the famous race in recent years include Ethereal (2001), Might and Power (1997) and Doriemus (1995), all of whom also won Australia's famous Caulfield Cup.

However possibly the most famous New Zealand bred Melbourne Cup Winner was a horse named Kiwi. Kiwi was a race horse who in 1983 won the Wellington Cup and the Melbourne Cup.

Kiwi raced from 1980 to 1987, and he was purchased by Waverley sheep farmer Snow Lupton for only NZ$1000, originally to be used as a stock horse on the farm, and was never intended to be tried as a thoroughbred racing galloper.

Legend has it that as Kiwi proved to be a fast horse with plenty of stamina around the Lupton farm, Lupton was convinced by his friends to enter Kiwi in the Derby at nearby Wanganui, to see how he ran under race conditions. He instantly showed promise, especially over longer distances. He was an unknown quantity at the two mile distance when he was entered in the 1983 Wellington Cup, and won handily.

Despite having won over the two mile distance, he was still a distant long shot with the bookmakers and punters alike on race day, and started at 10/1. Yet he managed to come from last in the final straight to take the victory and capture the hearts of racing aficionados.

He was retired to the Lupton's farm.


Melbourne Cup Day Racing in New Zealand:

The first Tuesday in November is generally a day where even here in New Zealand the entire nation stops to watch the great race. This day is also known for office sweepstakes, and for many New Zealanders the one day of the year where they will venture down to the TAB to make an investment on the big race.

Domestically there are three thoroughbred meetings conducted on this day for the Auckland Racing Club at Ellerslie, the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham, and the Otago Racing Club at Wingatui. For the Otago Racing Club the day mirrors Flemington and has a glamorous image and a noticeable fashion theme highlighted by the 'Fashions on the Field' competition. The day is extremely popular with Otago businesses who utilize the event to entertain clients and staff.