Suburban
Hugh Godwin
“The most important thing is how we can invest to make it a global game,” said Khaled Babbou, who had just become the first representative of the huge federation of Rugby Africa to be elected onto World Rugby’s all-powerful executive committee.
“If the north win against the south, or the south wins against the north, what kind of win is that? We must have the whole rugby family united around these challenges or we will never succeed.”
In common with Pichot, Babbou was surprised the chairmanship vote was proceeding in the circumstances of Covid-19 – but in any event the executive-committee business had already been done. When the controversial Fijian, Francis Kean, was stood down in April, it left seven candidates for seven places, and Babbou and New Zealand’s Bart Campbell will form the “ExCo” for the next four years with the re-elected Brett Robinson (Australia), John Jeffrey (Scotland), Mark Alexander (South Africa), Bob Latham (USA) and Gareth Davies (Wales) alongside two independents and World Rugby’s chair, vice-chair and chief executive.
“I represent 52 countries and 40 unions — and we are the same as Japan with two votes,” Babbou said from his base in Tunis, referring to World Rugby’s 51-person Council, on which he also sits for Rugby Africa with Rolande Boro from Burkina Faso. “I have read the two manifestoes (of Beaumont and Pichot) and I don’t see any big difference. But we are going to be part of the process – yes, I am happy about that.”
Babbou says it is not just the three votes for each of the old-guard unions in the Six Nations and Rugby Championship that is lopsided. “We receive about £2million a year as Rugby Africa (from World Rugby), for the competitions and training and everything. And we really thank them for that. But compare it to what France or England get and I wouldn’t say it is peanuts but it is 20 or 30 per cent. It’s difficult to find the figure but I think England receive £7m — that is the one I hear. And the RFU put in the same amount as development, so they match it. That is difficult for us to do as the poorest continent with some poor countries.”
Babbou points to the NBA’s £150million investment in a new Basketball Africa League, and the African influence in France’s football World Cup-winning team, and he is pleading for rugby to follow suit. He advocates a seed fund of two or three times the current amount, sustained over a four-year plan, as well as technology and expertise. He chides the RFU in England and WRU in Wales as absent friends, unlike their counterparts in France and South Africa, who each have a memorandum of understanding with Rugby Africa.
“We have seen a reduction of players in Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Romania, Wales,” Babbou said. “This is a fact. In Europe you have the professional game, yes, but where are the players you will need in 10 years? I say ‘please come and shop’ – we have very good athletes in Africa, they are keen and they want to play.
“Go to any suburb of Lagos or Kinshasa and I can give you 30,000 kids to choose from. Look up rugby in Madagascar on YouTube and you will see scenes you would never expect. The problem is that nobody knows about it, even at the highest level. I mean, they have heard of it but I never saw anyone from any place in world rugby that just said ‘oh s**t I should go there’.
“We need to enlarge the basis of players worldwide, and who is going to give these players? It’s Africa.”Rugby Africa president Khaled Babbou’s call be heeded?
‘Where are the players you will need in 10 years? I say “please come and shop” — we have very good athletes in Africa’ They are keen and want to play.
“Go to any suburb of Lagos or Kinshasa and I can give you 30,000 kids to choose from. Look up rugby in Madagascar on YouTube and you will see scenes you would never expect. The problem is that nobody knows about it, even at the highest level. I mean, they have heard of it but I never saw anyone from any place in world rugby that just said ‘oh s**t I should go there’.
“We need to enlarge the basis of players worldwide, and who is going to give these players? It’s Africa.” — inews.co.uk
