US ‘commissioner’ model a worthy idea

I noted last week that there was a position vacant on the Kilkenny hurling team — that of full-back, given the departure of JJ Delaney into retirement. I think there might be even more significant vacancies in Irish sport, however.

Damien Hopley is the head of the professional rugby players’ association in England, the Saxon version of IRUPA, and he made a couple of interesting observations last week, including this, while discussing the difficulties of effecting change in rugby.

“I actually have a lot of sympathy for World Rugby,” Hopley told British media outlets. “Because they’re governed by the very unions they’re supposed to govern. I look enviously at the commissioners in America who make decisions in the best interests of their sport. Funnily enough, American sport looks pretty successful to me.”