For the Passion and Love for the game NOT money.

A game of Rugby Sevens (file)

Sometimes you really have to appreciate why the Rugby Union, until recent years, stubbornly resisted the temptation of embracing professionalism.

Rugby players are forbidden from being paid to play the game. The disagreement over that rule led to one of the biggest splits in sports history when rugby clubs in northern England broke away from the south and eventually developed into their own 13-a-side game (aka Rugby League) in 1895.

The game of football, on the other hand, took a slightly different path and gradually integrated professionalism as a means of maintaining its popularity.

Unfortunately, today, it has become a toy of mega-riches and a tool of exploitation for anyone with a motive.

In the modern game, player power is raging, with players dictating almost every aspect of the game.

Players with more fame are more marketable and, of course, bring in a lot of cash that will enrich the club.

Thus, it is no surprise that clubs and corporate sponsors are more than willing (or have no choice) to fork out the ridiculous sums to get whoever they want, not to mention the players who have held the club at a ransom to get their wages.

 

The modern game is getting more expensive (file)

The founding fathers of the modern game must be saddened by the mercenary nature of the game today.

While the idea of the "broken time payment" during the early days was to compensate players for lost wages, gate income has generated enough to support clubs as the appetite for football has grown.

In spite of that, sometimes I wonder if the game should remain amateur, with no financial element involved, and players playing it with pure passion?

Football headlines are dominated by players demanding higher wages for their clubs. It's quite sickening and disturbing to see some players, who are supposed to be role models for kids, acting like unreasonable greedy creatures.

As they always said, "MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVILS" and how true it is.