It’s another edition of our picks of good reads from around the rugby world. This week touches on a wide assortment of topics, including history, coaching, officiating, Canadian rugby, Australian rugby, Uruguayan rugby, and the New Zealand All Blacks.
Canada Must Get Over Being Nice Losers – by Cathal Kelly / The Globe and Mail
It’s a tag that needs to be shed by this Canadian side, and in an urgent fashion.
Why Junior Athlete Results Probably Don’t Matter – by Grant Jenkins / Propel
One for the coaches. Winning at age grade level is nice, but must be secondary to skill and enjoyment.
Pronghorns Mourn Loss of Rugby Coach – by Dylan Purcell / Lethbridge Herald
A fine tribute to one of the great characters in Americas rugby.
An Open Letter to the Wallabies – by Jack Quigley
In case you missed it, this is the Facebook post of the year.
The Incredible Shrinking Pool of Youth Sports Officials – by Jaimie Duffek / USA Today
Rugby is generally ahead when it comes to respecting officials but it’s still not good enough. It’s a very challenging game to referee and those who expect perfection at amateur levels should give it a try some time. It just might change your perspective.
The All Blacks’ Beautiful Game Has No Equal – by Matthew Syed / The Times (UK)
An appreciation of the incredibly high bar that the All Blacks have set across sport.
Smith’s Role in Transforming All Blacks Culture Bears Fruit – by Alexander Bisley / The Guardian
Another on New Zealand rugby, this time in praise of brilliant coach Wayne Smith.
Inside a Referee’s Strict World Cup Regimen – by Tim Baker / South China Morning Post
It’s not just players who have to be disciplined to make it to the top.
How Canada invented Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey – by David Giddens / CBC
A history lesson in how much influence rugby has had in North American sport.
Los Teros and the Challenge of Managing Wealth – by Ignacio Chans / El Observador
What Uruguayan rugby faces for the rest of 2017 and beyond (in Spanish).