A senior Australian Rugby league official recently leaked to Socrates that the ARL are looking at experimenting with the State of Origin team selections for future interstate matches. While not being totally dissatisfied with current arrangements the official argued that it was experimenting with selection rules that turned interstate Rugby League fixtures into the success that … [Read more...]
Priorities in times of Covid-19
There is a eighteen-year-old girl who, six months ago, left her small country town (and family home) to have a crack at living in the big city. Despite being an above average athlete, she is one of many, in the western world, who battles with anxiety. Settling into the city has not been easy. Finding work. Finding accommodation. Buying food. Making friends. Believing in … [Read more...]
Whats wrong with the Matildas?
Socrates is worried! Here is a lament from the idiot sports philosopher who has coached multiple sports for multiple years but has recently forsaken his earlier loves for Rugby, Rugby League and Basketball for “the beautiful game.” Some people who have only ever loved soccer will argue that he is not a real football person and that he doesn’t know what he is talking about. They … [Read more...]
Tribalism in sport – lets hear it for the twitter twits
A few days back I stumbled onto an example of one of the sports clubs that, despite being ranked highly by the Australian Sports Commission as being potentially worthy of a federal government sports grant, had been turned down by the Federal Sports Minister. The Victorian soccer club in question had been assessed by the ASC (Australian Sports Commission) on a ranking scale … [Read more...]
Rugby scrum and sports rorts – government employs Spartan approach
I can’t believe that its over two thousand years since I last packed down in the front row of the Athens 1st fifteen. We were good. Especially our scrum. I was the best hooker in the Hellenic Union if I do say so myself. Those Spartan sissies thought that they could match us in the scrumming department, but they were dreaming. We kicked their arses. Time and time … [Read more...]