Why Rugby is desperate for trends like ‘Barclaysmen’
To many sports enthusiasts, Twitter (or ‘X’ for millennials) has blessed us with a trend radiating peak British football nostalgia over the past week or so. The so-called Barclaysmen movement spotlights some of the Premier League’s finest from the 2010’s, who each possessed mouth-watering traits which you just don’t see on the pitch anymore.
As a nostalgia merchant who has recently fallen out of love with football, I was hooked. Not just at the resurgence of discussion surrounding Carew and Agbonlahor’s synergy (as a part-time Aston Villa supporter), but from the angle of a fan who’s trying to rekindle their passions for a sport, and being presented with the perfect ‘in’ to do so.
A social media account which has beautifully captured the Barclaysmen motion is VERSUS. Their regular series of highlighting a player the admin “Woke up thinking about” seriously gets the juices flowing, allowing fans to reminisce over childhood heroes whose style of play is missing from the modern game.
Personally, however, the ‘real’ beautiful game in this country is rugby. An unpredictable sport inducing blood, sweat and tears on a weekly basis. The drama, the turmoil, the tenacity – what’s not to love?
Similar to football, however, rugby is becoming stale. The sport is crying out for a commercial boost, particularly in the UK. Yes, there is media coverage, and there are viewers, but the majority of these are disciplined fans tied to the restraints of following their local team.
During the Rugby World Cup, World Rugby as an organisation even imposed a restriction on commercial content, centralising all match footage to be outputted through their own social media channels. In an era where companies should be maximising the free advertising that social media offers, World Rugby were instead removing videos and analysis from some of the biggest online profiles in the sport.
A major missed opportunity.
On Friday, English top-flight rugby recommenced with the launch of a new Gallagher Premiership season, kicking off with a replay of last year’s final, which saw a ferocious Bath take revenge over a lacklustre Saints side.
One of the standout performers on the night was undoubtably Finn Russell. A fly-half who oozes flair, Russell is notorious for infecting games with excitement through his pinpoint kicking and passing range, whilst maintaining such a laid back approach no matter the pressure. Russell’s style of play emulates those featured in the Barclaysmen trend by offering such a natural ability to impress, but there just aren’t enough players like this in the modern game.
This got me thinking… how would a Barclaysmen-esc trend look in the Gallagher Premiership landscape?
From 2010 up until 2018, the English Premiership’s headline partner was Aviva. An iconic sponsor in the eyes of any rugby fan – from the famous yellow post protectors to the golden trophy ribbons, the Aviva Premiership was an instantly recognisable competition. It was a factory for homegrown talent, who turned the tournament into must-watch TV for rugby fans all over the world. In a fitting manner, we’ll call these players Avivasmen.
Arguably the most Avivasman of them all was Danny Cipriani.
The Marcus Smith before Marcus Smith, if you know, you know. For years, Cipriani was untouchable. Young Player of the Year in 2008, Player of the Year a decade later. His longevity speaks for itself, but where he really did the talking was on the pitch. Whether it was the cheekiest dummy in midfield, or a perfect cross-field kick to his winger, Cipriani had an infinite book of tricks. If it wasn’t for the golden generation of Ford and Faz, and maybe a few off-field mishaps, we’d undoubtably be talking about an a hundred capped international and an all-time England great.
James Hook. A stalwart of the Aviva Premiership. This Welsh Wizard dragged Gloucester from the depths of defeat on numerous occasions. Whilst he didn’t play in England until the later stages of his career, boy did he make up for lost time. Hook was a no-nonsense, naturally gifted outside half who made every team he played for better both in defence and attack. A rarity for a modern, one-dimensional 10.
To be an Avivasman, you didn’t just have to play at the pivot, however. Kyle Eastmond changed the game at 12. A master of both league and union, Eastmond was a threat whatever the code. His telepathy with George Ford was eye candy, leading Bath to the 2015 Premiership Final following their best league run in over a decade. Injuries and only injuries kept him out of an England side which was craving a hard-running accomplice for a prime Manu Tuilagi. A centre partnership which one can only dream of.
And how could I not include one of the trickiest wingers the Premiership’s ever produced, Marland Yarde. Yarde was electric, and at times, devastating. One of those players who was always in the game, his blinding pace fused with brutal power saw him rack up just shy of eighty tries in eight seasons at the top.
But it was his off field actions which jeopardised an otherwise fantastic career, leaving Harlequins captain Chris Robshaw “disappointed” at his behaviour. He’s still mixing it up in Northern France for Bayonne, but the glory days are long passed. A recent arrest saw Yarde’s name circulate the darker areas of rugby Twitter, unfortunately discrediting a once fabulous asset of English rugby. Nevertheless, we won’t forget that hat-trick against Gloucester in a hurry.
Despite the mass negative connotations towards rugby’s presence on social media, it’s uplifting to see an increase in the number of accounts aiming to break the stereotype. THEDROPGOAL, a fan-managed Instagram page, uses engaging, snappy captions whilst documenting ‘The cool side of the game’, drawing awareness to current moments of rugby brilliance, or the next generation of stars to keep an eye out for. Yet, there’s something about trends such as Barclaysmen that makes you smile as a sports fan, sparking a true appreciation for the glory days gone by.
If I had to pick one Avivasman to encapsulate the trend, it would always be Goodey. The red undershorts, the grip gloves… you just had to be there.
