Karmichael Knows?

We've mentioned Karmichael Hunt's much-publicized code switch from rugby league to Australian rules here before, and we had thought there wouldn't be a lot of reasons to mention him here much again given that this site focuses on the rugby codes and not the AFL.

We were wrong. Before his AFL career begins, Hunt plans to wear a shirt with sleeves for just a bit longer by playing rugby union for six months with Biarritz in France. This means that if all goes according to plan, Hunt will have played three football codes at a top professional level in the space of a year. So far, he seems to be enjoying the journey.

Some have already been questioning the intent behind Hunt's frequent code-hopping. We won't speculate on what's behind the sport-swapping, but if it's all about the publicity, Hunt may want to get Nike on the telephone. After all, this is starting to look very familiar to some of us in the United States:







The similarities grow even eerier when we recall that Hunt is a big fan of basketball and the NFL.

Here's hoping things go well for the multi-talented athlete. Fortunately for Karmichael Hunt, there shouldn't be any sign of "Rabbits" Warren (see video in link) or Fuifui Moimoi (see second video in link) in Biarritz or the AFL.

Americans, Meet Fuifui

The Melbourne Storm may have beaten the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League Grand Final, but the Eels put on a show as well--particularly on U.S. television. The Eels played in three of the four finals matches shown on Spike TV's weekly American broadcasts, making them the most-seen side in American during the series (the Storm appeared in two matches and the Gold Coast Titans, Canterbury Bulldogs, and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles were each seen in one match).

Among the most memorable Eels players for the American audience week in and week out must have been Tongan-born Fuifui Moimoi (who is also eligible to play for New Zealand internationally). He got audiences' attention with hits so big that they can only be appreciated fully with the aid of science (sometimes a little too big), though his memorable name may have garnered as much notice from new viewers as his tremendous play.

If you found yourself becoming a new fan of Moimoi's, but were as captivated by the cult figure's interesting moniker as you were by his tremendous efforts, you're not alone. Moimoi is the subject of a song focused on his name and acheivements, as seen below:



We assume he doesn't mind the song because it will be playing when he enters the boxing ring for a charity match (the bout has been delayed by the Eels' success). If you're not a fan, though, you can see examples of Fuifui's imposing play without the soundtrack:









Now and then, of course, Moimoi is on the receiving end as well:



Here's hoping Spike TV and other U.S. networks see fit to show us more of Moimoi and the NRL's other luminaries in the future!

Interchange Coming to Union?

About a year ago, we mentioned that union might want to consider a league-style interchange law for substitutions after a Tri-Nations match featured something of a curious blood substitution.

In the wake of the now-infamous "Bloodgate" scandal involving a faked blood substitution during a Heineken Cup match earlier this year, a similar solution has been proposed. Among 16 suggestions made by an England Rugby Football Union task force on how to improve the sport is the recommendation that open "rolling" substitutions be given a trial run in an English domestic competition.

The idea has some prominent supporters.England manager and former England captain Martin Johnson argued today that the practice may be needed to discourage dishonest substitution practices. Of course, the suggestion has its detractors as well, particularly those who are concerned that opening up substitutions would dramatically affect the size and build of players used, but it looks to be getting taken seriously.

Will this be one way the rugby codes grow more similar than different over time? We'll see. In any case, something need to be done to stop the substitution cheating. As the video of the "Bloodgate" incident shows (follow the link to view the clip), it's certainly hard to catch the cheats under the current system (at least while the match is on). It certainly isn't as obvious as this "reconstruction" we found online, anyway: