New Zealand and Brazil: 10 similarities and 10 differences

People are concerned over the future of club rugby in New Zealand after a season that has seen so many All Blacks depart to the U.K. and France. Some have even dared to ask for the rule of not selecting players abroad for the All Black squad to be overlooked. In the scope, the future of New Zealand's rugby.

How is it going to be in the future? Can New Zealand afford a strong club rugby like France and England do? Should New Zealand be another Brazil?

This has been differently approached by two players abroad: Rico Gear and Chris Jack a few weeks ago. The lock asked to prevent what he called a Brazil-like situation.

Is this it? Is New Zealand going to become a new Brazil? From this blog we give 10 similarities and 10 differences between these two giants.

Similarities:

1. They have each arguably the best national team in history at their respective national sports.
2. They focus on introducing the game to the kids.
3. Their clubs cannot match foreign salaries.
4. They were each far less successful at the first World Cup editions than everyone expected.
5. Their hardest foe is their closest neighbour.
6. Each of the two have a characteristic "jogo bonito" way of playing.
7. They have only been world champions when they have had the best defense.
8. The game has been adopted by the native population and has mixed with the country cultural inheritance.
9. Both nations stop when the national team is playing
10. National's team head coach is both the most desired position and hated person in the country.

Differences:

1. Brazil has nearly got 200 million people and 60 million football players. That makes Brazil on of the most populated countries and the one with more football players. On the other hand, there are "only" 4 million New Zealanders and just 140,000 of them are rugby players.
2. The GDP per capita is less than 7,000 US$ in Brazil while it is almost 30,000 US$ in New Zealand.
3. Brazilian streets are full of kids dreaming that playing good football will fill their families with wealth, whereas in New Zealand, there are no kids on the streets (nor wealth in rugby).
4. Brazilian club competition is of no interest while Super 14 is one of the top club competitions worldwide.
5. Brazilian clubs hope to sell players to Europe to pay debts whereas Super 14 franchises would love to retain them.
6. Brazil has won 5 World Cups although lost one on home soil. New Zealand has only won once but played on home soil.
7. Brazil usually plays awfully during qualifying tournaments and wins every four years, while the All Blacks have been labelled "champions between World Cups".
8. New Zealanders are too oft seen as "arrogant" by others while no one says so about Brazilians and simply see them as "the best".
9. In Brazil there is simply no other sport, while New Zealanders love (besides rugby) league, cricket, football...
10. In Brazil, Graham Henry would have been sacked on October the 8th.