The Case for Sonny Dispositions

There has been a change of Rugby Union’s pin up poster boy.

Have you noticed (and I think it would be hard not to) how many articles and advertisements feature Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) these days? Almost every day on Stuff or on the NZ Herald site, there is an article focussing on the league convert’s perspective on life with the All Blacks, one the other day drawing attention to how SBW is “forced” to “swat” over the All Blacks play book, a story revealing: a) that the All Blacks actually have set moves, b) that SBW can read, and c) that the editorial staff were so blinded by SBW’s photo they did not spell check the article (it was later changed to say “swot”, though perhaps the original "swat" was a reference to SBW’s "hulk smash" tendencies or boxing past) – pretty much all of which are fairly non-stories, though this was a headline item.



Now, what is it about SBW that makes him so special, and has knocked Daniel Carter (D-Car) from his underwear selling billboard? In one online story, D-Car took it upon himself to bear the burden for the failure of the All Blacks in Hong Kong, but the aforementioned SBW literary revelation was deemed the more newsworthy, not a call I would make myself.

SBW is everywhere at the moment, appearing in almost every other commercial break that the All Blacks as a team are not trying to hawk something, and of course the news shows have him as normal, sports and quite possibly weather headlines. (You think I am joking? Check out this Stuff slide show on the "All Blacks" which ends up a big love montage to SBW)

He hasn’t done a huge amount of playing for the All Blacks (he has to read the rule book first, of course), but he has been taken on jaunts to Hong Kong and now to the UK, and of course has had the chance to change outfits and make employees swoon at Rebel Sports outlets, all for a fairly impressive sum, I am sure.

Articles have been written about his suitability (or otherwise) to wear the All Black jersey, and how even more spectators are now appearing at matches in which he can show his skills. I am sure his athleticism is superb, though I haven't really seen him play, but something tells me there is something to his appeal besides the way he handles a rugby ball.

Is he that good an athlete, though the fact a lot of the interest is only loosely based on his sporting prowess would seem to prove otherwise? Is it SBW’s novelty, as D-Car has been the All Black headliner and lead shirtless wonder for quite a few years now? Is it SBW’s bad boy image, with his tempestuous career earning oodles of cash in different codes and sporting arenas, while D-Car remains the clean cut kid as puritanically white as his Bendon boxers?

Perhaps it is the idea that SBW, with his fairly mercenary approach to sport (and why not? If people want him for vast amounts of money, or he can increase his brand by “slumming it” (pay wise) with the All Blacks for a year, then he is just playing the game and power to him) won’t really be around (the All Blacks or New Zealand) for very long and will head off for more lucrative fields once the World Cup is done next year, so he needs to be maximised now, whereas D-Car (should Nikon, god of photography, one of the many gods to whom D-Car is sworn, permit) will be with us for many moons to come (even if Missrability, occasional commenter, seems fairly indifferent to D-Car's fate) .



Again, as with most things that strike me, it is not necessarily SBW and D-Car who are the more interesting players in this particular match, but rather how these two talented, good looking young men are perceived by and the influence they have over New Zealanders – with the added interest factor of which of these two wields the greater factor, and why.

Verdict: SBW may be a short term thing, and by gum, people are going to make the most of him while they can. This means D-Car may fade from the spotlight for a little bit, but he has a wedding to plan (and get paid for by sponsors so it might actually end up with him making money on the marriage – just imagine him and his girlfriend taking their vows wearing only Bendon clothing…), so he may not mind. Either way, rugby is becoming even more prominent in New Zealand. What next: Richie McCaw’s spread in Cosmo? 12 degrees of Rugby fever out of 15 – and rising.