Clive crossing the Rubicon?

Wednesday September 01 2004
Clive Woodward's Red and White Army?

Having got over choking on his cornflakes when reading the papers, Piers North looks at the departure of Sir Clive Woodward from the England rugby job to start a new career in the round ball game.

At first I thought it was one of those stories you often read in the Daily Mail.

You know the 'exclusive' ones about how a giant tsunami will (possibly) wipe out Basingstoke next summer solstice, or that the foreign hordes are already at the the gates of Alnwick Bowling Club waiting to plunder last year's Best Newcomer Trophy from the arms of the wailing Betty.

But no, credit where credit is due to Associated Newspapers. They look like they have got it right this time, and Sir Clive - our Clive - who led our England team to glory, could well be about to abandon the game they play in heaven for the game they play in Highbury, or more like St Mary's. 

The different pieces of the jigsaw took a while to fall together but with Clive's resignation it seems likely that England's game against Australia at Twickenham on November 27 will be his last game in charge of England rugby team.

It will be almost exactly seven years since he took over the side and led them on a journey that would culminate in World Cup triumph.

Since then he has lost key players to retirement, seen other players lose their form, seen England lose their European dominance and surrender their southern hemisphere bragging rights, and found himself back in the daily grind of battling the competing interests in Engish rugby circles.

Frankly who can blame the man who has said he 'hated' rugby as a child for looking elsewhere, back to the game that he still supports with a passion.

Woodward has long spoken about the possibility of exporting his management techniques to others sports and businesses, indeed his forthcoming book 'Winning' will no doubt be aimed at the corporate bible market.

Many rubbished the story or rubbished Woodward for thinking the unthinkable but they need to re-think.

Football, or soccer for you rugby traditionalists, and rugby have long been two very distinct entities but in reality both now are simply industries where business sense, and management acumen, is the key.

You can strip away the guff about passion, you can ignore the technical and playing side of the sports as mere trivia. Woodward is unlikely to be plunged into deciding whether to play 4-4-2, expect a Director of Football role where it is more about preparation and team management than football management.

So you should not have been fooled by wordplay, honouring contracts was very different from staying in a job, or by the seemingly bizarre nature of the story.

And if you are an England fan, don't get too maudlin. Frankly the Sweet Chariot broke down six months ago and is now decaying at a rate of knots found only on CSI.

Rejoice that a new era of English rugby is about to begin and just look forward to the prospect of fiery Sir Clive getting stuck in to the maelstrom that is professional soccer.

Whatever happens along the way, both sure as hell will be fun to watch!