In comparison with the glitz and glamour of other sports, there can often be a feeling with rugby union that it has been left in the shadows.
That it remains too niche. Too reluctant to embrace the cult of celebrity and promote its star players accordingly.
A feeling that the sport does not market itself well enough and sell itself to new audiences.
Finn Russell spoke about this 18 months ago after it was confirmed that the Six Nations docuseries on Netflix was being scrapped after only two seasons.
‘It was a good chance to grow the sport,’ said the Scotland fly-half. ‘I am not sure how much access Netflix actually got. I don’t think it went far enough.’
As one of the most globally popular players in the game, this was a fairly damning indictment from Russell.
Scotland duo Sione Tuipulotu and Finn Russell are two of world rugby’s biggest stars
Presented with a chance to reach new audiences, the series was dull and unimpressive, limited by a lack of genuine behind-the-scenes action.
Rugby has a problem with how it sells itself. The TV broadcasting deals are not even in the same stratosphere as many other sports.
Player salaries are modest in comparison to the fortunes earned by the world’s top footballers, golfers, tennis players and F1 drivers.
Rugby also has a tendency to try and suppress players’ natural personalities, rather than allowing them to shine.
Too often, players are prevented from speaking their mind and gagged by in-house PR spin.
Admittedly, this can be true of other sports at times, but rugby is the one where the constraints are most keenly felt.
None of this is lost on Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu. Especially being in Argentina at a time when the World Cup is on, it has been a real eye-opener.
Russell was once described as the Lionel Messi of rugby. Tuipulotu believes rugby as a sport can — and should — be doing more to embrace this and sell its star players.
Especially with Russell and England star Henry Pollock signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotion company earlier this year, these things are to be encouraged.
Asked whether he wished rugby could enjoy greater fanfare, Tuipulotu said: ‘My honest answer is yes.
Tuipulotu is confident that rugby has the potential to reach a much wider audience
‘I think just about how football is supported around the world. I’ve been a little bit taken back if I’m honest.
‘I think travelling to Argentina has opened my eyes about how big the World Cup really is and how much it means to people.
‘I hope rugby can go in that direction. I think we need to broaden our horizons a little bit.
‘I like the new thing of Henry and Finn going with their new promotion company (Eddie Hearn and Matchroom), things like that. I think they need to be encouraged.
‘I think just making players more accessible. When they get in front of the camera, we want to hear what they really think.
‘I think that’s what the fans want to hear. And I think that’s what makes football different. People follow players for who they are and now they’re playing for their national country.
‘People are so emotional to follow these players because I think maybe their personality is more there at the surface for everyone to see.
‘I think the more rugby can lean towards that, and not just being robots and just saying what the media guy tells me to say, things like that.
‘The more we can lean away from that and be ourselves, the closer we will get (to football). We do have passionate fans. I just think they are crying out to know the players on a deeper level.’
As the Scotland captain, a British and Irish Lions, and a URC winner with Glasgow Warriors, Tuipulotu does not enjoy the anonymity he once did when arriving on these shores from Australia in 2021.
The passion of Argentina supporters during this summer’s World Cup have left a mark
But the increased exposure is something he feels all players should embrace if rugby is to modernise itself as a sport.
Asked whether he gets recognised in the street, he continued: ‘To be honest, in the few years, no one. If they were coming up to me or recognised me, I’d be scared it was for the wrong thing!
‘But definitely more recently. I think since the Lions and winning the league, more and more people have come up to me — and that’s a good thing.
‘I know Glasgow is notoriously a football city. Even me, I’ve gone along to a couple of Celtic games over the last year just to see what it’s all about.
‘And, geez, what an atmosphere and what a following they have at a club like that. So I think just the more I want to push in that direction.
‘Obviously they’ve got years and years of history at those clubs, but, you know, that’s what I want for rugby.
‘We’ve been in Buenos Aires and watching one of the Argentina games in the World Cup with the locals. Their passion was unbelievable.
‘That’s what I want for the Glasgow Warriors to have passionate fans like that in the crowd that really care about the team.
‘A lot of what I gained from going to watch Celtic, a lot of those supporters, that’s their life, you know? That’s their life to support Celtic and it’s quite refreshing to see that.’
Argentina may well be gripped by World Cup fever and Messi-mania at the moment, but Tuipulotu and Co will aim to be the party poopers tonight.
Scotland’s Nations Championship campaign starts on Saturday against Los Pumas in Cordoba
They take on Los Pumas in the opening game of the all-new Nations Championship, aiming to start with a bang at the Estadio Mario Kempes in Cordoba.
It is undoubtedly a tough assignment, but Tuipulotu insists Scotland are desperate to make amends after blowing a 21-point lead against Argentina in a crushing defeat at Murrayfield last November.
‘Yeah, it was a big landmark for us in terms of what happened against Argentina last time,’ said the Scotland skipper. ‘We have addressed that and I believe there has been a lot of growth since then.
‘What a challenge it is for us — Argentina away and then South Africa away. We know Fiji will also be very difficult at Murrayfield as well.
‘We don’t get the opportunity to come away and play these Southern Hemisphere teams away from home if it isn’t at a World Cup.
‘I think this is the perfect preparation for us a year out from the World Cup to challenge ourselves against the best in their own backyard.
‘It’s going to be the reality of the World Cup as well in Australia. The Southern Hemisphere teams are comfortable playing in Australia.
‘They do it a lot in the Rugby Championship. So, there is an excitement around the group because I think anything new a rugby player gets excited about.
‘So we are excited about being at tier one opposition away from home and I hope it’s something that the group really relish because it’s an amazing new opportunity for the group.’
