Nick Cain: Selling the soul of the ‘greatest rivalry’

The most discordant is the decision, having invoked the tradition of battles of almost mediaeval ferocity in past tours between the two nations by holding the entire series alternately in each other’s back yards, that the final Test will take place in Baltimore, USA.

In terms of rugby hotbeds Baltimore is about as hot as the Antarctic, and only three years ago it was snared in a drugs crisis publicised as one of the worst in America.

As for oval balls, the only type that means anything to the majority of its inhabitants is the smaller version used in NFL by the local franchise, the Baltimore Ravens.

Tradition and player welfare concerns

The Ravens home is the 71,000 capacity M&T Bank Stadium, and it has been chosen to host what could potentially be the decisive Test of the four between the Springboks and the All Blacks despite being in a city which has no previous affinity with rugby union, or notable links to South Africa or New Zealand.

This contrasts unfavourably with a ground like Twickenham, which is a citadel of the 15-man-code, and is easily accessible to the sizeable numbers of Kiwis and Saffers living in the south of England.

In addition, player welfare has taken a back seat as Twickenham is only a 12-hour overnight flight from South Africa, with just an hour difference in time zone, whereas it is an 18-hour flight to Baltimore, with a six-hour time difference.

It makes no sense from an elite sport perspective that this American cocktail of travel and jet-lag comes after a gruelling three Tests played in Johannesburg and Cape Town, not to mention four provincial matches strung between Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, and Johannesburg.

Cash grab

As a result, SARU and NZ Rugby have been criticised for turning the last match of the series into a blatant cash grab, aimed at reaping far bigger commercial returns from a foray to the land of the greenback dollar than can be made in South African Rand – even if it means selling the soul of the ‘greatest rivalry’.

There is the attendant concern that World Rugby has also drawn a bead on the series as a means of promoting the sport in the USA ahead of the 2031 World Cup to maximise its own commercial revenue from the tournament.

World Rugby hopes that holding the Springbok v All Blacks clash in Baltimore will help to mobilise support for the global event in the USA, and attract major east coast cities to bid to be host venues.

The elephant in the room is how accommodating American Football franchises like the Ravens will be with a Rugby Union World Cup overlapping with the NFL season.

Given the industrial complex surrounding protectionist money-obsessed American pro sports, the soundest default position by World Rugby would be to expect nothing at all from the NFL.

Pitch problems

Another significant issue for the ‘greatest rivalry’ is that the pitch dimensions at the M&T Bank Stadium can only meet those for international matches stipulated by World Rugby if several thousand seats are removed from the lower corner sections.

The narrowness of the NFL pitch at 53.33 yards is 21 yards, or 19 metres, short of the required 68 metres minimum width – and, while the NFL pitch length of 120 yards with in-goal areas is just above rugby’s minimum 106m length (including two 6m in-goal areas), the width extension is essential to meet regulation size.

The close call on the pitch for the SA v NZ fourth Test showpiece is an early warning to World Rugby that if playing surfaces at any potential World Cup 2031 host stadiums are undersized and, unlike the M&T Bank Stadium, cannot meet its regulations, it is capable of undermining the entire concept of taking the tournament to the USA.

It was no surprise that the adjustments in travel and sporting culture that South Africa and New Zealand will have to contend with in the USA, led Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus to hint recently that he would love his team to have a 3-0 cushion to take into the American leg of the tour.

Whether this ‘Greatest Rivalry” tour lives up to its billing on the pitch remains to be seen, particularly with the Baltimore dimension.

However, given that Kiwi travelling support to South Africa, let alone Baltimore, will struggle to exceed more than a few thousand, compared with most Lions tours over the last 30 years attracting in the region of 30,000 fans, the primacy of the Lions in terms of popularity is clear.