Business of Sport: it’s rugby but not as we know it

Cheslin Kolbe (#11) of South Africa spins around #14 Will Jordan of Team New Zealand during the Rugby World Cup France 2023. (Image: Getty)

Trevor McKewen

Fri, 03 Nov 2023

Against logic and all the warning signs, I had high hopes for this year’s Rugby World Cup. In the lead-up, I became invested beyond just the All Blacks. Ireland, France, the Springboks, and Australia under Eddie Jones all held compelling storylines for wider fans.I should have known better.At the end of a two-month viewing commitment, all that remains is a bitter taste, which – believe it or not – has less to do with the All Blacks’ failure and more to do with the total disappearance of rugby as the game I once knew...

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