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September 13, 2011

Posted on 09/13/2011

Visionary's legacy a rugby bonus

Writing in the The Australian, Wayne Smith pays tribute to the late Terry Doyle, a man who has left an indelible mark on the game of rugby.

"When Richard Kahui scored the All Blacks' fourth try last Friday to register the first bonus point of the World Cup, virtually no one was aware of the vital input into that moment from the rugby visionary who passed in Brisbane three days later, Terry Doyle.

"The idea of awarding a bonus competition point to teams scoring four tries and to those sides beaten by seven or less was not strictly speaking Doyle's.

"It was raised by former Queensland prop Greg Dux, a delegate to a brainstorming conference, Breakthrough '82, called by Doyle nearly three decades ago to revitalise rugby in Queensland.

"But it was Doyle who saw the merit in the idea and pushed for its introduction at every level. Initially, it was used only in the Brisbane club premiership but when Doyle's other masterstroke idea, Super Rugby, kicked off with the Super Six in 1993, the bonus point system was adopted."

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