There has long been talk of a high performance developmental league, which would see the Canadian and Argentinean provinces compete against each other, and this inaugural tour by Salta Province is seen as a crucial step in furtherance of that dream.
The 2000 sets of eyes glued to the action on the field and on their computer screens should have witnessed an exhibition of elite rugby at its finest; but the day was darkened in the saddest of ways. After no less than three yellow cards in the first 50 minutes of the game, the score stood even at 13 - 13, shortly after half-time. It had been a physical and sometimes even nasty contest on the field, but that can be no excuse for what was to follow. The attention of all was drawn to the far side of the pitch from the main grandstand, where an ugly brawl was underway between unruly fans and several Salta Province players who had the misfortune of having strayed too far in that direction. The numbers of those involved quickly grew as the Salta players rushed to the aid of their teammates, and the match was very nearly suspended due to the ugly incident.
Put simply, this was a black mark on what could easily have been a shining example of what North American rugby was all about.
The raucous atmosphere at Rock home games is well known to Canadian rugby fans, but the consequences here have the ability to darken more than the reputation of any one club or region. This tour by Salta Province represents a genuine attempt to forge links between Canada's elite developmental league, the C.R.C., and South America's domestic competition. Salta Province were our guests.
Surely, more needed to be done to secure the safety of the players, as well as the integrity of the hosts.
What if this match had not been an mere exhibition fixture, but had been a nationally televised event on the C.B.C., as was the case at the very same ground in 2010? What if this had been an IRB World Cup Qualifier, as was the case prior to the 2007 World Cup in France? What if, instead of 2000 sets of eyes, this match had been put on display in front 20,000 or 200,000? Rugby, as a sport struggling to gain mainstream attention, could not afford such a damaging black eye.
There is no choice but to hold sports teams accountable for the actions of their fans in situations like this. Banning the individuals responsible from the ground will do nothing to mend the damaging visuals caused by such a sad display. The community of those trying to build up the sport in this country, which includes many fine Newfoundlanders, deserves better.
The quality of the rugby produced by the Atlantic region in general and Newfoundland in particular is one of Canada's greatest rugby stories. But in the future, more of an effort to safeguard the reputation of the sport in this country must be required.
Much more.
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