“How good is afternoon footy?” Tim Horan was practically gushing when he delivered this rhetorical question shortly after the 3.45 pm kick-off in Sydney. The two-time World Cup-winning Wallaby didn’t need to provide an answer of his own. His love for the game, his love for the badge, was self-evident. The question that was left unasked, the question that runs through every facet of Australian rugby at present, is, how many people feel the same way as Tim Horan?
Pontificating over the health of the code in Australia has almost become old hat. Like pointing out that there’s a looming housing crisis in the country or that the ice caps are melting. And though even the most popular sports are far less important than those real world challenges, the current health and predicted future of rugby union remains a nagging existential concern.
