BOD warns of tour overload
Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll has queried the validity of European teams making summer tours to the Southern Hemisphere every year.
Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll has queried the validity of European teams making summer tours to the Southern Hemisphere every year.
O'Driscoll and his Ireland team-mates only recently finished their Heineken Cup season, before coming to New Zealand and Australia for two Test matches against the All Blacks and the Wallabies.
Under O'Driscoll's plan, European teams would make summer tours to the Southern Hemisphere in three out of every four years, while staying at home during every World Cup year.
“I am certainly not complaining about the length of this season but common sense has to prevail a little bit,” said O'Driscoll.
“In the year of a World Cup there shouldn't be any summer tours. I don't think the game will suffer too much from that.”
O'Driscoll believes the work load for players is too high and the wear and tear on the body from making Southern Hemisphere tours every year does not bode well for an individual's longevity in the game.
“You are going to find players that are playing in a 52-week season are going to struggle with injuries the following season,” said O'Driscoll.
“I think we will see that come September and October this year when we do our next pre-season and guys are still a little fatigued.”
“I just think people need to look at that for future reference.”
O'Driscoll is currently coming to the end of a long season of his own.
He has already represented Ireland six times in 2008, while making numerous appearances for his Heineken Cup team in Leinster.
Despite the increased workload on players, O'Driscoll said he still loves to get out ground and tackle the best teams in the world as often as he can.
“I like the idea of getting to play against Australia and New Zealand as many times as I can,” added O'Driscoll.
“More often than not they are in the best three or four sides in the world and it gives me a chance to play against some of the best players.
“The more often you can do that the better.”