Rugby Europe governance/politics

[victorsra Profile Website]

I have said nothing I haven't said before. I'm not responsible for what people understood before. The only new thing is the analysis about the Olympics.

[Vova12 Profile]

Going to Asia is no better than staying in Europe. But this is only way out of this crazyhouse under leadership of Morariu. This is only opportunity to develop.
Of course Southern Hemisphere is preferable but Putin has not yet conquered even a small island there for Russia ...

[victorsra Profile Website]

What a beautiful moment, we are closer than ever.

[victorsra Profile Website]

But there you are the obvious question: why would Japan or China vote in favor of Russia joining Asia Rugby if it would mean another contender for an Olympic spot?

Why would Korea or HK or Malaysia or etc etc vote for Russia if it would mean another contender for a RWC spot? If for Uzbekistan it worths, well, for Indonesia it doesn't.

The only argument is a lot of money. How much? Don't know.

[Vova12 Profile]

They cannot but accept us. Russia is geographically located in Asia !!!
Games are official in winter in offseason because of what Russia is losing points, strengthening of rivals at expense of France, excommunication from European club tournaments ... Is this exactly rugby, not BDSM?What keeps us in Europe?
We simply have no other choice.

[victorsra Profile Website]

It is not a geographical problem. It is a political one. Russia is a WR member already member of a continental union. WR can't make Asia Rugby accept Russia. It is up to Asia Rugby member countries to vote for it. The power is in the Asia Rugby 34 members.

[Vova12 Profile]

Well, if Asia also votes against Russia then Putin will start a nuclear war.
In any case no one will vote for us in Europe and never!

[victorsra Profile Website]

Also, Rugby Europe has zero power over EPCR. EPCR is a private entity. Which means Challenge Cup is out of Rugby Europe hands, it can't be used as an excuse

[victorsra Profile Website]

Well, if Asia also votes against Russia then Putin will start a nuclear war.
In any case no one will vote for us in Europe and never!

Yashenkov lost now, but it doesn't mean he'll lose in 2024.

Morariu can't be elected again in 2024, am I right? This means if Russia puts money in a new competition, it might prove to other countries it worths to vote for Yashenkov in 2024. Will it be Russia's strategy? Don't know, but could work. Rugby's politics change not in so fast ways.

However, if Russia switches investment to Asia, well, you'd probably need 18 friends there or whatever number makes Asia Rugby's majority for such matter.

[Armchair Fan Profile]

This article claims Italy voted for Yashenkov. I know Italy is in the EU one of the countries that has best relations with Russia, by I haven't a got a f****** clue why they would do that from a rugby POV:
https://www.ilgazzettino.it/sport/rugby ... 29672.html

[Canalina Profile]

The article just says "it doesn't result that Italy was supporting Morariu", it gives not certainties about who we voted.
Fact is that if we had voted Morariu, the journalist (and the fans interested in this matter) would have said that we are just faithful gregarious, that we always vote as the powerful nations want et cetera et cetera; and if we had voted for Yashenkov, the journalist and the fans would have said (as they're saying) that we are naives without political importance and that this is a tremendous political loss for Italy, "which now counts less than Croatia and Denmark!"... To criticize is the italian national sport and this missed election excited everyone in the little world of rugby.
Malfatto, the journalist of the article posted by Armchair, was also a fan of Pichot, just to say: he depicted him like a pure Robin Hood and the Six Nations like a bunch of rich people interested just on defending their power (probably, I suppose, wearing a tuba hat, smoking a cigar and with a pig tail)
www.ilgazzettino.it/sport/rugby/rugby_w ... 25943.html

My position is that we have no reason to sit in the RE council: we don't play in the REC, we don't play in the junior RE tournaments, we never host 7s circuit tournaments, in the last two seasons we even renounce to play in the Euro 7s U18, both boys and girls: why we should deserve a directive role in Rugby Europe? The problem, if there's a problem, is our scarce presence in RE activities, not the absence in the RE board.

A last thing: I still have a problem with the voting math. In the official communicate RE says that "the 46 active nations" voted (in the website 47 members are listed; which is the not-active one?) and the screenshot of the voting reported that no one abstained to vote. But 6x3 votes (the Six Nations), plus 6x2 votes (the REC nations), plus 34x1 votes (the remaining nations) give a total of 64 votes, while Morariu get 51 and Yashenkov 12 = 63. Where's the missing vote?

[Vova12 Profile]

I think getting votes in Asia is not problem , problem is getting votes in Europe.
Еverything will be decided in situation with Continental League. If Rugby Europe fails to create it or if Russian clubs are excluded from it or discriminated against then turn to Asia can become a reality.

[amz Profile]

so Italy voted KGB candidate and is left out?

[Vova12 Profile]

Smart people voted for Yashenkov but now there are very few of them in European rugby.
I would like to know their list.

[Canalina Profile]

https://www.revista22.es/2020/12/las-ho ... -portugal/

"Las home natons sacan a Espana de la junta de Rugby Europe"

The count of the Board of Directors' votes gives a total of 552, and 552 is 46x12. So maybe everyone of the "46 active nations" had twelve votes to spend on the BOD election

PS: it's curious that the uncle of BOD (Brian O'Driscoll) was elected to the BOD (Board of Directors)

[Armchair Fan Profile]

We can complain as much as we want, but the fact is Croatia has organised more Rugby Europe events in the last cycle than Spain, Italy and Wales combined. And I don't think their budget is huge. If Board had to be elected by merits, I think Poland was very unfairly treated given they have hosted quite a few tournaments.

[Canalina Profile]

Anyway Flidta is right, they've still not published anything about the second day of the congress. According to the Hungarian federation there were some points quite interesting debated, but it was three days ago and still no report at all by RE.
In the website the penultimate article is about Portugal-Brazil and it has even a mistake in the title. It's like they had not a press office, neither a part-time one

https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/news

[Armchair Fan Profile]

This article claims Italy voted for Yashenkov. I know Italy is in the EU one of the countries that has best relations with Russia, by I haven't a got a f****** clue why they would do that from a rugby POV:
https://www.ilgazzettino.it/sport/rugby ... 29672.html

FIR denies it:
https://www.ilgazzettino.it/sport/rugby ... 33398.html

[zzatelo Profile]

The results of Morariu's rule are catastrophic.
- Poor communication with national unions, especially the smallest ones
- Reduced development grants for national federations
- Poor competition management
- Complete disinterest in helping the development of rugby in countries that do not have a national federation (eg Northern Macedonia, Albania ...) and ignoring the problems that some unions have (eg Montenegro, Greece ...).
- A small and incompetent team of Rugby Europe in charge of development, marketing and other activities.
- Inability to provide quality sponsors.
Many federations have criticized Rugby Europe for years for its strong French influence. Compared to the last few years, it was a "golden age".
However, I believe that Morariu will remain president because the unions from Western Europe will not allow the continental organization to be led by a Russian, regardless of his program and ability to provide funds.

Exactly mate ,well said.
This guy was personally involved to stop us (Albania rugby union) to make any step toward the development we have planned. He personally cut our ties with Montenegro federation and Croatian federation as well. So what is the point to try and build something when the people that are in charge and is supposed to help you try to sabotage you. I can tell you something about politics different agendas mate, after Albania switched to RL some officials from RFU came to Albania to have a meeting and see what they could do but it was to late.

[victorsra Profile Website]

This guy was personally involved to stop us (Albania rugby union) to make any step toward the development we have planned. He personally cut our ties with Montenegro federation and Croatian federation as well.

But why?

[zzatelo Profile]

I am not the right person to answer this question.
I was personally involved with Albanian Rugby Union at the time and i am still involved. And to be sincere i dont knwo and i dont whant to know. It must be a strong reason to get personally involved and make calls to the others federation that whanted to help us.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Well, that's pretty serious and strange, as I don't remember another country that was blocked by Rugby Europe. Armenia and Greece were suspended after becoming members. Other than Albania, the only country ever rejected IIRC was Gibraltar, but because Spain don't accept them.

[zzatelo Profile]

We didn't know all this , at the moment , we thought that it was the luck against us. But people around us that wer involved in our development and development of RU in the Balkan region informed us about everything when the RFU officials came to Albania we learned everything. They informed us way they treated us in this why they wanted us to continued pursuits union development.
Basically we didn't wanted to be the sacrificed part in a cold war. This might count as a response to your question "WHY" cheers